Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-12-29
Death of Gorrit Smith.

Death of Gerrit Smith.
Gerrt Smith died at the residence of his
niece, 10 New York, yesterday afternoon, aged
rs years
Gerrlt Smith WAS well known in other
days as prominent anti slavery agitator He
WAS born ut Utica, n. Y, on the 9Th of March,
1877. DC was the son of Peter Smith, 8 former
partner IN business OF the late John Jacob AS
tor. The partners had scarcely any money,
but they kept small shop in the city o. ew
York, where they dealt in the furs of the period.
In the summers they used to go up the Hudson
TO bargain with the Indian tribes for the furs
which the sons OF the forest had obtained dur
Ing the previous winter, the result of which was
the accumulation of considerable money. This
continued tor several years, when the partner
ship WAS dissolved, Mr. Astor continuing in the
fur business, and MFR. Smith, sr., retiring to tho
interior OF the State where he purchased hun
drcds Of Thousands of acres of land Tor which
he paid nominal price. T6 Gerrit, his fayorlte
son, when he became of age he gave the entire
town OF Florence, in Orange county, together
with other immense tracts of land in the State
| OF New ork.
Cert Smith graduated at Hsmilt n College
IN 1918, bear ring off the honors of his class. He
was destined Tor the legal profession, but his
fathers large landed property and widely ex-
manager of his affairs. He was from youth u
| politician. He WAS Il member of the State con-
ventlon held ut Utica in 1928, to promote the
election of John Quincy Adams 10 the Presi-
| dency in opposition to General Jackson, and
ote the address to the people adopted by the
| convention. He next ran for the State Senate
ag"' INST the Jackson candidate, and was de Gated.
| From that time forward he never Eelo any close
alliance with either Of the great parties Of the
country, until down to very near the outbreak
OF tho late war, but always preferred to speak
and act in public affairs from an independent
standpoint
Early in life DIR. Smith ernccd a warm inter
est in the colorod race. AID in 1925 devised
plan for raised 100000 for the American Col
onizatlo Society, to whica he became q leading
contributor. He continued to support his colo
niz4tion enterprise from al emancipation stand
point, both by public speeches and the liberal
use of his means, for some years In the au
| tumn of 1885 convention WAS held at Utica fol
the purpose Of forming State anti-slavery SO
ciety as an auxiliary society to the American
Anti-Slavsry Society, of which Arthur Tappan
was the President Mr.. Smith attended, rather
ventions having been broken up by b mob, be
| invited the delegates to adjourn to Peterboro
| his home, assuring them they should have free
discussion there. The delegates accepted the
invitation, and Mr.. Smith addressed them in 8
/ lengthy speech.
Soon after this he openly abandoned the col
onzation scheme, and in the following spring,
q the anniversary of the American Anti-Slsve-
~ Society, delivered his first abolition speech.
From this time forward, till the fifteenth amend
ment was incorporated into the constitution, his
course on the anti-ssvery subject is q part OF
| th-Aistory of the country. de was known as
the special friend O. the runaway negro, and st
his pAlatal residence in slavery times, his board
was frequently surrounded by fugitive slaves,
| who had learned of his peculiar CHARACTERISTIC.
| John Brown, when he conceived the wild
scheme of trying to revoutionize the govern.
| e h,,, o11
abolish slavery in the State, visited him at mis-
home at Petersboro. 1t is asserted by his friends
that Mr.. Smith endeavored to dissusde him
| from his plan, both on the ground of its utter
imprscticability, and because he was opposed to
the shedding of human blood, even to promote
historical fact that Smith did give Brown some
money, which was to be used to purchase arms
to put in the hands Of the slaves. who were ex-
pec,ed to rise en- masse. The fate of Brown So
riously depressed Mr.. Smith, and in fact, par
italy beclouded his mind. The sunken condi-
ton of his hes!th made resort to thu Utica
| asylum fol- short period an absolute necessity.
! In addition to his active antl-sIayery efforts,
Mr. Smith decided advocate of temper
ance to which cause he cuntribu literally.
He also contributed freely to the cause Of the
Cuban patriots In 1852 Mr.. Smith ran rs sn
indepenent candidate for Congress, in the Mad
ison and Oswogo districts, and was elected.
During this session the Missouri compromise
repeal was effected against which he spoke and
voted. This WAS his only public service. He
was known us y strong Union man during the
war but after its close his heart softened towards
the Southern people, proof of which he gave
in signing the bail bond of ex-Prealdent Jetier-
| son Davis.
He WAS man Of strong religious sympathies.
In early life he was rigid Calvanist. Later he
liberriized his views and adopted the creed pro-
mulgated by such divines as Nathaniel w. Tay-
Tor and Charles 6. Finney. Still later he modi-
fed Ills opinion till he finally stood pretty much
upon the ground occupied by William Ellery
Charming.
Mr.. Smith was twice married. His first wife
was daughter Of Rev. Dr.. Blckus, then Presi-
dent of the Union College. She lived only
about year after their marriage, and left no off
spring. He subsequently, married a daughter
of Col. Fitznugh, then residing in the county Of
Livingston Mrs. Smith still survives. Ho
leaves but Two children, Greene Smith, who is
an occasional lecturer at Cornell University,
and Mrs. Elisabeth Smith Miller, the wife OF
COL Charles u. Miller, who resides at Geneva.