- Horatio King
Infobox US Cabinet official
name=Horatio King
order=19th
title=United States Postmaster General
term_start=February 12 ,1861
term_end=March 7 ,1861
predecessor=Joseph Holt
successor=Montgomery Blair
birth_date=birth date|1811|6|21|mf=y
birth_place=Paris, Maine , U.S.
death_date=death date and age|1897|5|20|1811|6|21
death_place=Washington, D.C. , U.S.
party= Democrat
spouse=
profession=Lawyer ,Politician Horatio King (
June 21 ,1811 –May 20 ,1897 ) was Postmaster General of the United States underJames Buchanan .Born in
Paris, Maine , he received a common school education, and at the age of 18 entered the office of the Paris "Jeffersonian", where he learned printing, afterward becoming owner and editor of the paper. In 1833 he moved it to Portland, where he published it until 1838. In 1839 he went toWashington, D.C. , having been appointed clerk in the post office department, and was gradually promoted. In 1854 he was appointed first Assistant Postmaster General, and in January, 1861, while acting as Postmaster General, he was questioned by a member of Congress fromSouth Carolina with regard to thefranking privilege . In his reply, King was the first officially to deny the power of a state to separate from the Union. He was then appointed Postmaster General, serving fromFebruary 12 untilMarch 7 ,1861 .On retiring from office he remained in
Washington, D.C. during the Civil War, serving on a board of commissioners to carry into execution theemancipation law in theDistrict of Columbia . His efforts led to a considerable number of former slaves settling in the District.After his retirement from office, King practiced in Washington as an attorney before the executive department and international commissions. He was active in procuring the passage of three acts in 1874, 1879, and 1885 respectively, requiring the use of the official "penalty envelope," which has secured a large saving to the government. He also took an active part in the work of completing the
Washington Monument , serving as secretary of theMonument Society from 1881. King was a frequent contributor to the press, and published "An Oration before the Union Literary Society of Washington" (Washington, D.C., 1841), and "Sketches of Travel; or, Twelve Months in Europe" (1878). His sonHoratio Collins King was also a notable figure.Prior to his death, King had been the last surviving member of the Buchanan Cabinet.
References
*appletons
External links
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6869521 Horatio King] at
Find A Grave
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