Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-11-20
VICE PRESIDENT WILSON,

Henry Wilson, the Vice President elect
public life in this nation. During the late
remarkable canvass, he contributed moro
largely to the wonderful victory just won
than any man in the Republic. Wherever
the contest was severest, there Henry VIII
son bore aloft our banner with that tact
and ability which has made him the most
effective public orator in this country. If
we were to name the most brilliant part Of
his extended canvass, we would recall his
series of wonderful meetings in Indiana
when the Greeley movement was at its
highest point. Morton had mapped olE
for Indiana the most thorough campaign
work ever known in any State. Just at
the critical period of the struggle Wilson
began his triumphal tour. His speeches were
models, and were attended with unusual re-
suits. Every day and every night bespoke to
tens of thousands that gathered to look in
to his honest face and hear from his lips q
dispassionate, clear, convincing appeal to
their reason. Though himself pursued
with unusual venom though his private
character, Heretofore above reproach, was
assailed with bitterness, his speeches were
models of good temper, of calm appeals to
the judgment of his hearers and of freedom
from all vituperation and bitterness, He
left Indiana all ablaZe with enthusiasm
anu turned the tide in favor of the Repub-
lican ticket. So in Pennsylvania where
the contest was thought to be close and
where it was bitterto degree never before
known in that old commonwealth, his
speeches were followed with great and
glorious results In Ohio, where two weeks
before the October election the Republi-
cans were over-confdent and full of
apathy, Henry Wilson infused some Of
that wonderful energy that always
animates him and gave to the defeat of
that month the terrible stampede that
made November Waterloo rout for the
Democracy. Looking over his canvass
now, we can trace in the table of results
before us, the States in which he made his
most vigorous speeches, and in some of
them the very counties he set atire with
his eloquence and earnestness.
The most remarkable feature of Senator
Wilson's canvass was the wonderful accll-
racy with which he predicted results. He
has made more political addresses than
any man now in public life. He has ever
been credited with great sagacity and has
been considered one of the safest men liv-
ing to predict election results. There were
times during the late canvass when his
estimates of our victory seemed wild. We
well remember when his declaration, that
Greeley would not carry a Northern
State, was received with jeers and
derision by the coalition press and with
many doubts by the Republican journals.
We heard from his own mouth estimates
of majorities in Northern and Southern
States that staggered us. But now, with
the result before us his predictions seem to
have been given with almost supernatural
wisdom-with something of prescience
rare among mortals.
Occupying the second Office in rank
within the gift of the people, they rest as
sured that if Providence should take from
them their beloved and honored Chief
Magistrate, the affairs of the nation would
fall into able and worthy hands. Through
out his long public life his integrity has
never been successfully assailed. Though
for years in position where he could have
made a fortune by detection from the
path of duty-a DETECTION that would per-
haps never have been discovered-he is to-
day poor man. He fills truly our idea of
the noblest work of God--an honest man.
May he long live to serve his people and to
fill yet that higher station for which he is
so well fitted, the Presidency.