Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/196

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McLANE


McLaren


In 1831 he was recalled, leaving the oflBce with Washington Irving, cliarge d'affaires, and was appointed secretary of the treasury in Jackson's cabinet, holding office until May, 1833, when in consequence ot having refused in his official capacity to permit the removal of the govern- ment deposits from the U.S. bank, he was trans- ferred to the department of state. He retired from the cabinet in 1834 and removed to his estate in Cecil county, Md. He wtis president of the Biiltimore and Ohio railroad, 1837-47; was appointed U.S. minister to Enghirul by President Polk in 1845 and remained abroad until the settle- ment of the Oregon boundary negotiations in 1846 when he resigned and was succeeded by George Biincroft. After serving as a delegate to the Maryland constitutional convention, 1850-51, he retired from public life. He died in Balti- more, Md., Oct. 7, 1S57.

McLANE, Robert Milligan, statesman, was bom in Wilmington, Del., June 23, 1815; son of Louis and Catharine Mary (Milligan) McLane. He attended St. Mary's college, Baltimore, 1827- 29, and the College Bourbon, Paris, France, in

1829-31. He was grad- uated from the U.S. Military academy in 1837 and assigned to the 1st artillery. He took part in the Seminole war in Florida in 1837 and in 1838 served under Gen. Winfield Scott in the Cherokee dis- turbances in Georgia. In 1839 he was en- gaged in a military survey of the north- ern lakes under Capt. Augustus Cantield. He studied law and practised for a short period in the District of Columbia. He was married, Aug. 2, 1841, to Georgine, daughter of David Urquhart, a planter of Louisiana. He was sent to Euro|)e in 1841 to examine the system of drainage and dykes in Italy and Holland. In 1843 he resigned his commission in the army and practised law in Baltimore, Md. He was a Dem- ocratic representative in the 30th and 31st congresses, 1847-51, where he ably sustainexl the Mexican war. He went to California in 1851 where, with Robert J. Walker, he defended the claimants to the quicksilver mines of New Almaden. He was a delegate to the Democratic national convention at Baltimore. June 1,1852, and the same year was appointed chairman of the Democratic national committee. In 1853 President Pierce appointed him U.S. commis-


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sioner with the powers of minister plenipoten- tiary to China, Japan, Siam, Korea and Cochin China, where, in connection with Commodore Perry, he accomplished important treaties. He was counsel for the first projectors of the Pacific railway and as such visited California, and Europe in 1854-55. He was a delegate to the Democratic national convention at Cincinnati, June 2, 1856; was appointed U.S. minister to Mexico in 1859, where he signed the treaty of 1860, and in 1861 he returned to Baltimore and took an active part in the secession proceedings of the state and after its failure retired from public life and devoted himself to his profession. He was counsel for the Western Pacific railroad for several years. He was a delegate to the Dem- ocratic national convention that met in St. Louis, June 28, 1876; was state senator, 1877-78; a Democratic representative in the 46th and 47th congresses, 1879-83; governor of Maryland, 1883-85, and U.S. minister to France by appoint- ment of President Cleveland, 1885-89. He died in Paris, France, April 16, 1898.

McLaren, Donald, chaplain, was born in Caledonia, N.Y., March 7, 1834; son of the Rev. Dr. Donald Campbell (q.v.) and Jane (Stevenson) McLaren. He was graduated at Union college in 1853 and at Princeton Theological seminar}' in 1857. He was ordained by the presbytery of New Brunswick, July 1, 1857, was pastor of Tennent church. Freehold, N.J., 1857-62, and was com- missioned a chaplain in the U.S. navy, March 10, 1863. He was married July 14, 1858, to Elizabeth Stockton, daughter of Prof. Jacob Green, of Jefferson Medical college, and granddaughter of the Rev. Ashbel Green, D.D. (q.v.). After enter- ing the navy, he acted as professor of ethics at the Naval academy, Newport, R.I., 1863-65. He subsequently made cruises in different parts of the world and served at various naval stations in the United States. He was chaplain of the Naval academy, Annapolis, Md., 1867-71. He received the honorary degree of D.D. from Wooster university, Ohio, in 1889. Having reached the age fixed by law he was placed on the retired list, U.S.N., as chaplain in 1896.

McLAREN, Donald Campbell, clergyman, was born in New York city, Oct. 3, 1794; son of Fin- lay and Margaret (Campbell) McLaren, and grand- son of Donald MacLaren of Balquhidder, Scot- land. His parents came to New York from Cal- lander, Scotland, in 1793. Finlay McLaren was a merchant in Callander and in Onondaga, N.Y., where he died in 1810. Donald Campbell was graduated at Union college, 1813, studied theol- ogy under the Rev. John M. Mason, New York city; and was pastor of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian churches in Caml)ridgp. N.Y., 1817- 27^ and Caledonia, N.Y., 1827-32. After re-