Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VI.djvu/820

 defence of the objects of that association. Before leaving the department of state he was elected by the legislature of Massachusetts to the senate of the United States. He took his seat in the special executive session in March, 1853, and made an able and elaborate speech on the Central American question. In the summer and autumn of 1853, besides an address before the New York historical society on colonization and emigration, and a reply to the protest of Lord John Russell against the doctrines asserted by our government in the note declining the tripartite convention, he spoke more than once in opposition to the proposed new constitution in Massachusetts. The 33d congress was signalized by the introduction of the bill for the repeal of the Missouri compromise, commonly called the Kansas-Nebraska bill. Mr. Everett delivered a speech against the bill. Feb. 8, 1854, characterized by his usual moderate and conservative views, as well as by good taste and good temper. His health, under the pressure of official toil and excitement, now broke down, and in the following May, under the advice of his physician, he resigned his seat. A few months of rest and quiet restored him; and now there began a new phase in his life, and the opening of a new and peculiar sphere of action. In the year 1853 the project of purchasing Mount Vernon by private subscription was first started by Miss Ann Pamela Cunningham, in an address to the women of the United States, under the signature of "A Southern Matron." The proposal was favorably received, and associations of ladies began to be formed in several of the states for the purpose of collecting funds. Mr. Everett had already prepared for the " Encyclopedia Britannica" a life of Washington, after ward separately printed (12mo. New York, 1860); and having been applied to by the mercantile library association of Boston to deliver a lecture during their course of 1855-'6, he proposed that the association should celebrate the next anniversary of the birthday of Washington, and offered to prepare for that occasion a discourse upon his character, the proceeds to be applied to some commemorative purpose. The offer was accepted; and on Feb. 22, 1856, he pronounced his oration on Washington for the first time, before an immense audience at the music hall in Boston. It was immediately repeated at New York. New Haven, and Baltimore, and the proceeds were applied to various objects. It was delivered for the first time for the benefit of the Mount Vernon fund at Richmond. Va., on March 19, 1856; and subsequently it was repeated in different towns and cities nearly 150 times, always, except in a few instances, for the benefit of the Mount Vernon fund. In 1858 he entered into an engagement with Robert Bonner, editor and proprietor of the " New York Ledger," to furnish an article weekly for that paper for one year in consideration of $10,000 to be paid in advance to the Mount Vernon fund. These articles were republished as " The Mount Vernon Papers " (12mo. New York, 1861). The entire amount raised by Mr. Everett, who gave also his time and expenses freely, exceeded $100,000. On Dec. 22, 1857, he delivered in Boston an address on charity and charitable associations for the benefit of the Boston provident association, which was repeated in different parts of the country 15 times, with an aggregate net receipt, for the benefit of various charitable associations, of about $13,500. On Jan. 17, 1859, he delivered an address in Boston on the "Early Days of Franklin," at the invitation of the association of the Franklin medallists of that city, which was repeated five times, yielding about $4,000 for the benefit of various charitable and public associations. On Dec. 7, 1858, he pronounced a eulogy on Thomas Dowse, before the Dowse institute, at Cambridge. Mass., which was afterward repeated before the Massachusetts historical society. In 1860 he was nominated as vice president, with John Bell of Tennessee as president, on a "union" ticket, which received 590,631 votes in a popular vote of 4,662,170. On the outbreak of the civil war in 1861 Mr. Everett made several patriotic speeches in the principal cities of the north. At the consecration of the national cemetery at Gettysburg. Pa.. Nov. 19, 1863, he delivered the address, afterward published (8vo. Boston, 1864). In the presidential election of 1864 his name was at the head of the Massachusetts ticket as an elector at large, and his vote in the electoral college for Lincoln and Johnson was the closing act of his political career. His last appearance in public was on Jan. 9, 1865, when he made an address in Faneuil hall. Boston, in aid of sending provisions to the suffering people of Savannah. He died on the following Sunday. By direction of President Lincoln, the several executive departments caused appropriate honors to be paid to his memory at home and abroad, and he was the subject of eulogies in public meetings in the leading cities of the Union, several of which were published, including a "Memorial from the City of Boston" and "Proceedings of the Thursday Evening Club [Boston] on the Occasion of the Death of Everett." Besides his addresses, reports, reviews, and other works above enumerated. Everett wrote "The Dirge of Alaric the Visigoth," "Santa Croce," and other poems, and a life of Gen. Stark in Sparks's "American Biography." A collection of his principal public efforts has been published ("Orations and Speeches on Various Occasions," 4 vols. 8vo. Boston, 1869). A statue of Everett by Ball has been placed in the Boston public library, and one by Story in the public garden. END OF VOLUME SIXTH.