Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-11-26

on 70 mourn the l0SS or great lotu3T
lone wh6 was foremost ia making
our country in fact what it hal always
been in name Ia land where all men
are free, and equal Before the law
Vice-President Wilson Is no more
AS our rea ders are aware, he had
been in failing health for some time
AMI had lately had sudden attack
which caused grave apprehensions, but
but from which he seemed to be recov-
ering. On Monday morning,he awoke
about 7 &C ock, after tolcrab,y, good
nights rest, and expressed himself as
feeling greatly improved. A few min
utes after, he took some medicine, and
as his attendant crossed the room to
put away the empty glass, he noticed
him breathing heavily, md in a minute
or two more he expired without q
struggle. A post norton examination
showed his brain to have been infamed
We clip the following sketch Of the
life of the Vice-P President from Mon
day evenings Madison journal.
Henry Wilson was born in Farming
ton, N. IT,, February Is, 1912. He
was early apprenticed to farmer in
his native town, with whom he contin-
ued eleven years, during which time he
attended school about one year. He
possessed wonderful taste for read
ing,which he INDUCED on Sundays and
evenings by fire light and moon light.
In the course Of his eleven years ap-
pronticeship, he is reported to have
read 1000 volumes mainly Of histor,
end biography.
GA coming Of age, with his worldly
possessions on his back, Mr.. Wilson
walked from his native town to Natick
Mass, and engaged himself as a shoe
maker. After some three years labor,
he returned to Pennington. for the
purpose Of securing an education; but
this noble purpose was suddenly arres
ted, in consequence Of the failure O.
the person to whom he had entrusted
his money, and in 1888, he returned to
Natick, and resumed the trade Of a
shoemaker.
Mr.. Wilson was never ashamed o.
his humble origin. In 1853, on the
floor Of the Senate, in reply to the eel
brated "Mud-sill' speech of Gov. Ham
mond, of South Carolina, he gave ut
terance to the following brave and elo-
quent words:
"Slr, [ am the son of hireling man
ual laborer, who, with the frosts o.
seventy winters on his brow, lives by
daily labor. [, too, have lived by daily
labor; |, too, have been hireling man
laborer. Poverty cast its dark
aud chilling shadow over the home OF
my childhood; and wautwas some times
there -au unbid len guest. At the
age Of ten years to aid him who gave
me being in keeping the gaunt specter
from the hearth Of the mother who bore
mel left the home Of my boyhood /,
and went fourth to earn my bread by
daily labor "
From his early youth, Mr.. Wilson
entertained a determined hostility to
the institution of Sllvery, aud until it
was abolished few men dealt more nu-
merous or heavier blows against it.
His political career commenced in
1870, and during that year, he made
upwards Of sixty speeches in behalf of
the election of Gen. Harrison. During
the next five years, he was member
Of the Massachusetts Legislature,-two
years in the Senate, and three years in
the House. His st orn opposition to
slavery and was here made apparent,
and in lat5, he was selected with the
poet Whittier, to bear to Washington,
the great anti slavery petition, against
the annexation ofSTexas.
Mr.. Wilson was delegate to the
Wing National Convention in 1913,
and on the rejection of the anti.slayery
resolution by that body, he withd rev
from it and was prominent in the or
ganization of the Free Soil party. In
1880, he was again elected to the
Stats Legislature; and in l85l-2, was
a member of..the Senate and President
of that boly, He was President of
the Free Soil National Convention at
Pittsburgh, in 1852 and during tina
year was the Free Soil candidate for
Congress. In 1854. he was an un-
successful candidate for Governor Of
M4ssachusetts. La 1853, he was a
pr prominent member of, the Massaohu-
sets Coastitutiona 5Colvention.
In 1855, Mr.. Wilson was elected to
the United States Senate, to fill va
cancy created by the resigna ton of
Hon. Edward Everett, and took his
seat in that body, in February of that
year. He remained leading member
of the United States Senate, till Gale
by the people to Vice Presidency on
the 4th of March, 1878. As Sena tor,
Mr.. Wilson was active, earnest, faith
full and inhuential-at all times evinc-
ing an inaexible and fearless opposi-
ton to slavery and the slave power.
A few days after he entered the Senate,
he announced in his first speech, the
position of himself and anti slavery
friends, in strong terms, eve mean,
sir" said Mr., Wilson, "to place in the
councils of the nation men, who, in the
words of Jefferson, have sworn on the
altar Of God, eternal hostility to every
kind of oppression over the mind and