The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-06-08

money, he returned to New Hampshire
and studied while In the academies at
Stafford, WolIsborough and Concord. Bis
plan Of education was cut short by the In.
solvCnCy Of the person to whom he had
entrusted his savings, and he returned to
Natick and resumed work Us a shoe.
maker in 1888. In 1910 he took an active
part In the Presidential canvass, and made
upward of sixty speeches IN behalf Of
Gen. Harrison, the Wing candidate. In
the next five years he was three times
elected representative from Natick TO
the Legislature, and twice q State Senator
from MiddleSex county. In the Legislature
he was soon known as an active and zeal.
Gus opponent Of slavery, and in 1916 he
was selected, in conjunction with the poet
Whittier, to carry to Washington the
great antislavery petition from Btassachu.
sets against the annexation Of Texas. In
the same year he introduced in the Legis.
lature resolution declaring the unaltera.
bic hostility Of Massachusetts to the fur.
Their extension and longer continuance OF
slavery in America, and her fixed deter.
mination to use all constitutional and legal
means for Its extinction. he supported
this resolution in speech, which was
pronounced by tho leading anti.slavery
journals TO be the fullest and most compre.
hensive on the slavery question that had
yet been made in any legislative body in
the country, and it was adopted in the
House by ninety.three majority. he was
q delegate to the WING National Conven.
ton Of 1S49, and on the rejection of anti.
slavery resolutions by the Convention he
withdrew from it and took a prominent
part in organizing the Free Soil party.
He purchased at this time the Boston Re.
publican, daily newspaper, which he
edited for. two years. In 1S49 he was
chosen Chairman Of the Free Soil State
Committee Of Massachusetts, a post which
he actively filled for four years. In 1850
and again in 1851 he was chosen State
Senator, and during both terms was Presi.
dent Of the Senate. In 1852 he was made
President of the Free Soil National Con-
vention at Pittsburgh, and Chairman Of the
National Committee Of the party. In the
same year he was the Free Soil candidate
for Congress in the Eighth District of
Massachusetts, where the majority against
the Free Sellers exceeded 1900, and Jailed
Of an election by only ninety.three votes.
He was elected to the Constitutional Con-
vention Of 1858, not only by his own town
Of Natick, but by the town Of Berlin, and
took prominent part in the delibera.
tons of that body. the same year he
was the Free Soil candidate for Governor,
and was defeated. In 1855 he was elect.
ed TO succeed Edward Everett in the
United States Senate, and shortly after
taking his seat made a speech advocating
the repeal of the fugitive slaw and the
abolition Of slavery in the District of Co.
lumbia and in tho territories. He has
ever since been conspicuous in the Senate
as an earnest advocate Of anti.slaVery
measures For a brief period in 1855 he
was associated with the American party;
but on the adoption of o prO.slavery
platform by the National Council Of that
party, he withdrew from it and took an
active share in organizing the Republican
party on q basis OF opposition to the ex.
tension Of slavery. When, in May, 1856,
Mr.. Sumner, his colleague, was assailed
by Mr.. Brooks, Of Sooth Carolina, Mr..
Wilson, in speech TO the Senate, de.
nounced the act Us brutal, murderous,
and cowardly assault" For this he was
challenged by Mr.. Brooks, and declined
to accept the challenge on the ground
that dueling is barbarous practice,
which the law oil the country has brand.
ed as crime, but stated at the same time
that he believed 10 the right OF self.de.
fence in its broadest sense. During the
four following years Mr.. Wilson took
part in all important debates in the Sen
ate, and made elaborate speeches, remark.
able for fullness and accuracy of state
ment, on Kansas, the treasury note bill, the
expenses OF the Government, the tariff,
the Pacific Railroad, and many other
topics, His speech in defence OF free
labor, in reply to Senator Hammond, Of
South Carolina, March, 1850, attained an
immense circulation through the free
States. In January of the same year the
Massachusetts, Legislature reelected him
to the Senate by nearly unanimous vote.
On the assembling of the Senate in March,
1861, he was made chairman OF the Com.
mittee on Military AfIairs, post which
the civil war rendered one Of .un.
preCedented labor and responsible
ty. In this capacity he inroduc-
ed and carried through Congress,
during the extra session of 1861, the
acts TO authorize the employment of 5O0t-
600 volunteers, to increase the regular
army, 10 reorganize the military system,
and various others Of nearly equal impor.
lance. 1t was said by Gen. Scott that he
did more work in that short session than
all the chairmen Of the military commit
tees had done for twenty years; and in a
published letter dated January 81, 1862,
Mr.. Cameron, the Secretary Of War, says:
mo man, in my opinion, in the whole
country, has done more to aid the War
Department in preparing the mighty
army now under arms" In the regular
session Of 1862, Mr.. Wilson introduced
bill abolishing slavery in the District of
Columbia, and also the measure for
abolishing the "black code" ..
His career in the Senate during all the
subsequent years has added to the wealth
Of the FORGING record, and, take his indi-
gent obscure origin, his youthful energy
and persistence in enriching his mind
with useful knowledge, his untiring dill
gence, his wonderful attachments, his sig
nal and rapid progress, his hold on the
public admiration and confidence, his con-
tinued onward and upward way as a rep
resentative statesman, all are but SO
many steps by which he has earned and
reached his present distinction. Who will
RAN lhnl hn hns not .rnM al "a o