Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-12-30
Gprrit Smith.

COchr3nc. MIS-. smith lltI been for some
weeks in New York. and her husband az
rived on Thursday. Christmas day h
was in excellent health and spirits, and
retired to rest is usual The next morn
inc when. dressing, he was asked 10y Mrs.
Smith if he was i'll, and said he was very
weak She called for assistance. but Mr..
Smith soon FIJI into Il comatosc state, from
which he hardly revived till his death.
Gerrit Smith was born in Utica. March
l.. 1877 His father, Judge Peter Smith.
once a partner of John Jacob Aston, was
States. and the son might naturally have
looked forward to n career of ease and
ductl style of living. which possible.
almost alone in this country. on thc great
landed estates of interior New York. But
after graduating at Hamilton College in
/ 1873. he began to take an active part in
I the great benevolent and rtformatorV
movements of the times. Though study
| ing law he never gave any time to the
practice Of the profession, but found lis
!
/ legal studio, very useful in the discussion
of public questions. particularly those
herring upon the subject Of slavery. He
married into ~lave-ho!dinrlfamily in Bal
timorc. hut his wife harmonized with lii
views, and thcil slaves We're emanciplted
and provided with homes.
A. first he connected himself with the
Colonizltion Society, hoping much from
its effect on cmancip ,tion; but he had
learned better by 1850. when lie withdrew
when Il convention ut l'tica to form
I STATE anti->lavcry society was broken up
by Il mob, he invited it, Il -lrg;lte> t. Pc
trrboro. his home, and, on its Resembling
there, made one of his most imprisoned
speeches. and soon after abandon the
colonization scheme. and became f5rcmo>.
among abo!itioni>t> he remained "a
while slavery existed. " The UNDERGROUND
railway WIS unl,r hi, especial mlnac.-
mcnt, ana his house WAS Il refuge for ia
gitivr slaves 81 every peaceful means
he attacked slavery, and hal the oztra-
ci~m on one hand, and the admiration on
the other which such faithful warftr,
provohci
In l>52 h. was elected to On sre-9. bat
would only remain one session. He Wa
4 peace man bat advocated the war. m,
his son was in the army.
Nh Smith WAS rs earnest and almost n
prominent in his temperance a in hi
anti-~iavcry laborS; he wts am M tn,
first advocates Of woman ~utftarn. ana hi,
~ymplthr~ and efforts were always At tn,
command of the Oppressed. IL contrib
HtesI munticcntly to the cause If the ca
ban insurgents and one of his congress
lonaI speeches, II years aco, WAS for til,
freedom Of Cuba. His neflct;ou- wvr,
Repeated and >elf-Sacriticinr. i comm.
convinced that land monopoly WAS who'll,
wrong, he freely gave away a great por
ton of his immense c:tyte. h,.~toN1.
2nn.o"p acres upon various schools m,
colleges. He presented to ,aeh Of In
children of Il deceased brother tWtnty-fiE,
. Il'1U-lni upIElI~- IN }nt IlfLF on nIIM
SON inherited from his father. amidst h.
sill eEtenlrd estates and surrounded h
grateful ncighbor~. Ire passed :; life NOR
Ike that seen in the country districts @
England th1n Is customary in tbs ney
and bu~tlin- Ianl, II usually condu-to,
f family worship in the morning hY reci. in.
L c,lap.cr from the Bib!r. such wa til
. strength OF his memory. On >.n l1v~ h
+ treIH"ltlH preached i'll the nc:-huorin
). ciur. h.wh.'re he had organize. 4 religion
, society more liberal in It's tenet than tia
til" Reformed Dutch to which Ii" Ina
a !ir-t belonged. IL leaves Il wife 20
;. ;tud 'ri-Ater. III, burial Will take l,c
. in Prtrrboro. y. Y
>. G"rIit smith VIII b.. remembered lon
n IL one of tn. greatest among the men VIII
;, began the successful contest -.tin~t ~Ia1
=. cry. H. can ak no better place in hi
cory than that remembrance will ~cvur,