"In February, 1817, having received official information of his election to the office of Vice President of the United States he surrendered that of chief magistrate of the state of JNew York." He was also chancellor of the university, and in June, 1820, was elected grand master of masons in the state of New York. In 1821, he was chosen a delegate for the county of Richmond to the convention for framing a new constitution for the state; and lie was afterwards appointed president of this body. This was the last public situation which he held."a

for the heirs of D. D. Tompkins, delivered in tlie House of Representatives, Feb. 4, 1847. a Herring's National Fortait Gallery, vol. ii.

Vol. II. 16

122 HISTORY OF THE

"Years having rolled away (remarks Mr. John W. Edmonds) since he played so prominent and active a part on the stage, and the party rancor with which he was sometimes beset having been long since buried in the grave of the past, ample justice may now, without offence be done to him who was in every sense of the word,

"A statesman lofty and a patriot pure/' ■

The task, however, of doing full justice to his memory belongs to an abler pen ; but no one is too feeble to admire the elevated patriotism which induced him, at a most trying crisis, to forego tlie honor intended for him by the President, to sacrifice his own health and the comfort of his family to the paramount duty of serving his country in that sphere where he could be most useful, and to offer himself a victim for its safety if it should be necessary ; a!id the indomitable energy which enabled him in less than forty days, without assistance in money from the national government, to bring into the field at various points of danger nearly 50,000 men, organized, armed and equipped, to endure the toil, expense and embarrassment of commanding 20.000 of them in person, and at the same time to administer the government of the state : and in less than sixty days when the national credit was at its lowest point of depression, when the payment of even the interest of its notes could not be provided for, to raise for the public service upwards of $1,000,000.^