The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-02-08
For the National Era.
Il Ell RY SON.

The election OF this gentleman by the House
of Representatives of Massachusetts,, on the
23d inst, to fill the place vacated by Governor
Everett in the United States Senate, seems to
US especially noteworthy. Henry Wilson is yet
a young man, and, little more than score of
years ago, was poor lad at service in a neigh
boring State, and still later, a shoemaker in the
town of Natick, where he now resides. What
he is, and what he has attained, he owes to no
advantages of family, patronage, wealth, or
education, but, under Providence, to his own
energy, temperance, industry, and talents, and
to his early manifested love of freedom, and
hatred of oppression in all its forms. If the
Senate concur in bis election, he will shortly
take his place in Congress, by the side of his
accomplished colleague, as the representative
of State distinguished for its wealth, learn
ing, and refinement, upon whose list of Nation
al Senators are to be found some of the noblest
names in the annals of the country. Whoever
supposes that he has been lifted to accidental
distinction by some lucky turn of events, or
that he has been tossed high above his natural
and fitting position, by the hood-tide of the
Know Nothing excitement, misunderstands
alike Henry Wilson and the people whom he
represents. He will be found equal to his po-
sition. He has had already no small share of
experience in public life. In 1910 and Al, he
represented Natick in the Legislature. In 1943
and "A, he was a member of the State Senate
In l848, he was member of the Wing National
Convention and seeded from it on account of
its nomination of stakeholder. In 1849 he
was elected to the House of Representatives,
from Natick, and in 1850 and 81, he was a
member of the Senate, and President of that
body In 1851, he was the Free-Soil candidate
for Congress in his district, and lacked only
ninety-two votes of an election. In 1852, he
was a member of the State Constitutional Con-
vention, and, during the illness of the officer
chosen to preside over that body, acted as its
President During the same year, he was the
Free-Soil candidate for Governor. He has
been hard and close student, and no man
better understands the history laws, constitu-
tions, and political elements of the country.
He is fluent and forcible speaker, and his
power as controversial writer has been Sc
verely felt by some of his political opponents.
The election of such a man to the United
States Senate-intimately connected as he has
been with every Anti-Slavery movement in the
State and country for the last ten years, by the
only State Legislature under the entire control
of the Know Nothing or American Party-is
calculated to excite no little surprise and indig
nation in the Southern wing of the party.
The slaveholding Councils of the Order will
suspect, and not without reason, that Nativism
had far less to do with this election, than down
right hatred of Slavery, kindled to white heat
by the Fugitive Slave Bill and the repeal OF
the Missouri Compromise. In point of fact,
genuine, old-fashioned Native Americanism is
by no means satisfied with the result. The
Union-saving Nationals and Hunker Wings
and Democrats in the Order, fought against
him as long as there seemed any chance of de-
feating him, supporting, for that purpose, an
obscure and narrow minded bigot in religion
and Hunker in politics, who disbelieves in the
doctrine of human equality, and whose small
wits, like those of the citizen in Coriolanus,
would "run southwark, were they not wedged
in blockhead." Everybody in Massachusetts,
understands that the taking off of Anthony
Burns had more influence upon Gen. Wilson's
election, than the coming in of all foreigners
and "outside barbarians" since the landing of
the May Flower.
We have no sympathy with Nativism-and
look upon the Know Nothing movement as a
most unhappy diversion of popular feeling in
the North, from its true object but we rejoice
to see that the members of the Order in Massa-
sets have been so far true to their better in
stincts and the cause of Human Freedom.
Undoubtedly, many of the Free-Soilers of the
State would have preferred another candidate,
but we imagine that all would agree that the
dominant party might have done worse thing
than elect Henry Wilson. j. G.. w.