not liberally educated, though he supplemented by careful study and voluminous reading and research the education which the common schools afforded. To a strongly practical training he added by his own exertions unusual literary culture, acquiring among other accomplishments a good knowledge of the French language, which aided him greatly in his subsequent official career.

The whole course of his education, meaning by that word the training of mind and body to the full development of their powers and usefulness, has been eminently practical. For the elementary knowledge essential or highly useful to every pursuit in life, such as reading, spelling, writing, grammar, arithmetic, and geography, there were no better schools in the world than the common schools of New England; and of these, in childhood and early youth, he enjoyed the full benefits; and for the useful concerns of life, a knowledge of human nature, of human character, and the varied transactions of human life and of our political and social conditions and institutions,-never to be learned or understood in college,-perhaps no one pursuit is so truly and widely useful as that of the printer and newspaper editor.

At an early age, in the spring of 1829, Mr. King went into the office of the Jeffersonian, a thorough Jackson Democratic paper, then published in his native town, for the purpose of acquiring an expert knowledge of the printing business and to befit himself to conduct the paper, in case he should like the business well enough to purchase the establishment. After being in the office about a year he became connected with the paper as one of its proprietors, and six months after became sole proprietor, being then about nineteen years of age, employing a village lawyer, at a salary of twelve York shillings a week, to assist him in editing the sheet. In 1832 he cast his first vote for General Jackson, and shortly afterwards assumed the entire editorial management of his paper. Its files show him to have been consistent and earnest in his denunciation of South Carolina nullification,

and throughout General Jackson's administration the Jeffersonian firmly, consistently, and energetically supported the Old Hero; and when Mr. Van Buren was, by the refusal of the Senate to confirm his nomination, recalled from England, where, during the recess, the President had sent him as minister, the Jeffersonian was among the first papers in the country to run up his name for the Presidency.

In 1833 the unfortunate division of the Democracy of Maine took place, and Mr. King was induced to remove his press to Portland in May of that year. The conséquence was a sharp family quarrel on State and local matters, which lasted two or three years, when many of his principal competitors, with their journalists at their head, went over bodily to the enemy. From first to last Mr. King has combated with like zeal every scheme which looked towards disunion.

He continued to edit the Jeffersonian until 1838, when he sold the paper to the Standard, which was soon after merged in the Eastern Argus, and may be said to "still live" in the columns of that stanch advocate of Democratic principles. This terminated his professional connection with the public press.

But if anything more were wanting to complete Mr. King's practical education and his knowledge of business and of human nature, what better school could have been found than that which he enjoyed in his twenty-two years' connection with all the various concerns and operations. of the Post-Office Department? There, if anywhere, the whole lesson was presented, and by a careful, diligent, and intelligent observer could be thoroughly learned. And in that school, as was proved by his successive promotions, and especially by his eminent fitness for and usefulness in the responsible and important positions which he occupied, he was neither an indifferent nor an unsuccessful student. Gifted with a clear head, a quick perception, and indomitable industry, coupled with a firm resolution to know thoroughly whatever his actual business or pursuit rendered

A DISPASSIONATE SURVEY OF

PRESIDENT BUCHANAN'S ADMINISTRATION,

FROM 1860 TO ITS CLOSE.

INCLUDING

A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR, EIGHT LETTERS FROM MR. BUCHANAN NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED, AND NUMEROUS MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES.

it necessary or desirable for him to know, and brought continually into business contact with shrewd, active minds, his business education was most complete and effectual.

In the fall of 1838, Mr. King went to Washington to look for a newspaper opening, and, not finding one to his mind, he, in March, 1839, accepted a clerkship at $1000 per annum in the Post-Office Department, tendered him by the then Postmaster-General, Amos Kendall. Thus, at the foot of the ladder, he commenced that connection which proved alike beneficial to the country and honorable to himself, and whence he climbed, every step marked by his ability and energy, to the chief position. For a series of years he was corresponding clerk for New England in the Contract Office, a position of considerable responsibility and requiring for the proper discharge of its duties the closest application and a large amount of labor.

Towards the close of 1850 commenced his connection with the foreign mail service, he being at that time transferred to a corresponding desk having that matter in charge. In this connection his services were of the most beneficial character, and have fully entitled him to the lasting gratitude of his countrymen, from the success which, under his management, attended the effort to extend and improve our postal arrangements with foreign nations. In these days, when lines of steamships map the ocean as lines of railroads do the land, when almost every important commercial city of Europe, the islands, and South America have their corresponding connection with some city of our Union, whoever really and essentially has improved this branch of the service has conferred a benefit upon nations which not only the present but future generations will fully appreciate.

Up to 1851 no postal conventions had been entered into with any European governments except Great Britain and Bremen; and thus, as has been well said by another, "an entirely new field was left to be explored, and one which, in view of the various lines of Atlantic steamers, just then