Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-10-24

Il
until he resigned it in 1856, Mr.. Hamliu
gave laborious and faithful attention tc
| the subjects which came before him.
Among his more important speeches dur
ing the 3lst Congress, was one, at the FIRST
session, ON the Ocean Mail Service, and
another, the second session, on regulating
the liabilities of ship owners. He took a
prominent and active part, in connection
with Senator John Davis, in preparing and
urging the bill, first introduced into the
S2d Congress, providing for the greater
security of lives on steamboats,.
During the frs. session of the same Con
gress, he made two elaborate speeches on
the American fisheries, giving full histo-
ry of the negotiations on that subject, and
furnishing fund of information in regard
to IT, nowhere else to be found in the same
space. lie also made speeches in the same
Congress, defending the River and Harbor
bill from the assaults made upon it, and
favoring the Internal Improvement policy.
He offered and actively supported an
amendment Of the Pension laws so as to
secure pensions to widows of Revolution
airy soldiers who married after 1900. He
introduced a resolution authorizing the
Codifcation of the Revenue laws, and ap.
propriating $40, 900 for the purpose, which
was adopted.
Down to 1855, Mr. Hamlin acted regu-
larly with the Democratic party, uniformly
voting, nevertheless, against all projects
for extending slavery. Having occupied,
for several years. the position of Chairman
of the Committee on Commerce, to which
he was appointed. by the Democratic ma
jority in the Senate lie fel. it his duty to
resign that place, on resolving, after the
Cincinnati Convention of 1856, no longer
10 act with party which he deemed TO
have deserted The chief landmarks of Democra.
cy In doing he took occasion to define
his political position in clear and appo
site speech, the concluding paragraph of
which is as follows;
"These events leave to me only one ua.
pleasant duty, which is to declare here
that can maintain political associations
with no party that insists upon such doc
trincs; that can support no man for Pres
ident who avows end recognizes them:
aud that the little Of that power with
which God has endowed me, shall be EN-
Ployed tStattle maufuiiy. firmly. aud con
sistently for his defeat, demanded as IL is
by the highest interests of the country
which owns all my allegiance"
Mr. Hamlin was subsequently, nomina-
ted. in June. 1856. as the Republican can
didate for Governor of Maine. The Dem
ocratic party had carried the State the
year previous, and were then in power
He commenced the canvass in July, aud
traversed the State, making neaJy hun
dred speeches in. th. different countless
lie was elected 10 September by an abso-
Lutte majority Of about 5000 over his two
competitors. aud % 1000 over the Demo
cratic candidate, more than double the ina.
jority ever given TO any other candidate in
that State. The effect Of this brilliant tri-
umph was electric, in The great Fremont
canvass, and 80 remarkable u revolution
surprised even the most sanguine Of Sem
ator Hamlin's friends abroad. al.
On the 9th Of January. 1857, he resigned
his seat in the Senate, aud was inaugura-
ted the same day as Governor of Maine.
On the 9Th day Of January a little more
than a week after his Inauguration, Gov.
flamlin was. for the third time. chosen a
Senator Of the United States. in which of
flee he had served nearly ten years. On
the Goth Of February he resigned the Office
of Governor. and soon after returned to
Washington, resuming his seat in the Sen
ate. -
During the first session Of the 30th Con.
gress, March 9th and 10th, Mr. Hamlin
made an extended and able speech on the
Lecompton Constitution aud the Kansas
question.
lie also replied at the same session,
pointedly and eloquently, to the "mud sill''
speech Of Gov. Hammond of South Caro-
lima, repelling hs assaults upon &s labOv1s
Of the free States. Hni ic
AT the opening OF this Congress, he also
took occasion. to express. in most effcc-
tive manner, the unfairncss and gross sec.
tioual parliality OF the Democratic major
ity in the Senate on the formation of the
committees. He made another able speech
rights in regard to the fisheries-a question
Of much local importance to his own
State, and to other portions of New Eng
land 70
For several years past Mr.. Hamlin hal
been an earnest and decided supporter o
the Homestead policy he was in favor o
Mr.. Grows bill giving homes to actua
settlers on the public lands. which passed
. the House at the last session Of Congress
but which was so amended by the Demo
cratic Senate as to destroy its efficacy, ant
was subsequently, vetoed by Democrat.
, ic President, James Buchanan.
. In the active discharge OF his du tiesa
| a Senator, Mr.. Hamlin. since his last cleo
. tion, has continued without interruption
r until the present time.
q Mr.. Hamlm's nomination. for the Vic
Presidency at Chicago, in May last, wa
, an event as unexpected TO him as any thu
4 could have happened The spontaneous