The Portland daily press., 1873-11-20
Death Of John p, Hale.

Inc telegraph announces the death of ex-
Senator John P. Hale at bis residence in Do
ver N. H., Wednesday evening at o'clock.
John Parker Hale was born in Rochester, N.
H., March 81, 1906 and consequently was 81
years and months old at the time of his death.
He received his academical education at Phil
lips Academy. Exeter, and entered Bowdoin
College in 1928 and was graduated with dis
tlncton in 1927. Among his classmates were
ex-President Pierce, Nathaniel Hawthorne,
Prof. Longfellow, S. S. Prentiss and Prof.
Stowe. In 1928 he welt to Dover. N. a., to
study law, and in 1880 was admitted to the bar
and at once gained large practice. In 1882
he was member of the Legislature, and in
1884 was appointed United States District
Attorney by Gen. Jackson. which Office he held
until removed by President Tyler in 1841 In
1S43 he was elected as a democrat to the U. S.
Eouse of Representatives.
At this time the agitation of the slavery
question was just beginning, and although the
preponderating opinion of his party at home
was against him. he took sides with the anti
slavery men without hesitation. Nevertheless
the Democratic Convention re-nominated him
in 1916, but before the election he published a
letter taking most decided grounds against the
proposed annexation of Texas whereupon the
party leaders in New Hampshire proclaimed
him traitor to the party, revoked the nomina-
ton and put up regular" Mr.. Hale run as
an independent candidate, but there were so
many candidates, that there was no election
during the term-a majority at that time be-
ing required for an election.
Tn w uoI a. kos
tive to the Legislature from Dover and was
chosen Speaker of the House. His independ-
ent defiance of party dctation gave him strong
hold upon men of all shades of political opin-
ion and the same year, by a combination of
men from all parties, he was elected United
States Senator When he took his seat, he was
the only distinctive anti-slavery senator, and
was the only one not connected with either of
the two great national parties. But with all
the force against him, single handed, he lifted
up the standard of freedom, and defeneed it at
all times. Time and again attempts were made
to intimidate him in the excitement of debate,
but his humor, and force of witty and sarcastic
retort enabled him not only to hold his ground
but to come victor in the most formidable of
parliamentary assaults. 'Y'i'A
In 1851 Mr.. Hale was counsel for the defend
ants in the trials growing out of the fugitive
slave law in connection with the rescue of the
fugitive slave Shadrack from the U s. Marshal
at Boston. - a4 gl1-.r5
In 1852 he was the candidate of the Free Soil
party for the Presidency and received 157,685
votes. In 1858 his term of Office expired and
Gag" Anterior was elected in his place. For
few years he practiced law in New York. his
family residing in New Hampshire On the
death of Mr.. Anterior in 1855, Mr.. Hale was
reelected to the Senate, and in the stirring de-
bates OF the time was a most conspicuous char
acter. In 1858 he was again elected to the
Senate for full term and during the war was
an unwaveriug supporter of the war measures
of President Lincoln. Near the close of the
war he was appointed Minister to Spain which
he resigned late in Mr.. Johnson's term and re-
turned to his home, broken in health, since
which time he has not appeared in public. Last
summer he fell and broke hts hip, SO that with
his otherwise feeble health, his death was ex-
pected at any time. e5F lk
As popular speaker in the early days of the
slavery agitation. he had few superiors. True
to his connections of right, as firm as the Gran
lite hills of his native State, ready to take up
the insolent challenge of the champions of
slavery, he was for years one of the grandest
figures in American politics. But as his side g
received recruits he gradually withdrew from
the front until at last, when his party was in
the majority, his voice was rarely heard in the
Senate. ..a..s 20 E fsTc.g q