Everett, ALEXANDER HILL

Everett, ALEXANDER HILL, an American diplomatist and author, was born at Boston, Massachusetts, 19th March 1792, and in 1806, although the youngest of his class, graduated at Harvard with the highest honours. He was appointed minister at the Hague in 1818, at Madrid in 1825. Four years afterwards he returned to the United States, where he became proprietor and editor of the North American Review (1830–35), and also occupied a seat in the legislature of Massa- chusetts. In the winter of 1840 he resided, as a confidential agent of the United States government, in the island of Cuba. Appointed commissioner to China in 1845, he died in Macao, June 28, 1847. Besides a volume of poems and several works on political subjects, he published two series of Critical and Miscellaneous Essays (Boston, 1845-47), probably the most interesting productions of his pen.—His younger brother, EDWARD EVERETT, was born at Dorchester, Massachusetts, 11th April 1794, and graduated at Harvard in 1811. At the age of nineteen he had already gained a high reputation as a Unitarian preacher in Boston. In 1815 he was elected professor of Greek in Harvard College; and to qualify himself more thoroughly for his work he visited Europe, where he resided for four years, and had a distinguished circle of acquaintance. Victor Cousin pronounced him 'one of the best Grecians he ever knew.' In 1820 Everett became editor of the North American Review, and in 1824 a member of the United States congress, sitting in the House of Representatives for ten years. In 1835-38 he was four times elected governor of Massachusetts; and in 1841-45 he was minister plenipotentiary at the court of St James. While in England he received the degree of D.C.L. from Oxford, and of LL.D. from Cambridge and Dublin. On his return to America he was elected president of Harvard College; on the decease of Daniel Webster he became secretary of state; and in 1853 he was returned to the United States senate. In 1860 he was nominated by the Constitutional Union party for the vice-presidency of the United States, receiving 39 electoral votes out of 303. He died 15th January 1865. Everett's principal works are A Defence of Christianity (1814); several fine poems; and his eloquent Oration and Speeches (4 vols. 1836-59), covering a wide range of subjects, and indicating a varied, vigorous, and flexible genius. His Memoir of Daniel Webster is prefixed to the collective edition of his friend's works (6 vols. Boston, 1852).