New-York daily tribune., 1855-08-20

previously belonged to the company which had
constructed q Canal from the MeT dmack at
this point to Boston Hsrber, but it was better
known az q fishery, and f,w fisher mems hats
were almost it's only buildings. this barren
rock bas since been developed into Lowell, q
city Of some 40 000 inhsbtaJts. wh0ss annual
production exceeds that Of any community not
decidedly superior u numbers on the face Of
the earth; while in intelligence, independence,
comfort and virtue, there is no manufacturing
community in Europe which will beer co n
parison with it.
TIE Lawrences were rich men when they de-
cideo to embark in Manufactures, and they soon
gave up their importing business aud devoted
themselves wholly't home products. They
never made money so rapidly in manufacturing
as they bad done in foreign goods indeed, Mr
Abbott Lawrence showed ms, some years since,
his dividend book, from which it appeared that
his annual income from the capital be had in
vested in manufacturing companies bad averaged
just about seven per cent for series of years,
adding an avowal Of bis belief that his invest
ments in factory stocks were, as whole, more
fortunate than those Of almost any other Ameri-
can. But the subscriptions of A. & A Law
renee to any new undertaking we're generally
made with at least an understanding that the
fabrics of the COMPANY shoule be regularly con-
signed to their house for sale on C ,mmission;
thus an immense and lu crative mercantile bust
ness as gradually built up, from which the part
ners realized colossal fortunes.
In 1884, Mr.. Lawrence was elected TO Con.
with Dec. 1885, declining a rec ectiOn 10
1888, he was again ersuaded to stand, and be
served through part of the ensuing term; bus
i'll health and business impelled him to resign in
1S40, when r. c. Winthrop was chosen 10 his
stead. In 1643, be was designated one of the
Commissioners to settle oar North Eastern
Boundary, and discharged the duties of that
post with zeal and fidelity. He headed the
Clay Electoral Ticket of Massachusetts, in 1914,
was an early, active and Influential supporter Of
Gen. Tsylors domination in l545, AMI was the
choice of the Taylor men for Vice President;
but after putting him ahead on the irst ballot,
they concluded to placate the friends of Mr..
Clay by giving the no nDation to Mr.. Fillmore.
Gen. Taylor, on coming to Washington, is
understood to have wished to call Dir.
Lawrence into his Cabinet but this was
found mprscticable, and was probably dis
couraged by Mr.. L. himself, who was soon
after nominated Mlnister Plenpotentiary to
Great Britain, a station more cOngenial to
his tastes. He spent three years ia England,
dispensing generous hospitality, miagiing
freely and frequently with the more fortunate
closses and enjoying widespread popularity.
Few Americans could have filled the station
more acceptably or cOurteously; aud his efforts
to have our country 'editabIy represented and
foirly considered at the great Worlds Exhibition
Of 1851 were creiitube to his patriotism aud
his enlightened liberalty. He resigned the
post toward the close of 1852, and returned to
dev ote the remainder of his days to his business
and his charities IN that city which had wit
messed his rise from poverty to aflidence, from
obscurlty to emineDce, and which ever held the
irst place IN his affections.
In religion, Mr. Lawrence was Unitarian,
and member of the Brattle-st. Church; bat it
was remarked with some surprise In England
that he did not attend the humble and unpopG.
lar ministrations Of his own sect there, bat
worsbiped stately with the Episcopal or Es-
tatlisbed Church. This is in strong contrast
With the course of John Quincy Adams, who,
while Secretary of State, met regularly with
his dozen or two Of Unitarian feilow-belleyers
in their little chamber at Washington when he
could not be ignorant that his aspirations to
the Presidency were likely-almo't certain
to suffer from such avOwal OF fellowship with
sect so f. eble in numbers aud generally odious
OfMr. Lawrence, however, it should in fairness
be stated that, whie aohering at home to the
Unitariass, he was a liberal giver in support o.
the missions and other efforts OF rival denomi-
nations.
Mr.. Lawrence was man of generous impulses,
courtly manners and commanding presence.
Were men of wealth usually guided by con-
sciousness of their duties, their responsibilities
and their true inter ests he would not have risen
manfesty above bis class; it was their short
com ng which made him tower so pa'paby and
so grandly His gifts during life to various re-
Tgious, pbilantbropic aud benevolent efforts are
estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars,
while his subscriptions to enterprises which
promised rather public utility than private emol-
ument must have amounted 10 nearly as much
more Boston has hardly his equal left, in fact,
few cities are large enough to have two such
men at once in the prime of their activity aui
usefulness. His wife, formerly Katharine Bge-
low, to whom he was married in 1919, survives
him, with three sons Zone of them now IN E1'
rope) and two daue uehters, all married. HIS