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J
 M
.
The fifth president of the United States was a native of the grand Old
Dominion, being born in Westmoreland county, Virginia, April 28, 1758.
Like his predecessor, Madison, he was the son of a planter. Another strange
incident:—Within sight of Blue Ridge in Virginia, lived three presidents of
the United States, whose public career commenced in the revolutionary
times and whose political faith was the same throughout a long series of
years. These were Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe.
In early youthhood Monroe received a good education, but left school to
join the army and soon after was commissioned a lieutenant. He took an
active part in the campaign on the Hudson, and in the attack on Trenton, at
the head of a small detachment, he captured one of the British batteries. On
this occasion he received a ball in the shoulder, and was promoted to a
captaincy. As aide-de-camp to Lord Sterling, with the rank of major, he
served in the campaign of 1777 and 1778, and distinguished himself in the
battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Monmouth.
Leaving the army, he returned to Virginia and commenced the study of
law under Thomas Jefferson, then Governor of the State. When the British
appeared soon afterward in the State, Monroe exerted himself to the utmost
in organizing the militia of the lower counties; and when the enemy
proceeded southward, Jefferson sent him as military commissioner to the
army in South Carolina.
In 1782, he was elected to the assembly of Virginia from the county of
King George, and was appointed by that body, although but twenty-three
years of age, a member of the executive council. In 1783 he was chosen a
delegate to congress for a period of three years, and took his seat on
December 13th. Convinced that it was impossible to govern the people
under the old articles of confederation, he advocated an extension of the

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powers of congress, and in 1785 moved to invest in that body power to
regulate the trade between the States.
The resolution was referred to a committee of which he was chairman, and
a report was made in favor of the measure. This led to the convention of
Annapolis, and the subsequent adoption of the Federal Constitution.
Monroe also exerted himself in devising a system for the settlement of the
public lands, and was appointed a member of the committee to decide the
boundary between Massachusetts and New York. He strongly opposed the
relinquishment of the right to navigate the Mississippi river as demanded by
Spain.
Once more we see the value of a proper and elevating marriage, as a
feature in the success of our great men. In 1785 he married a daughter of
Peter Kortright, a lady of refinement and culture. He, being inelligible for
the next three years according to the laws, settled in Fredericksburg.
In 1787 he was re-elected to the general assembly, and in 1788 was chosen
a delegate to the Virginia convention to decide upon the adoption of the
Federal Constitution. He was one of the minority who opposed the
instrument as submitted, being apprehensive that without amendment it
would confer too much authority upon the general government. The course
of the minority in Congress was approved by the great mass of the
population of the Old Dominion, and Monroe was chosen United States
Senator in 1790. In the Senate he became a strong representative of the anti-
Federal party, and acted with it until his term expired in 1794.
In May of that year he was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to France,
and was received in Paris with enthusiastic demonstrations of respect. His
marked exhibition of sympathy with the French Republic displeased the
administration. John Jay had been sent to negotiate a treaty with England,
and the course pursued by Monroe was considered injudicious, as tending
to throw serious obstacles in the way of the proposed negotiations. On the
conclusion of the treaty his alleged failure to present it in its true character
to the French government excited anew the displeasure of the cabinet; and
in August, 1796, he was recalled under an informal censure.

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On his return to America he published a 'View of the conduct of the
Executive in the Foreign Affairs of the United States,' which widened the
breach between him and the administration, but socially Monroe remained
upon good terms with both Washington and Jay.
He was Governor of Virginia from 1799 to 1802 and at the close of his
term was appointed Envoy Extraordinary to the French government to
negotiate, in conjunction with the resident minister, Mr. Livingston, for the
purchase of Louisiana, or a right of depot for the United States on the
Mississippi. Within a fortnight after his arrival in Paris the ministers
secured, for $15,000,000, the entire territory of Orleans and district of
Louisiana.
In the same year he was commissioned Minister Plenipotentiary to
England, and endeavored to conclude a convention for the protection of
neutral rights, and against the impressment of seamen. In the midst of these
negotiations he was directed to proceed to Madrid as Minister
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to adjust the difficulties between the
United States and Spain, in relation to the boundaries of the new purchase
of Louisiana. In this he failed, and in 1806 he was recalled to England to act
with Mr. Pickney in further negotiation for the protection of neutral rights.
On the last day of that year a treaty was concluded, but because of the
omission of any provision against the impressment of seamen, and its
doubtfulness in relation to other leading points the president sent it back for
revisal. All efforts to attain this failed and Monroe returned to America.
The time was approaching for the election of a president, and a
considerable body of the Republican party had brought Monroe forward as
their candidate, but the preference of Jefferson for Madison was well known
and of course had its influence. Monroe believed that the rejection of the
treaty and the predilection expressed for his rival indicated hostility on the