he  negotiated  an  important  treaty.  He  advo-
cated the  policy  of  war  with  Mexico,  and  led  a
regiment  to  the  field.  In  1853  President  Pierce
called  Mr.  Cushing  to  his  cabinet  as  Attorney-
generaL  As  president  of  the  Democratic  con-
vention at  Charleston  (1860),  he  took  part  with
the  Secessionists.  In  1866  he  was  one  of  three
commissioners  appointed  to  codify  the  laws  of
the  United  States.
CUSHDJG


355


CUSTIS


<;hiahingr  Thomas,  LL.D.,  was  bom  in  Bos-
ton March  24,  1725;  died  Feb.  28,  1788.  '  He
graduated  at  Harvard  iu  1744,  aud  for  many
years  represeuted  his  native  city  in  the  General
Court,  of  which  body  he  became  speaker  in  1763,
and  held  that  position  until  1774.  His  signa-
ture -was  affixed,  during  all  that  time,  to  all
public  documents  of  the  province,  which  made
his  name  so  conspicuous  that,  in  his  pamphlet,
Taxation  no  Tyranny,  Dr.  Johnson  said, "  One  ob-
ject of  the  Americans  is  said  to  be,  to  adorn  the
brows  of  Gushing  with  a  diadem."  He  was  a
member  of  the  first  and  second  Continental
Congress;  was  commissary -general  in  1775;
was  a  judge;  and  in  1779  was  eleet«d  lieuten-
ant-governor of  Massachusetts,  which  office  he
held  until  his  death.
Cashing,  Wiluam  B.,  U.  S.  Navy,  was  bom
iu  Wiscousin,  Nov.  24,  1842 ;  died  in  Washing-
ton, D.  C,  Dec.  17,  1874.  He  entered  the  navy
iu  1857,  resigned,  and  was  reappointed  iu  1861.
He  performed  exploits  remarkable  for  coolness
and  courage  during  the  war,  the  most  notable
of  which  was  the  destruction  of  the  Confederate
ram  Albemarle,  at  Plymouth,  N.  0.  (See  Albe-
marle.') For  this  he  received  a  vote  of  thanks
from  Congress.  In  1868-69  he  commanded  (as
lieutenant-commander)  the  steamer  Maumee,  in
the  Asiatic  squadron.
