In 1802 he was elected to the assembly, and in 1S04 he was chosen a member of congress, but resigned that office to accept an appointment as justice of the Supreme Court of the State. He resigned the justiceship when elected governor. His career as chief magistrate was distinguished especially by his great services to the country during the War of 1812-15. lie was elected to the vice-presidency, as the colleague of President Monroe, in 1816. His last public office was that of president of the State constitutional convention of 1821. A resident of Staten Island, he originated the ferry from that island to New York City in ISIS. The Staten Island village of Tompkinsville was named for him. The concluding years of his life were clouded by aspersions upon his official integrity persistently made by his political enemies. Investigation has fully proved that these accusations were without the slightest justification. He died June 11, 1825. We extract the following from a recent address on the Life and Services of < rovernor Tompkins by the Hon. Hugh Hastings, Historian of the State of New York: He was fully alive at all times to the dangers which menaced this State during the war [of 1812], and his energy and enterprise were n<> less surprising than the knowledge which lie displayed, though he had never acquired any experience as a military man, regarding the care, transportation, equipment, and welfare of the troops he sent to the field. ... As soon as the legislature met in extra session, November, 1812, he expressed himself in favor of a vigorous prosecution of the war, and, in furtherance of this policy, suggested that the State should make a loan to the national government. . . . He raised within sixty days the sum of $1,000,000 at his own risk, for the public welfare, when the credit of the nation was utterly destroyed.