The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-09-17

questions connected with slavery. was vigor-
GUS without violence, and just without waver-
ing or trimming. From the outbreak of the
rebellion, onward, he was without an intel
lectual peer in the body of which he was
member, except, possibly, Mr.. Trumbull. Mr..
Sumner had made more lengthy orations, but
on questions or practical legislation, was far
the inferior of either Of these statesmen.
As Chairman of the Committee on Finance.
Mr.. Fessenden discussed financial questions
with a comprehensive knowledge not un-
worthy either of the great English Premier. for
whomhe was named, Orof the present Premier.
Mr.. Gladstone, whom, more than any other
American statesman, Mr.. Fessenden resem-
bled. Mr. Chase, in the dark hours of June.
1864, while our armies were struggling in the
agonieS of the conflict, from the Wilderness
to Richmond Thought fit to resign his post. at
a period when gold was threatening 10 rise
and did shortly after rise from 100 to 2SO.
The country looked instinctvely to Mr.. Fes-
sender, and, with true political courage, he
caught the falling standard which Mr.. Chase
was unwilling any longer to sustain, and held
it until the surrender OF the rebel armies, He
lacked wholly Mr.. Chases genius for per
suading the groundlings that the nation was
borrowing money at the average rate of FIVE
and half Iper cent. interest, when, in fact, it
was paying from ten to fourteen per cent. by
reason of the depreciation in the currency.
He took charge at time when it was too
late to change policies and impossible to re-
form them. Nevertheless he stopped the is
sue of greenbacks, which had then fallen to
forty cents on the dollar. He held the office
disinterestedly, Ito prevent the loss of conf
dence from embarrassing the government,
and as soon as the fearful crisis had passed,
resigning the Treasury into other hands.
Returning to the Senate, he rendered his
most enduring and important service to the
country in the preparation and submission
of the report of the Committee of Fifteen
on Reconstruction. which reversed and
overthrow the scheme" of Andrew john
son and inaugurated the wise and sound
policy of reconstruction on the basis of
equal rights for all men, which the Congress
adopted and the people have since sustained.
This act is hardly second in Importance to
the Proclamation Of Emancipation itself, as
the liberty which that promised could never
have been secured but by that sound policy of
reconstruction which should give new consti-
buttons to the twelve seeded States and DO
litical rights to the emancipated race All the
weight of Mr.. Fessenden's truly conservative
judgment and practical character was need
ed, and was given to secure the success of
these measures. His popularity was still at
its height, when hel illustrated anew the in
flexible independence and judicial calmness of
his great mind by voting in conflict with the
feelings and passion of the great mass of his
political friends for the acquittal of President
johnson, on his trial by impeachment for
"high crimes and misdemeanors." He had
been among the mostipowerful in resisting the
Presidents policies; ne felt an intense con-
tempt for many features of MI. Johdson's
public life; but he did not believe in impeach-
ment as remedy for political perverseness
The anger of those who opposed his course
was, perhaps, all the deeper for the time, be-
cause their self-respect would not permit
them to assail their motives. His purity of
purpose, and sagacity, and impartiality COM
PEELED his opponents, not only to respect his
position, but to doubt their own. This was
the last important act of his political life and
we believe that he was not unwilling to rest
his reputation with posterity upon it.
In person Mr.. Fessenden was about five
feet nine inches in height, and of rather
slight frame. His face was handsome, his
features finely cut, and his eye clear and COM
| handing. In private conversation with his
friends he was remarkably genial and facina-
ting; but having no patience with humbugs,
and no tolerance for bores, he acquired reputa
| ton for bfusqueness and petulence which was
wholly undeseved. He deemed his time too
valuable to be wasted on ounces and office
beggars, and this class Denounced him accord.
| ingly. When his biography comes to be writ
| ten, and we trust it will be by some compe-
| tent hand, these petty accusations will be for
| gotten, and we shall remember only the high.
bred intellect, the courageous soul, and the
| loving spirit OF a truly great man.. --l.