The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-11-21
The Late John p. Hale.


The death OF this prominent man, an
nouuced In our dispatches yesterday, de-
serves at least passing notice from al
those who remember with gratitude tht
early and bold stand that he took agains
The encroschments OF the slave power II
this county. He was one Of the few
public men offsttering prospects, in early
Iitc who dared to put those prospects te-
hind him and throw in his lotion the side
ot A weak and despised race that had SO
few helpers Of influence or position. Mr'
HALE was originally q Democrat, and In
1s4s was Q Democratic member ol Con-
press from q New Hampshire district
Just st that time the scheme for annex
ing Texas to the United States began 10
take definite shape, and Mr.. HALE oppos'
ed the scheme because he saw that the
idea was to convert its immense domain
into slave territory. Despite this opposi-
,iop 10 tho Texas scheme, however, he
was renominated by his party, and would
have been again elected but for q letter
tbs, be wrote before the election came of
in which he took more decided and ire.
concilable ground against annexation, de.
uouuciug It % II deserved TO be denounced
as a great coup de main on the part Of the
slave interest Of the country. The leaders
oil his party we're so enraged at this letter
that they branded him as q traitor TO the
party and turned In and made another
nomination for Congress, the result Of
which was that nobody was elected that
term from that district, majority being
required to elect q candidate. But the
bold stand Of HALE against slavery SO
eudeared him to many people of the State
Of New Hampshire that by a comblna.
tIon Of Wings and disatfected Democrats
be was elected TO the, United States Sem
stein lS4s, and was the first Senator of
the United States who ever bearded. the
slave lion In that stronghold
Despite obloquy,. insult and social los
trscism, however, no stood msnlully and
ably by his convictions, never swerving
from the position he had taken and soli-
tsry and alone In the Senate he begun the
great contest that ended in the triumph
oi bis principles at Appommatox Court
House in the spring Of 1855.
After the expiration oil his last term in
the Senate he was sent as United States
Minister to Spain. This mission was the
great mistake and misfortune Of his lie.
He became involved in quarrel with his
Secretary Of Legation, In which serious
charges affecting Mr.. Hales charac.
ter were made by his subordinate,
and they were never iully enough re.
luted to leave his name without re-
proach. "The evil that men do lives
after them, the good Is oft inferred with
their bones" 80 let 1t not bo with HALE,
however. Although his sun went down
not las sinks to rest the brightness ei q
summer day." yet now that he is dead 1t
is our pleasure, If not our duty, to re.
member him gratefully for tho noble rec.
ord he made In, the rob,est struggle Of
modern times.
Asa part Of this record We shall never
forget tho speech he made in the o. s.
Senate as late as 1869 In answer to Sen.
a.or WILEY, the time the bill confs.
eating the slaves Of disloyal owners was
under discussion. Mr.. WILEY opposed
the bill and in opposing 1t intimsted that
in case 1t passed the State Of Virginia,
which State he was then representing,
would enslave the negroes already free, By
way Of retaliation. Not that he favored
such q measure, but that 1t might be done
nevertheless. Mr.. HALE rose to his feet
as soon as Mr.. WILEY had concluded,
and Indignantly protested against what
he regarded as an attempt at intimida-
ton. He said that he could not Bit still
and hear such an intimatlon without ut.
terlng his rebuke st the very idea OF re.
enslsying a people already free, Tor no
crime Of their own, but simply because
white rebels were 10 be dealt with &C.
cordlng to the laws OF war. In the course
Of his remarks he uttered tho following
expressions:
"Ilaugh TO scorn all attempts and all
threats at re.enslsving this people. l tell
youit cannot be done, Ibelieve, eli, that the
Almighty, sitting on the throne Of eternal
Justice would proclaim In thunder tones
that States, no less than individuals, would
hear, that the great and eternal principles
0l fundamental Justice could not be out
ragged against whole people and q whole
S'A9S so SIuaSly hd tuaL WlIuuute U NluuISe
uon 90 his part ofthe eternal laws which
be has promulgated. Isit for these States
That have imported these negroes from
their own native shores, used them as
long as they pleased, and then made
Them Tree, now 10 say that they shall moi
have dwelling place on earth, that there
sno place for them TO live, and that they
will re.enslave them II this Legislation 1
attempted. ! tell you, Sir, that Is q work
they cannot do, and the State that under
lakes Il will find that the reaction Of ihell
own iniquity will overwhelm them In
everlasting ruin and not the race they un'
tettAke 70 enslave." }4ag
These remarks are noteworthy only 81
link in the long chain OF Mr.. HALE
great contest with slavery in all It's shapes
from the beginning to the end ot tn
struggle. They serve TO show how steat
IlstAnd consistent he was TO the end, an
that even tho terrors Of the rebellion an
all its nneaihla acnn,pnnenrea did not dett