The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1875-12-09
Sketch of vice-President Wilson'S Life

Hcnry Wilson was born 1T Farm
ington, N. H., February lG, 1912, and
died in the Capitol building at Washa
ington, November %, 1875, in tho
sixty-ffth year of his age. Tho i'm.
mediate cause of his death was apo
plcXy. Like Andrew Johnson, his
early life was struggle with pov>
orty. The lives OF both mon illus
trato tho aphorsm that thoro is no
royal road to learning. Thcso two
men wcrc about the samo ago. Thoy
were both poor and unlottored, and
had no carly advantages whatovor.-
MIR. johnson was tailor and Mr..
Wilson a shoemaker. Both had pluck,
energy and abition, and by industry
and hard study they succeed in the
struggle for lifo and obtained place
and preferment, both filling tho high-
est political positions in the gift of
tho American people. Tho history
of these mon should provo an incon-
tive to all young men who havo
desire to study and improve thom-
solves.
at ton years of ago Henry Wilson
was appronticod to a farmer in tho
town of Pennington, with whom he
remained for elcvon years. During
this timo ho read everything that
camo within his roach, so great was
his thirst for reading. Obtaining &C.
cess to % private library, he road,
whilc an apprentice by, ono thousand
volumes, not taking timo from his
work hours, but reading sometimes
by freight, sometimes by moonlight
at night, and on Sunday afternoons.
At tho ago Of twenty ono ho won't to
Natick, Massachusetts, walking and
carrying his pack, and hired himself
to shoemaker till he had learned
tho tradc. After working at it two
years, he placed his money in the
handsSof u person in trust and began
to study again. Losing his earn
ings by tho failure of this person, he
returned to Natick and pursued his
trade.
Soon after this he cntorcd politics
rs Wing, taking an active part in
tho Harrison campaign. From this
time he became n prominent figure in
State and National politics, being
elected to both branches of tho State
Legislature repeatedly. From this
entrance into politics he became one
of tho most earnest, steadfast, and
uncompromsing foes to slavery that
that institution ovor had. He cstab-
lishcd daily paper, the Boston Re-
| publican, in tho interest of Free Soil
ism, withdrew both from tho Amori~
can and Wing party because they
failed to incorporate anti-slarory ro-
solutions in their platforms, and was
tho author and defender of the rcso>
luton in tho Massachusetts Lcgisla-
turc winch declared tho unaltcrablo
opposition of that State to tho insti~
tuition.
Having been President of the State
Senate twice, and of several largo con-
vcntions in tho interest of FREQ Soil
ism, he was elected in 1855 TO succeed
Edward Everett as United States
Senator from Massachusetts, and sig
nalizcd his entrance thcro by q reso-
luton for tho repeal Of the fugitive
slavo law. His speech against Mr..
Brooks, of South Carolina, for attacks
ing Mr. Summon, and his subsequent
refusal to accept Mr.. Brooks chal-
cngc to fight q duol on tho ground
that he did not believe in ducling, but
did bcliovo in the right Of self defonso,
arc matters of history. During tho
war Of secession the testimony OF Mr..
Cameron, tho Secretary Of War, was
that "No man in tho whole country
had dono moro to aid tho War Dce
partmcnt in preparing tho mighty
army now under arms" Aftor the
war Mr.. Wilson was nominated and
elected Vico President i'm General
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