National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-30
THE LATE GERRIT SMITH.

the keenest sympathy for the distresses of
the poor and the oppressed of whatever
land, color or race. His craftsmanship was
of the most comprehensive school. 1t en-
braced morals and religion as well as poll
tics. He believed it to be the first duty of
| Americans to establish "a righteous civil
! government. He was closely affiliated
with no particular church government or
denomination, but he insisted that mans
| politics could not be separate from his reli-
| gion. Civil government was designed for
the benefit of mankind, to promote the Gull
ture of his intellect, to elevate his code Of
morals, and protect him in the enjoyment
of life and in the pursuit of happiness.
| Surely cooperative association for these
purposes was scarcely less holy or secon-
dairy to such as professed to be organized
for the sole and specific benefit of the spirit
here and after its dIsembodIment
The Rossessor Of princely fortune, the
foundation of which he inherited from his
father in lands of the famous John Brown
tract" he was enabled to consult his own
tastes and wishes in great measure re-
garding the pursuits of life. Gifted with
an intellect of extraordinary power and
natural eloquence rarely surpassed, but
which enriched by culture was almost IRE
sistible, united with great majesty Of
presence and beauty of person, seconded
and adorned by the most fascinating man.
ners, it is not surprising that public life
presented many charms for his considera-
ton.
But the great fundamental principles of
righteous civil government, already al
Iuded to, and TO which he was so strongly
welded, prevented his giving his hearty
co operation to either of the old political
parties. Sometimes upon purely personal
grounds, or upon some independent or
local issue, he would give his active sup
port to q friend in either the old Wing or
Democratic organization. Thus, at the
early age of twenty he attended q
State convention in 1924 in company with
Thurlow Weed, and labored for the nomi-
nation Of Dewitt Clinton, whose fame and
reputation were synonymous with the COM
pletion Of the Erie canal. They were sue
cessful in the vindication of their favorite,
and the canal was opened throughout its
entire length from Buffalo to Troy the next
year in October, and the union of the
waters of the great lakes with those of the
Hudson was telegraphed through the whole
length of the State by the firing Of cannon,
placed at equal distances from each other
along the route. Mr.. Smith was naturally
studious, and devoted large portion of the
time which could be spared from the man.
agement of his immense landed estate in
reading law and the current news of the
day. He was q generous patron of litera-
ture and the arts. He read everything as
it emanated from the press with calm, I'M
biased judgment His criticism was gene
rous, but just. His radical sentiments upon
the questions of slavery, temperance and
suffrage, although firmly and sincerely ad-
vocated by him, never produced discord in
his personal relations with his neighbors
and friends who differed from him. His
temper was entirely under control. He was
satisfied with the performance of his own
duty, being full in the faith that the cause
of truth would finally triumph.
He was for short period a worker in
the Colonization Society in conjunction
with Messrs. Clay, Webster and other COM
peers. But his practical mind could not
long fail to discover the utter physical i'm
practicability of the scheme for effecting
any telling results in the direction of the
extirpation of slavery. With him it re-
solved itself into a question Of mathe-
MATES. If one vessel colonies one thou
sand persons per annum how many vessels
will it take to carry out and COLOMBO two
millions? This was the problem. Mr..
Smith solved it by saying that this great
evil must be eXtirpated because it was an
evil. Being national evil the Govern
ment Of the nation was responsible for it,
and must wipe it out He was well-read
lawyer, both nationally and information
ally, although he seldom practiced.
When attending Liberty party conven-
ton in Buffalo in 1850 or 1851, he found
there in the capacity of associate editor of
the Commercial Advertiser, son of an
old friend and co-worker in the abolition
cause. After greeting him warmly, with
the most benignant manner he handed
him, at his request, the resolutions which
were under discussion, and were subse-
quently passed by the convention, with the
remark that he did not expect persons of
his (the editor's) age could fully compre-
bend them aud their necessity, and then
he added: 1t has taken''your father and 1
"many years to arrive at the point where we
now stand, and we cannot expect you to
reach it at one leap" DR.. Thos. NJ Foote
wasat that time editor of the Advertiser, and
was, like Smith, native of Oneida county,
and graduate of Hamilton college. To
him he. sent his compliments, with re-
quest that if he could not print his long
string of resolutions in full, hr would not
print a garbled abstract Of them. "In
drawing them, said he, "I have endesv-
" ored not to use a single superfluous
" word, so that am sure that if you at
" tempt to alter them, you will destroy or
pervert their meaning. Tell the doctor
that the time will not be long now before
1" the whole Wing party North will &C.
cupy my ground"
This language seemed almost prophetic.
Two years later Mr.. Smith was almost
unanimously chosen to represent his dis
trict in Congress. He served but one ses-
sion of the term for which he was chosen.
Symptoms of the disease which has now
proved fatal to him then warned him to
avoid the excitements incident to politi-
cal life. In 1856 he gave his hearty con-
currence to the nomination of Fremont and
the platform of the Republican party, not
as being all he could wish, but as long step
in advance of the Old Wing ground which
should be encouraged. Success did not
crown this effort, but in 1850 the election
Of Mr.. Lincoln afforded Mr.. Smith the
most lively satisfaction. He grieved much
over the war, but justified it upon the
ground of its necessity for the extinction
of slavery. When the hostilities were
ended he made haste to exhibit absence of
malice by joining Mr.. Greeley as bail for
JEFF Davis. His great generous heart could