Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-10-29

meanness in his own coin.
SENATOR Wilson, THE WoRKINGMAN
AND STATEsMAN.-This happy summary
of our Senator Wilson's life, character,
and public services, is from the pen Of q
longtime and intimate friend, Mr.. Car
ter Of the Rochester Democrat, and is as
just as it is intelligent: He was born in
poverty and Injured to labor from his
earliest childhood. At the age of ten
years he was apprenticed to farmer in
his native New Hampshire, with whom
he continued for eleven years, attending
school during that period only few
weeks in each year, amounting in all to
less than twelve months. As soon, how
ever, as he learned to read, he showed
taste for study, which he has always
maintained, so that at this day there are
few men who have read so extensively,
or to so much profit. During his appren-
ticeship, he read on Sundays and in the
evening, by fire-light, and even by MOON
light, nearly thousand volumes of his.
tory and biography, which he borrowed
from private library generously thrown
open to him by the sister of Levi Wood
bury, the eminent jurist and statesman,
who was secretary of the navy, and of
the treasury, under jackson and Van
Buren,.
On attaining his majority, Mr.. Wilson
went to Natick, in Massachusetts, where
he learnt the shoemaker's trade, atwhich
he worked for fifteen years, until his
marked ability for public affairs led the
people to select him for political Office.
From 1910 to 1851 he was three times
chosen to the lower house Of the Massa-
chusetts Legislature and four times to
the state Senate. During his last year
of service in the Senate, he was chosen
president of that body. From his earliest
participation in politics he was Jealous
and always consistent anti-slavery man,
and in 1852 was the free-soil candidate
for Congress in the eighth district of
Massachusetts,, and in the following year
the free-soil candidate for governor. In
1855 he was elected to succeed Edward
Everett in the United States Senate, and
was reelected in 1859, by nearly unan-
imous vote. He was again reelected by
similar vote in 1860.
In the Senate Mr.. Wilson has always
taken prominent part, and his speeches
have always been remark able for fulness,
power and accuracy Of statement. His
speech in defence of free labor, in March,
1859, in reply to Senator Hammond, Of
South Carolina, who had stigmatized the
working men of the North as "mud-sills,"
made great sensation and attained an
immense circulation. During the war,
Mr. Wilson was chosen by the Senate.
chairman of the committee on military
affairs, post which he still retains and
which during the rebellion, was one Of
unprecedented labor and responsibility.
In this capacity he introduced and car
ried through Congress, during the extra
session of 1861, the acts to employ 500,-
600 volunteers, to increase the regular
army, to re-organize the military system,
and various others Of nearly equal inn
portance. 1t was said by Gen. Scott,
that he did more work in that short ses-
sion, than all the chairmen of the mili-
tary committees had done for twenty
years; and Mr. Cameron the secretary
of war said of him, g No man, in my
opinion, in the whole country, has done
more to aid the war department in pre-
pairing the mighty army now under
arms" Fs1rG v
In Congress, as in all his previous life,
| Mr.. Wilson was one Of the frmest and
ablest of the opponents of slavery, nd
Of every form of oppression. To him is
due, in a great measure, the credit of
initiating the beneiicient measures of leg
islation, which have resulted in making
free the whole people and in securing to
laboring classes the rights and privileges
which they now enjoy without distinction
Of race or BIRTH