Weekly Minnesotian and times., 1859-12-24
Our New u. s. SenntOr.-.His Past and
his Future.

t. s SKx,roR-The Legislature. in Joint Con-
yention, yesterday elected as L. ). Senator IN
place of Gen. Shields, Morton :. Wilkinson, of
Blue Earth County. The Senatorial term for
which Mr.. Wilkinson is elected. commenced ON
the fourth OF March last, and will expire on the
fourth of March, 1863
Mr. w, OF course is a Republican, and of the
extreme Seward school He possesses fair abih
ties, is torcible speaker. and can make valuable
representative; bUt we very much doubt wheth
er he will His extreme ianatcism the negro
question and there are but few who believe 1t to
be sincere, will entirely destroy his influence
among conservative men of all parties and compel
HIM 10 seek political associates and supporters
solely among those whose radicalism destroys
their influence in Washington, for the accomplish
ment of beneficial State and local objects. The
Senator elect. too is narrow minded IN ms pohti-
cal views. aud excessively violent and denuncla-
tory of all who assume the liberty of differing
from HIM. But before we speak further OF Mr..
Wilkinson we will wait and see the effect OF the
air of the national capital upon his mental and
moral constitution Pioneer ana Deinocrat, Dec. 10.
We copy the above notice of Senator
WILKINSON from the columns of the leading
Democratic paper Of Minnesota, because,
amidst much untruth, and an unjust dis
position to depreciate him and injure his use
funeSS at Washington. we think it contains
compliment to him which we cannot forego re-
publishing 1t says that Mr.. WILKINSON sis
q Republican of the extreme Seward school,"
This is true: and in this we find the compli-
ment alluded to- Whenever a Republican
can be truthfuly described, as man
imbued with the sound principles which ami
mate WM. ii. SEWARD in his public career, he
may safely be set down by all Republicans as
true man, on whom reliance may be placed
TO resist the encroachments of the South and
Slavery, in bold, firm, determined, yet calm
and conservative manner. That is what Re-
publicanism lneans-that is what Mr.. WILK-
ISsoN is elected to carry out. That he sjust
the man who will perform his whole duty at
Washington, as we'll by his party as by his
State, we are proud in believing-for his past
history shows him to be man of energy and
force of character-of pluck, grit, backbone
and ability. And these are the men that win
and wear, and will achieve results worth talk
ing about.
And it is in this connection that few
facts of his personal history may not be
amiss
MORTON S. WILKINSON is New Yorker by
birth. having been born at Skeneatales, in
that State, on the 22nd of January, 1S2O,-
his father being ALFRED WILKINSON, a farmer
ofthat vicinity Mr.. W. will, consequently,
be 10 years ofage on the 22nd Of next month.
He is, therefore, at the Threshold of the age
when men begin to be most valuable for all
operations in life requiring the highest combi-
nations of intellectual power with physical
vi5or when the intellectual perceptions are
most favorably modified by experience when
10 talent, men have added judgment: when
moral courage, physical courage, culture of
mind, and culture of all the physical faculties,
conspire to make man great and powerful
and noteworthy, as being "a man among
men," if he have but enough of the raw ma
terial of greatness in him native talent that
Will improve on cultivation.
This, young WILKINSON early evnced the
possession of: and, to give it scope, he was
sent to the trustee Academy in Skeneatales,
where he received such English and classical
education as those institutions were apt to
confer: good, fair, practical, but not compre-
hensive nor searching.
From the Academy, he graduated into the
law Office of JOHN G. BEACH, Esq, of Skene-
atales, where he remained as student until he
was admitted to practice in the Courts, in the
year 1S41.
In 1913, Mr.. WILKINSON removed to tn
State Of Michigan, settling in Eaton county.
Here he remained, practising his profession
for three or four years. While residing in
Michigan, he was an ardent Wing politician {:
and during the contest of 1874, gave his sup
port to HENRY CLAY, for the Presidency.
In the spring of 1917, Mr.. WILKINSON left
Michigan for what is now Minnesota, having
been induced to take this step through the re.
presentations of his brother-i law, Colonel
WM II. MOBILES. (since of California wagon
route notoriety,) who was then engaged in
numbering and logging on the st. CrOix river.
Mr. WILKINSON first settled at Saltwater,
which was then the seat Of justice of the
county of ST. Croix, Wisconsin, and which
embraced in its precincts all the territory now
in Minnesota that lies in the angle formed by
the St. Croix and Mississippi, besides large
extent of country on the east side of the st.
Croix, in what is still Wisconsin. Soon after
his settlement at Saltwater, he was appointed
District Attorney for the county by the Coun-
ty Commissioners thereof, two of the three Of
whom comprising the Board, are now MEN,
bers of the Legislature by which he was elect
ed u S. Senator, viz. ORANGE WALKER,
Republican, of the House of Representatives,
and SOCRATES NELSON, Democrat, of the
State Senate.
In ls4s, Mr.. WILKINSON actively participa-
ted in the measures adopted by the people of
the portion of W isconsin Territory notinclud
ed within the State boundaries, to obtain from
Congress the organization of this region Of
country under new territorial government.
A meeting to forward this view was held at
Saltwater, at which the name of "Minneso-
ta," was fixed on for the proposed new Terri
tory In this meeting Mr.. WILKINSON was
prominent actor.
After the erection of the Territory of Min
nesota, in August, 1S49, an election for mem
bers of its Legislature, both Council and
House, took place and MORTON S. WILKiN-
son was returned as member of the lower
branch, along with SYLvANUs TRAsK and
MAHLoN BLACK.
Having served with credit in the capacity
of Representative from Saltwater, during Sep
tember and October of 1e49 the rising i'm
portance of st. Paul, which was beginning to
attract population and business most rapidly,
induced him, early in the following year, 1850,
to remove to the Capital where he entered
into law partnership with L. A. BABcocK,
ESQ, who had been fellow member with him
in the first territorial Legislature, and who then
heed the Office of Attorney General Of the Ter