Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1869-09-16
Death Of Senator Fessenden.

Ia the midst Of our great New Eng
land festival the hag> arc dropping Al
half mast. a hush ha~ fallen upon the
crowded streets, aud the face, oi the
i'hra"r>-by arc touched with gen raj
grt"i. Ihrrc l. a vacant place in the
Senate which cannot be filed There j.
commanding voice which will never
again b. raised in the national councils
There j. i clear cut face. marked in
every line with manly courage and firm
integrity. which viii nryc. again b..
-"clI IN the haunt~ of mru II il were,
possible - find again that rare union ul
qualities, tcrvcnt patriotism matched
and -ubdued by sound judgement and
informed BY clear intelligence it would
-tisl be impossible Ia supply the long
experience Of public life aud the power
lul Influence which belonged oi right to
tn "a triet hy - mln. t.,., AMI never
found wanting.
Every point NJ hi long shining ~
rrcr j. familiar ID the people of thc state
which la, honorcd him and which h. in
hi turn has hpnorcl. H. wa, barely
seventeen when liz wa graduated ut
BnVioin College. H. was admitted tu
th' bar before hr attained hi mIlpri;v.
Aiier two year, application 10 III, pro-
ir~-ion ~ BridGetpn. he returned -
Portland and wa presently chosen 10
various 9TH 'e> IN the city government
aud IN 1881, AZ thc are ut twenty five,
was elected 10 represent the city in the
state Legislature. The Youngest mem
Der Of that body, he nevertheless, rose to
distinction a. q dcbatcr and legislator,
and his speech on the United Sale, bank
j. skill remembered For the next eight
wears he devoted himself tu Iii, proic~-
sion, rising rapidly To the highest rank.
declining reelection to the Lei stature.
and ia lSj, declining II nomination f,r
Congress. In 1889 he WAS again elected
to the Legislature. Ills brilliant powers
had malured. and the House. though
largely Democratic, made the voung
Wing lawyer chairman of The committee
chosen to revise the statutes of the State.
In the following wear he wa- nominated
by acciatnation a. THE Whig candidate,
for Congress. aud elected. ou.running
the strength Of his party In Washing
ton he spoke with effect on th., Loan bill
and the Army Appropriation bill,
against the repeal of the Bankrupt law.
and in the famous reply to Caleb Cush
ing. He laid the founditiou OF a nation
al reputation during this term ot SER
vice.
Al the age Of thirty--ix, Mr. Fe.sen-
den had not decided to abandon his pro
les,ional career for the public duties
which were pressing upon him. In ISi2
he was nominated tor reelection 20
Congress bur declined. In lsij and
1916 he unwillngly consented to serve
again in the State Legislature. but in
ls47 peremptorily declined a rcnoin-
nation. In 1850 he was nominated for
Congress in spite of his protest in adj
vance. by both the Wing and Free Soil
parties, and elected. though his seat was
given 10 his competitor through IN error
in the returns. and Mr.. Fessenden de-
clined To contest the case. Meanwhile
he had been called TO represent his party
i'll the national conventions which noni
mated General Harrison in 1910, GEN
eral TAYLOR in 1913, and General Scott
in 1852 Mr.. Fessenden supported
Webster in 1913, but in 1852 opposed
him and was one OF the siXty-seven de-
legates who voted against the unmean-
ing platform of the moribund Whig
party.
During this period. from 1913 to 1852,
Mr.. Fessenden achieved his greatest pro-
fessional triumphs. Ii was at this time
that he was associated with Webster in
the leading case of Veazie rersus
Williams, carried up from the Circuit
Court OF Maine to the Supreme Court
of the United States, and succeeded
against the weight and influence of
Judge Story's opinion and decision
against his client in the court below.
It was the younger advocate who won
the case, and his argument is still quoted
as model of logical force and legal
acuteness,
But the time was at hand when great
public events would no longer allow
this peerless intellect to be employed
solely in defending private rights. In
lS43 and again in 1S45, Mr.. Fessenden