Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-01-26
OBJ Dallp Spp,
TT SDAY, JANUARY &c, 1858.
Brief Biography Of Mr.. Dexter F.


how lie spent the days of his boyhood, it matters
not to the purposes Of this history to inquire.
His first appearance in public life, in this city,
dates, we believe in the Spring of 1852, at which
time we End him at a public meeting, in this city
as an advocate Of the licensing Of theatre, on
the grounds Of its being school for the promo
Gion OF virtue and good morals.
In the Fall OF the same year he appears upon
the platform as a stump speaker at a Democratic
meeting in the City Hall. in the character of
brawling young Democrat of the most hunkerish
stripe, in company with those distinguished Irish
orators, o'Brien and Kelley of Boston, of the
genuine border ruffian school. In his speech
upon that occasion, Mr.. Parker advocated the
most ultra views of the Frank Pierce school of
politicians, urging that all agitation of the slave
~ question was reprehensible in the extreme,
aud that the safety Of the Union depended upon
silencing discussion upon that subject In that
campaign the Baltimore platform and its candi-
date found in him a staunch aud uaweared SUP
porter, aud even the columns OF Wing newspa-
pers teemed with his virnlent abuse Of the Free
Soil principles measures, and men.
Notwithstanding his arduous labors upon the
stump in favor of Frank Pierce and the Baltimore
platform, Mr., Parker found time occasionally to
prepare articles for the press and, in three long
and labored articles in the Worcester Transcript,
he undertook the difficult task of writing down
Senator Sumner and convincing the people OF
Worcester county that Mr. Sumner was liar,
vlifer Of the fathers of the republic, and ialsi
fer Of the truths Of American history.
In commenting upon Mr.. Summers great
speech in the Senate in favor Of the repeal of the
fugitive slave law in the articles alluded to above
Mr.. Parker, with his accustomed passion and We
hemence, says;-" Roald to God that instead Of
being tied to a dead and uateeling pea zoe (Mr.
Parker) had some little to commend as to the pub
lie ear, that from a heart ooerfo,oing 10Th DIS
GUST at such sentiments and at such JalSehood ace
could utter our. feelings and tear the mask Of by
pOcrisy from the Free Soil senator's face"
In another place in the same letter Parker
again pounces upon Senator Sumner follows;
ave tell you, reader, that If Frankiin soas to
come from his Craze to-day, he would say, God
save me from such Abotionists" las Mr.. Sum
ner). And then, as if to demolsh Mr. Sumner
with one fell stroke Of his powerful pen, Mr.. Par
ker ays-''f wrong, injustice, tyranny and irfa-
my want apologzsr, the champion Of Free
soilism has volunteered his services" Having
thus efFectuslly annihilated Senator Sumner, we
next find our redoubtable friend specifying in
the following winter, at military meetings in this
city, and promoting by speech and other pesonal
effort, the organization of alien military corps
in this city, the jackson Guards" The move
ment opposed in some quarters, and Mr.. P,
are informed took upon himself the duty of
waiting upon Gov. Boutwell,, and threatening him
that if the charter not granted to our alien
fellow citizens of whom he was the self appoint
ed champion, that the whole Irish vote of the city
and of the State, SO fa1 as he could influence it,
should be given to the Wings next year.
1t was Mr.. Parkers hope and expectation to
receive nomination that year at the hands of
his party, a candidate for the General Court,
but the caucus failed to recognize his fitness for
the Office, and so he bolted the ticket, giving to
prominent member of his party, as a reason for
refusing TO vote the ticket, that being young
man and mechanic, his services to the party had
been utterly ignored. Next we find him, forgetful
OF his early love of Democratic principles and
aliens, one of the chief spokesman at Dark Ian
tern Lodges, denouncing foreigners and foreign
eating the most ultra measures for depriying
them Of the right of citizenship. His horror of
the Pope, and his fear of the ''Scarlet Woman
made him an early disciple Of the religious mani.
&C. Orr, sometimes known as the Angel Gabriel,
who ABOUT that time visited these shores, and
came to Worcester and the more openly to
show bis disgust of his quondam associates in
the Jackson Guards movement, Parker acted as
OTr's body guard, when he marched in triumph
through the streets, to the music of his trumpet,
and carried the hat when collections were taken
for the benefit of that poor, demented creature,
whose monomaniac rawlings on the subject of Pc.
perry brought our city to the verge of riot, making
it necessary for the city authorities to call out
the military in order to preserve the peace
In 1854, although member in regular stand
ing Of the american party. Mr.. P. had not fully
decided where he should go, and we accordingly
fad him taking an active part in the prelimi-
nary meetings in this city for the formation Of
Republican party, while ne was at the same
time figuring as prominent partizan in the coun-
ellis Of another party. Before the day Of election
came around, however, he determined to go in for
Gardner, and did hard service upon the stump, in
soap vender, who enliyened the monotony of Mr.
PArker's sometimes terrific speeches with the dull
Get strains of his violin, OF humorous remarks
upon the nature and uses ofsoap, and the healing
virtues Of his celebrated liniment."
For all these arduous labors, Mr.. P. received
no tangible reward, as far as we know, in the
shape Of honors or spoils Of office; but, nothing
daunted in his aspirations, he continued to Ia
Dor for the election of Governor Gardner through
the campaign of 1855, aud we find him again
upon the stump, in company with the man of
the fiddle and the soap, denouncing Mr.. Rock.
well and the Republicans all over the county in
the most bitter, untruthful, and vehement terms.
To make along story short, he managed, after
doing all in his power to defeat the Republican
ticket, by sort of truck and dicker game, at the
union caucus the next year, to get upon the tick
Ell for representatives from this city and was elect
ed, Of course.
In the course Of the Winter, when the law
making Jurors judges OF the law as well as the fact
was under consideration, Parker took sides in
opposition 10 the law at first, and called upon a
distinguished member Of the Senate upon that
side 10 furnish him with memoranda Of au-
thorities to cite, that would enable him TO sup.
port that side Of the question. He had hardly
commenced the work Of preparatory stufipp
for his speech, before he fell in with the wri.
ter Of this brief, but truthful, biography. who
persuaded Mr.. Parker to take the other side Of IN
question. which he did, and made a speech upon
Il.