Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-12-30

DEATH OF GERRIT SMITH-NEw
York, December 2S.-Gerrit Smith
died, at the house of one of his rela
tives, in this city to-day. Mr.. Smith,
in company with his wife, arriv ed in
town on Thursday, for the purpose Of
spending the holidays among his
friends. He was in remarkably good
health his cheek as ruddy, his eye as
clear his voice as firm, his step as elastic
as they had been for many years. He
had made arrangements to meet Char
les O'Conor On Saturday he arose
early, aud said to Mrs. Smith that he
had slept uncommonly we'll, stating
that he had not spent so merry a
Christmas for long time as on the
day before. While dressing, his utter
ance suddenly became indistinct, and
he was gently borne to a bed, barely
able to say, in a faint tone, " Very
weak" He Immediately became un-
conscious, and has thus remained
until he died
Garritt Smith was born in March,
1877. His father, Peter Smith, was
one of the heaviest landowners in the
country, and the management OF his es-
tate became the main occupation Of young
Smiths early life. He graduated from
Hamilton College, Clinton, n Y, in
1918. In 1926 he became a member
of the American Colonization Society,
which membership he severed in 1885
to connect himself with the American
Anti-Slavery Society, as being more in
accord with his philanthropic aims
He never studied law, but he was ad-
mitted 10 practice in the Federal courts
of the state of New York, and took
part in several important trials.
1t vas as philanthropist and abol-
Zionist that he won his greatest fame.
He gave away vast sums in aid of wor-
thy causes, and Of lands alone he gave
eco, 900 acres, partly to institutions of
learning and charity and partly to poor
men, both white and black-the latter
in parcels averaging nearly fifty acres
each. He was elected to Congress in
1852, but resigned at the close of the
fist long session on account of the
pressure of his own affairs, and his
personal dislike for public life. He
was one of the earliest advocates, both
by speeches and letters, of larger lib
erty of opinion and freedom from what
he denominated "the bondage of sect"
His eners etic advocacy of the abolition
of American slavery is story known
on both sides of the water.
He carried his convictions on this
i question to the pitch Of an enthusiast,
and his onslaughts On the slavehold-
ing power were nowhere e7celed for
their energy and daring. He became
contributor to the fund for aiding
the John Brown raid, and the excite
ment occasioned by that affair turned
his mind, so that it became necessary
to eonfine him for considerable time
in an insane asylum.
Ola the speeches and pamphlets of
his life only portion have been pre-
served IN permanent form. In 1856.
a volume containing his speeches in
Congress, and in 1861, another EMIT
led Sermons and Speeches by Gerrit
Smith, but the great mass of his
thoughts were never written, and
most of those that were have never
been gathered from the columns of the
newspapers where they first appeared.
/ He was an agitator of rare vigor and
daring, one of the bravest of brave
race of whom their are now but few
left.
KING DAVID IN New YORK
King Kalakua had reception at the
Windsor Hotel, New York, Saturday,
at which were present Maj Gen. Han
cock and staff, members Of the Army
and Navy Club, resident consuls and
members of the Board of Trade. An
address was presented by the latter
body, in which the board stated that
they view with great interest the an
nouncement of negotiations for a COM
mercial treaty between the Sandwich
Islands and this country, King Kali
akua stated that be would send a suit
! Oh IL