iana to France, and at once the people of the United States made up their minds to have it. Congress appropriated the money to buy it, and Mr. Jefferson sent Mr. Mon roe a special envoy to France to negotiate, with the aid of our minister there, Robert Livingston. The price paid was fifteen millions. Dr. Weaver says : " It was a peaceful purchase of an empire, as one farmer would buy a farm of another." Seven men were party to it, Jefferson, Livingston, Madison and Monroe for the United States, and Bonaparte, Talleyrand and Marbois for France. When the bar gain was made, those present rose and shook hands, and Livingston said : " We have lived long, but this is the noblest work of our whole lives." In connection with this purchase the fol lowing story is cherished in my mother's family as an interesting tradition. Her greataunt, Elizabeth Moore, married the Marquis Barbé de Marbois, Napoleon's minister of foreign affairs, who was present when the sale was made. Napoleon turning to him whispered the amount he intended to ask of the American commissioners. "Treble it," was the advice of the shrewd Marquis, " they will not hesitate to pay three times the sum you name." Napoleon fol lowed his advice, and when the money was paid, he was so pleased that he gave a handsome sum from it to his clever minister. Strange to say, a part of this purchase money came back to the United States in 1853, as a bequest to the relatives of Madame de Marbois, among whom were Mr. Willing, the father of young Mrs. John Jacob Astor of New York, and Mrs. Sallie Moore Pope of Louisville, Kentucky. Like Washington and Jefferson, Madison married a young and fascinating widow. Like them also he had an early love affair which was unfortunate. He was forty-three when he met beautiful Dolly Payne Todd. He won her hand and they were married in 1794. Although born a Quaker, she had
become a finished lady of society, and while Mr. Madison was secretary of state under Jefferson, she presided as mistress of the White House, as Jefferson was a widower. Again, when her husband was President, she dispensed the hospitality of the executive mansion; in all for sixteen years, the longest time any woman has occupied the position, and history tells, in glowing terms, how she graced it. My mother went, when a young girl, to the White House, during the ad ministration of James K. Polk, and she has often told me of the impression made upon her by Mrs. Madison. She was then an old lady and was receiving with Mrs. Polk, seated in a large chair. Although Mrs. Polk was gracious and pleasant, charming Mrs. Madison monopolized the greater share of the attention of the visitors. When Madison stepped from the office of secretary of state to that of President, he appointed Robert Smith of Maryland to the head of his cabinet. Mr. Smith was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and was a graduate of Princeton College. He was a volunteer at the battle of Brandywine. He studied law and practiced a while in Baltimore. He was a State senator, attorney-general of the United States, and secretary of the navy before he was secretary of state. He was a descendant of John Smith, an Irishman, from Stralanel, Ireland, who came to Mary land, and was for years a prosperous mer chant. Robert Smith was secretary of state from March 6, 1809 to November 25, 1811, when he determined to retire from public life, and resigned the office. Mr. Madison then urged him to go as minister to Russia, but he refused. He was honored and be loved by the people of Maryland, and all his life they proved their devotion to him in. every way possible. He was chosen president of the Bible society; president of the Maryland agricultural society, and provost of the University of Maryland. During his term as secretary of state, war with England was declared.
