Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1866-01-05
THE EARLY LIFE OF SENATOR wIL-
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Mrs. Harriet tiBeechet Stove pubiishesin-
the Boston Watekman and Reflector an IN
teresting sketch ex-senator Wilson of Mass
achusetts. She says Of his early life:
"Henry Wilson, our present United
States Senator was born at Farming
ton, N. H., Feb. IL, 1918, of very poor
parents. AT theage of 10 he was bound
to farmer till he was twenty-one. Here
he had the usual lot of a f;Srrn-boy-plain,
abundant food, coarse clothing, incessant
work, and a few weeks schooling at the
district school in nwinter.
"ln these ten years of toll, the boy, by
twilight, freight and on Sundays, had
read over one thousand volumes Of histo-
ry, geography, biography and general lit
erature, borrowed from the school libra
ries and from those of generous individuals.
cat twenty-one he was his own master
to begin the world, and in looking over
his inventory for starting in life, found
sound and healthful body, and mind
trained to reflection by solitary thought.
He went to Natick, Mass, to learn the
trade Of a shoemaker, at which, working
two years, he saved enough money to at
tend the acadamy at Concord and Wolfs-
borough, N. H. But the man with whom
he bad deposited his hard earnings became
insolvent; themoney he had toiied so long
for vanished; and he was obliged to4eaye
his studies, 60 back to Natick and make
more. Undiscouraged, he resolved still
to pursue his object, uniting it with his
daily toll. He formed debating society
among the young mechanics Of the place;
investigated subjects; read; wrote and
spoke on all the subjects of. the day, as
the spirit within him gave him utterance.
Among his fellow-mechanics some others
were enkindled by his influence, and are
now holding high places in the literary
and dip diplomatic world. ''
''In 1910 young Wilson came forward
as public speaker. He engaged in the
Harrison election campaign, and made
sixty speeches in about four months, and
was well repaid by his share in the tri-
umph of the party. He was then cleo
ted to the Massachusetts legislature as rep
resentative from Natick. '-1 ''il-e =
''Having entered life on the working
mans side, and known by his own ex-
perience the workingman's trials, teinpts-
ton and hard struggles, he feltthe sacred
ness OF a poor mans labor, and entered
public life with heart to take the part of
the toiling and the oppressed.
'4Of course he was quick to feel that the
great question of our time was the oties-
ton of labor and its rights and rewards.
He was quick to feel the frrepressible
conflict, which Seward so happily designa-
ted between the two modes Of society ex-
isting in America, and to know that they
must fight and struggle till one of them
throtted and killed the other; and prompt
to feel this, he made his early election to
live or die on the side of the laborings poor,
whose most oppressed type was the Afri-
can slave. t57 10 - sss 1u5ulao IS.
'1n the Legislature he introduced mo-
ton against the extension Of slave terrific
ry; and inrlS45 went with Whittier To
Washington with the remonstrance of
Massachusetts, against the admission of
Texas as slave state.
''When the whig party became inefi-
cient in the cause Of liberty, through too
much Difference to the slave-power, Henry
Wilson left it, and became one of the most
energetic and efficient organizers in form
ing the free-soil party of Massachusetts.
In its interest he bought daily paper in
Boston, which for some time he edited
with great ability.
meanwhile he rose to one step of honor
after another in his adopted State; he be-
came President of the Massachusetts Sem
ate; and at length, after well contested
election, was sent to take the place of the
accomplished Everett in the United States