The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-09-06
Gtne1'ttslIiqstrrer
HOE. W.P. RRssRNDEn.

~ I u : : :, . 4 a IL : L. !.
HON. ". r. FEsSENDEN.
49, n
We have the painful intelligence that
atmIdnlght Friday night the physlSlaps
Of Senator Fessenden, Of Maine, bad
abandoned oil hope Of his recovery.
His disease was oisuch q character that
It was deemed impossible he could sur.
vlyeapy length of, Time. AZ the time
OF pehning these lines, orty.elght
hours have elapsed since these advlces.
The telegraph has failed torbrlng us
Rhy further Intelligence ofhI5 condl:
tion, but. there can be scarcely be o
doubt that ifnot already passed beyond
the portals Of mortality he will have
departed before these IlnSs meet The eye
Of the reader. II may not be lnappro.
priRte, therefore, to recallpome ot-ths.
leading incidents In the useful and
honored life ofthe eminent Statesman
who lies dying At his home Ia PORT.
land-lf he benot already NO more.8 I
William PIT FesssndSn was born In
BoseAweni New Hampshire, October 10,
1905, and therefore. has not quite com.
pleted his sixty.thIrd year. BE came
Of good stock, his father, Hon. Samuel
Fsasenden, Rs well as other relatives,
having done the State good service,
he was sludious as a child, and at the
eetlypge Of thirteen entered BowdoIn
College, Maine. where he graduated
with high honors at the age OF seven.
teens Heturned his attention 10 legal
GtudieS, and four years later, on attain
ing his majority, was admitted to ths'
bar. he practlsed two years al Bridge.
ton Me-, when be removed to Portland
where he ever afterwards resided.
1n1ssl, at the age OF Is. he was ' elect.
ed 70 the Legislature, and, though the
yonngeat member, he aoondlstinguish.
ed himself both for oratory and leRls>
atlye capacity. eslnolng indeed remark.
able ability and eloquence. Before his
election. TO the Legislature he was offer.
ed the WhIg nomination to Congress
and refused. From 1892 to 1889 be do.
cllnediall political Office SAnd devoted
himself with great zeal 70 bis ip'roies.
sion, In which he rapidly rose to the
first rank, as counsellor and advocate.
He was sent to the Legislature again
In 1889, and although the Democrats
were in majority and he an uncom-
promising WhIg, he was made chair.
man Of the Judiciary Committee and
! ptssldent;of Especial cbmmisBi6nf to
revise and cOdlty, the statutes OF the
State. ,- ,,.
In 1e4O he received by acclamatloni
the nomination Of his party for Con.
gress, and was elected though the dis.
trict had previously been Democratic.
In the House of Rspressntatiy he ac.
quilted himself with great honor, and
at the close Of his term declined a re-
nomination. rpreferrinE the more con.
genial labOra- Of hls profession. for
which he had a genuine enthusiasm.
BE sat IN the Legislature again In
1885, and was complimented by the
Wing minority with their support for
o. IS. Senator. During the ensuing
seven years he was devoted to his pro.
fession, being at one time associated
with Daniel ebster In On import ant
case before, the Supreme Court OF the
United States Involving legal quss.
tlon never before discussed In that
Court, viz; hoW5sr the fraudulent acts
OF an auctIoneer 10 selling property
should affect the owner he being no
party to thsftaud. Mr.! Fessenden had
to contend against the weight ot Judge
story's opinion and declslon against his
client In the Court below. Neverthe-
less he was successful and SJndRs
story's ruling was reversed. Mr.. Fey.
senden's argument In 1.-the Siise was es.
teemed remarkable for It's logical force
and legal acuteneas, winning the high.
est admiration Of bench and bar.
:InF1s50 Mr.. Fessenden nwas again
elected to Congress- but through an er.,
roFin the 4returns, the certificate was
given to bis competitor hs refusing. to
contest the seat' from his unwilling
ness 70 serye-7the nomination having
been forced upon him. In 1910 he was
In the Convention which nominated,
Harrison, in that which nominated
Taylor lh1s4s, and lhithAt which nom
mated Scott In 1852. In 1913 he sup.
ported Webster but voted against him
IN 1859, on account Of his then recently
declared opinions On Tie, Fas slslvs Save
law and kindred topics.
In 1858 Mr.. Fessenden was again
sent to the Legislature, and, In the
House was elected United States sena.
tor; but the Senate being Democratic
refused to concur and no Senator was
chosen. Next ysarsth wa. )asain,in
the Legislature, which was Dsmocsa.lc
In both branches; but the Kanuas.Ne.
braska question having divided the
Democrats he was chosen Senator on
/ l1he hms sballet6by coalition OF The
Wings and Free Soil Democrats, though
he declined to be elected except al q
Wing. This was considered the pre-
llminary step towards the formation OF
the IsepnbliSln party illMaInes The ne.
kcesiity.i6r Which, aitsEthS. action of the
main body Of the Southern Wings, Mr..
Fessenden was one Of, the first to adyo-
cate. dHe took hiB seat lnithe Senate in
February 1854. and on the night OF The
Sd, Of March succeeding. just before The
paSsagsof the Nebraska bill, me delly.
cred one Of the most powerful and elees
tric speeches made against 1t. He at
once took rank as one Of the foremost
men IN the Senate, or In the country. s.
lHIalcarsst in the Senate lslteo fresh
In the recollection OF our readers to-
need especial mention. he was one Of
the most earnest and effacEiye oppo.s