The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-09-09

tured, and under the lu.v.-
ed, partially alleviated by opiates, he san,
away, and expired at twenty minutes past si1
o'clock Wednesday morning. His three sons
who are his only surviving children, his ply
scians, DIR. Thomas T. Perley and DR.. Wm
WOOD, and several other near relatives AMI
friends, were with him in his last moments O
earthly life. 4s -4- Hr
Mr.. Fessenden's reputation as lawyer, an
as man of unusual Intellectual force, an
commanding influence was well established
before he entered into political life He wa
one of the men, who,placed in com petition will
others, pass at once into the rank of leadershi,
by the instructive Difference of all his fellows. :
He would have been in public life earlier. bu
that the party to which he attached himself b,
the convictions in which he had been trained
was for many years in hopeless MINORITY
When at last it became apparent that the old
political ideas that had dominated the Stat.
nearly ever since its Incorporation, were abou,
to succumb to more liberal faith, and that a
combination OF the parties, that ultimately Goa
lesced as the Republican party, could send a
Senator to Congress, his selection for the dis
tinction was simple recognition of the rank
he held in the State in the estimation of its cit
, liens. His several reflections have been due
to no intrigues or solicitations, but simply to
the proprety conceded on all hands of putting
the foremost man in the foremost place. The
hesitation, if there was any, has been on the
part OF those. who seemed to question whether
they were called upon to support public
servant who dsdained to fatter, and refused
to promise, and offered no induce1nent for their
vote but his acknowledged ability, his unac-
cused integrity, and his single devotion to the
public good.
In the Senate, Mr.. Fessenden readily ac-
CURED and firmly held the peculiar rank and
influence he had won at home. This was due
TO his Clear sagacious, and comprehensive in.
teliect to character and culture, that, with.
out making him an orator whose published
speeches are priced for their rhetorical beauty d.
or for their wealth of historic or literary alu-
sions, brought the intuitive good sense of a
practical Judgment to bear effectively upon the
specifio measure of legislation before the SEN
ate, and helped to shape it according to the ex-
igency of the situation. He was pre-eminent-
~ debater, man with the power of think !
ing, and thinking at his best, upon his feet
And while other men of less national reputa-
ton have made more elaborate speeches, mol
man has been so effective worker, or 80 keenl
and clear-sighted o critic, in the most import!
ant routine of legislative discussion and DELHI
GRAFTON, under which individual projects and
suggestions grow into the solemn form andl
sanction of public laws. The report of the Com
mittee of fifteen on reconstruction was an ex- (
hibiton of Mr.. Fessendens powers as a writer. !
and his comprehension and ability as states
man, when attempting anything more deliber-
ate than the oral discussions of the SenateE
chamber. No document has emanated fromk
any department of the government SO -terseE.
and dignifed in statement, and so convincing ink
argument as this report, and if we except thek
proclamation of emancipation, 10 State paperk
\ was more important in character or moreR
powerful in its influence upon the history andE
iestiny of the country
Mr. Lincoln's invitation to Mr.. Fessendens
Q assume Judge Chase's place at the head of !
ne treasury Department in the time of the !
war, was tribute to his high personal integrity B
and to his eminent political sagacity. Thief
place was fraught with labors which he wask
willing to undertake only Professionally, andk
when he returned to the sph ere of his more conf
genial duties, it was with the satisfaction thatk
the national credit had been maintained, andI
that the resources of war provided under hisl
management, bad not been lacking at the crisis
OF the struggle when the government was putt
ting forth its whole power to bring the stagger-f
Ing rebellion to the ground
Mr.. Fessenden's name will be connectedE
with those of Lincoln, of Stanton, of Chase, ofE
Grant, and OF Sherman, and of many othersE
whose valor and endurance on the field, ORE
whose wisdom and eloquence in eouncil.k
sustained the faith and hope of the pso-E
pie, as they were sustained by them.
through long and fatal war, the menu
~ory of which will both sadden and in
spire the hearts of this whole generation of ourF
countrymen. He lived in time auspicious forH
his fame He departs from before our eyes thek
firm and incorruptible patriot whom we re YER }
ed, the prudent counsellor in whom we trust
ed, and we look over the wide land in vain toll
find his peer. This State of Maine, honored inE
the honors he has nobly won in her service and
the service of his country, mourns in the loss
of her distinguished son, her own loss of pres
tige and influence in the councils of the na-H
ton.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF SENATOR FEssEy-6
DEN.
"A biographical notice of Mr.. Fessendep. inE
this community, would seem to be unnecessary
for SO large portion of his life has been spentE
in the public service that his character andE
works are widely blazoned and already record.
ed on the page of history. His elegy must
necessarily be his eulogy. He early blossomedE
in beauty of intellect, and the oonsummateE
flower grew brighter to its meridian and evens
to its latest day. Born Oct 16, 1906, he re- D
ceived the assiduous attention of his accom-
plished father in the period of his childhood i
entered Bowdoin College at the age of twelve I
and came out by the time others usually en- +
tered; this precoeity, which to many is a seri-
GUS disadvantage, did not seem to have theS
effect OF too early maturity in him. But il )
must be admitted that the superior advantages
which he enjoyed in preparing for the bar !
counteracted the ill effects of immature nre.E
liminary study. Beside the supervison of bisk
father, then in full practice and eminent at tbeE
o"it no h1u eiio ucutub Oh the Instruction oil
Charles s. Daveis, one of the best read lawversk
at the Cumberland Bar, as we'll as an accom-
plished scholar, and of his uncle, Thomas Fes.E
sender, an able lawyer and advocate in NewE
York. In these offices he had the benefit oil
observing ehancery practice, then rare quail
hcation with the lawyers in Maine. and of ac.E
curing skill and readiness in eon;tv ,lo.d-
ing which was of an immense ADVANTAGE IN
him during his subsequent career at tbe bar
On his commencing practice, therefore in 1aozh
he brought to the profession ready f,1rnisbodE
mind, keen intellect, and calm self.nosSos
sion, which gave him position far in advance
of the young practitioners who were his con-
temporaries. And with sorrow be it spoken
for superior to the young men who now enterE
upon practice, specifically read, and quite uni
skilled in the science, if not in the very rudi-s
ments of the law.
On commencing practice he modestly sought
the quiet village of Bridgton, which, after twok
years experiment he eychanpad for the