Edward Everett, an American orator, scholar, and diplomatist, was born
in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in April 1794. His father was a
respectable clergyman in Boston; and his elder brother was minister at
the court of Spain. He received his early education at Boston, and
entered Harvard college when little more than thirteen years old,
leaving it with first honors four years later, undecided as to a
pursuit for life. He turned his attention for two years to the
profession of divinity; but, in 1814, he was invited to accept the new
professorship of Greek literature at Cambridge, Massachusetts, with
permission to visit Europe. He accepted the office; and, before
entering on its duties, embarked at Boston for Liverpool. He passed
more than two years at the famous university of Göttingen, engaged in
the study of the German language and the branches of learning
connected with his department. He passed the winter of 1817-18 at
Paris. The next spring he again visited London, and passed a few weeks
at Cambridge and Oxford. While in England, he acquired the friendship
of some of the most eminent men of the day; among others, of Scott,
Byron, Jeffrey, Campbell, Mackintosh, Romilly, and Davy. In the autumn
of 1818, he returned to the continent, and divided the winter between
Florence, Rome, and Naples. In the spring of 1819, he made a short
tour in Greece. Mr. Everett came home in 1819, and entered at once
upon the duties of his professorship. Soon after his return, he became
the editor of the ‘North American Review,’ a journal, which, though
supported by writers of great ability, had acquired only a limited
circulation. Under its new editor, the demand increased so rapidly
that a second and sometimes a third edition of its numbers was
required. One of his first cares as editor was, to vindicate American
principles and institutions against a crowd of British travelers and
critics, who were endeavoring to bring them into contempt. The spirit
with which he performed his task checked this system of assault; and
Campbell, who had inadvertently admitted into ‘The New Monthly
Magazine’ a paper of the same description, made a handsome _amende_.
In 1824, Mr. Everett delivered the annual oration before the
Phi-Beta-Kappa Society, at Cambridge, Massachusetts. The entire
discourse was favorably received; but the peroration, being an
apostrophe to Lafayette, who was present, touched a chord of sympathy
in an immense audience, already excited by the unusual circumstances
of the occasion. This was the first of a series of orations and
addresses delivered by Everett on public occasions of almost every
kind during a quarter of a century, and lately collected in two
volumes. Up to 1824, he had taken no active interest in politics; but
his articles in the review had evinced his acquaintance with the wants
and spirit of the nation, and his recent oration had brought him
prominently before the public. The constituency of Middlesex,
Massachusetts, without any solicitation on his part, returned him to
congress by a great majority over the regular candidate. For ten years
he sat in congress, and proved himself a working member, never taking
advantage of his superior powers to detain the house with oratorical
display, but taking part in every debate of importance. In 1835, he
retired from congress, and was for four successive years chosen
governor of Massachusetts. In 1839, he was again a candidate for the
same honor, but was defeated on local questions by a majority of one
out of more than 100,000 votes. In 1841, he was appointed to represent
the United States at the court of St. James, a position for which he
was peculiarly qualified by his knowledge of the European tongues, and
his acquaintance with the then mooted boundary question. Although the
secretaryship of state at Washington was held by four different
statesmen, of various politics, during Everett’s mission, he enjoyed
the confidence and approbation of all. His firmness, high
intelligence, and assiduous habits, won him great respect in England;
and his scholarship was recognized in the bestowal of the degree of D.
C. L. by the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. He returned to
America in 1845, and was chosen president of Harvard college, which
office he resigned in 1849. He now lives at Boston, employed on his
promised ‘Treatise on the Law of Nations.’