History of Silver Spring, (Montgomery County) Maryland United States of America

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Montgomery Blair, statesman, was born in Franklin county, Ky., May 10, 1813, the eldest son of Francis Preston Blair, statesman. He was graduated from West Point in 1835, and after a few months' service in the Seminole war he resigned his commission in 1836, and began the practice of law in St. Louis, Mo. In 1839 he was appointed United States district attorney for Missouri, and from 1843 to 1849 was a judge of the court of common pleas. In 1852 he removed to Maryland, and in 1855 was appointed solicitor of the United States in the court of claims, but, having joined the Republican party after the repeal of the Missiouri compromise, he was removed from office in 1858 by President Buchanan. He presided over the Maryland Republican convention in 1860, and in 1861 President Lincoln appointed him postmaster-general. While holding this office he instituted several salutary changes and reforms, and at one time attracted attention by an order excluding from the mails certain newspapers which had been presented by the grand jury of New York as disloyal sheets. The matter was brought before Congress, and the action of the postmaster-general was approved. In 1864, his views becoming too conservative to suit the demands of the Republican party, his resignation from the cabinet was requested and accepted, and thenceforth he identified himself with the Democratic party, and in 1876-'77 vigorously protested against the validity of Mr. Hayes's title to the presidency, as secured by the decision of the electoral commission. He died at Silver Spring, Md., July 27, 1883.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Silver Spring, (Montgomery County) Maryland

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