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CHAPTER XII.

OR several reasons which will appear in the record, the biography of the eleventh president, is of interest aside from the distinguished position he attained.

On the banks of the Catawba, in the county of Mechlenburg, in the southwestern part of North Carolina, Andrew Jackson and his mother found protection and comfort among the ancestors of James K. Polk, and their neighbors, when they fled from their home at the Waxhaw settlement, as it was invaded by the British soldiery under Cornwallis.

Early in the spring of 1775 the people of Mechlenburg county heard of the atrocities the British soldiers were committing in and around Boston, Massachusetts. Public meetings were at once called to discuss these invasions of the public peace. By one of these meetings, Colonel Thomas Polk, was authorized to call a convention of the representatives of the people, to see what should be done about the troubles at Boston. He called the convention for the nineteenth of May, 1775, at Charlotte, the county seat. At this meeting, the announcement of the battles of Lexington and Concord was made. Great excitement was occasioned. The spirit of resistance and independence was awakened. Resolutions were adopted and read by Colonel Polk, from the court-house steps, "That we, the citizens of Mechlenburg county, do hereby dissolve the political bands

which have connected us to the mother country, and hereby absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British crown; and that we do hereby declare ourselves a free and independent people."

This first and heroic declaration of independence, is a testimony to the spirit of the people of that isolated county and to the ancestors of the eleventh president of the United States. It seems but a providential reward that from such a people and that place, should spring a president of the country, which was to grow from the seed there planted. From the spirit of the Mechlenburg declaration came the eleventh president.

ANCESTRY.

Colonel Thomas Polk and his brothers Ezekiel and Charles, were decendants of Robert Polk, who came from the north of Ireland between 1735 and 1740, and settled in this vicinity. The name is a corruption of Pollock. The family were Scotch and were of those who early settled in the north of Ireland and constituted the people known as Scotch-Irish, Scotch in blood, but Irish in locality.

Samuel Polk was the son of Ezekiel Polk, and the father of the president. The Polks were all staunch patriots in the times of the revolution.

James K. Polk was born in Mechlenburg county, North Carolina, November 2, 1795, in the last term of Washington's administration. His mother was Jane Knox, daughter of James Knox, evidently of Scotch descent. He was the eldest son of a family of six sons and four daughters, and was named for his grandfather Knox, who was a captain in the revolutionary war.

The Polks were a substantial, industrious, self-reliant people. Samuel was a plain, frugal, enterprising farmer, who tilled his own farm and taught his sons his independent way of living.

With the close of the revolution there set in a strong desire to people the solitudes west of the Alleghanies. Washington favored it and did much to promote it. From Mechlenburg county and that vicinity many went. The Polka pretty gener

ally were among them. But Samuel did not get away till 1806, when he went with his family to the valley of the Duck river, a tributary of the Tennessee. Here he secured land, erected his cabin, made his home, and with hardy enterprise set about developing a farm. The next year the vicinity about him was formed into Maury county. He was a practical surveyor, and was much employed in surveying the new lands of the county. His son James often went with him on his surveying expeditions, assisting in such ways as he could; and it was not long before he could make the mathematical calculations for his father. These studies of the woods availed him much, as they promoted his scholarship and quickened his mind for further study.

HIS BOYHOOD.

The boyhood of James was that of a farmer's boy of all work. Being the oldest, he was the chore boy, the errand boy, the callboy for all little jobs; the big boy to care for the little ones, help his mother and be generally useful. It is a rare thing if the oldest child does not find out many ways to be useful in the family. This was the favored opportunity for James. As his father was a surveyor, he added to the ordinary accomplishments of the oldest farmer boy, that of a surveyor's waiter, cook and teamster. In these many ways of usefulness, James was well trained in the helpful industries of everyday life and secured unconsciously the moral and courteous results of such training. There were business, duty, morality and manners in this training.

In study, he had such advantages as the schools of his time. afforded enough to give him studious habits, a love of reading, and a covetousness of knowledge.

His constitution not appearing to be strong, perhaps having been over-worked, his father thought it best to take him from the farm and put him into a store. This did not suit his taste, and he was allowed to leave and gratify his love of study, under the direction of Reverend Doctor Henderson. Afterward he want to the Murfreesburg academy, where he had excellent advantages. In about two years and a half, he prepared him

self to enter the sophomore class in the University of North Carolina.

The farmer's boy, reared as he was, who out of his unconquerable desire to study, against his parents' wishes, and without encouragement from others, pushes on, and works his way into an advanced place in college, as he did, has already given assurance of a manhood that is likely to be marked.

His course in college was the counterpart of what it had been at home, faithful, industrious, pushing, He was happy, because he was gratifying a hunger for knowledge. He made rapid progress, honored the college with a loyal submission to its laws, made friends and took the honors of his class, graduating in June, 1818, in his twenty-third year.

His college life strongly impressed him; he became a college man, a lover of scholarship and scholars; often revisited his college; received from it, in 1847, the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws; and was its constant friend through the whole of his life.

MR. POLK AS A LAWYER.

Leaving college with somewhat impaired health, he rested for a few months, and early the next year, entered the law office of Mr. Felix Grundy, at Nashville. Mr. Grundy, at this time, was a prominent national man, and for many years held a conspicuous place among the strong men of the nation. Mr. Polk had, for a considerable time, anticipated the study of law. He went to it with a zest, as fulfilling a long-cherished desire. While studying with Mr. Grundy, he made the acquaintance of Andrew Jackson, who occasionally called at the office, and who was then living at the Hermitage, a few miles from Nashville. A friendship grew up from this acquaintance, which was lifelasting. Jackson had lived in Mechlenburg, where Polk was born; had known his ancestors; was himself born and reared near the same place; they were both Scotch-Irish; their ancestors had come from the north of Ireland to this country about the same time; they were both born of humble parents, and in straitened circumstances; Mr. Jackson was quick and ardent

in his likes, as well as dislikes, and Mr. Polk was cordial, frank, manly; so between them there was soon established the best of feelings. It was good fortune for Mr. Polk that he found two such friends in the office where he studied for his profession.

Near the close of 1820, Mr. Polk was admitted to the bar.

He was now twenty-five years old; with a very practical business education as a boy; a solid college education, and the acquaintance of scholarly men and class-mates, that comes with it as a youth; a good professional education, and the friendship of Jackson and Grundy, and their associates. This was laying a broad foundation for a strong manhood. It was wisdom in the beginning. It was the initiatory investment for a great and sure fortune. Added to all this, as more and better, were an excellent moral character, good habits, the manners of a gentleman, and the spirit of a generous and high-minded man. Under such a beginning, Mr. Polk's fortune was almost assured.

Mr. Polk entered at once upon the practice of law, and continued for several years, growing more and more efficient and eminent. Sometimes he was alone, sometimes in company with other eminent lawyers, among whom were Anson V. Brown and Gideon J. Pillow, major-general in the Mexican war. In his profession he won a place in the world, a competence, and the mastery of his powers and learning.

MR. POLK A LEGISLATOR.

In 1823 he was elected to the legislature of his state, after an animated canvass, in which he took the leading part. Previous to this he had served as chief clerk in the House of Representatives. He remained two years a member of the legislature. This was during the presidency of Mr. Monroe, with whom Mr. Polk was in full political sympathy. He approved the action of the Tennessee legislature of 1822, in nominating Andrew Jackson for the presidency, and in 1824 assisted in nominating and electing him to the Senate of the United States.

While a member of his state legislature, Mr. Polk procured the passage of a law against dueling, for which he had a great