Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-01-27
Wafrhnap &c oguurpaL
The Late GerrIt Smith.


philauthropist was no more. Thonocessaril
brief biographical sketch presented i'm on
issue succeeding his death, conveyed ttu
though only partial idea Of the character am
abilities possessed by Mr. Smith who. ha
ne been more selfish. more ambitions, ani
less just and humane. might have cnioyc,
the highest political houors and cmolumcnt
merely 10y asking for them but he sacrifice,
them al for conscience sake. and cast hi
lot with small obscure and Impractical
LITTLE party, who could not hope for immedi
ate success. and had nothing TO expect but
scom. abuse and dcrision.
Gomit Smiths fathes, Peter Smith. was
Of Holland descent, and during his carly
life was a partner Of John Jacob Aston in
the fur trade. Long before th, business
was developed To- the West and North.
Messrs. Aston & Smith derived very lucra-
tive profits from It's prosecution in the state
of New York. the greater portion OF which
was then ava undeycoped wilderness, inhab-
tied by various aboriginal tribes. including
'''"'' ''' N"l"5'S'
and the Seuecas, with whom they carried ON
an extensive traffic, purchasing their furs
~ ,','s' 'o' ',.',N'''' ammunition 1901
anu ''i'yI uol.'ino'il'les' Ihoy began ousl-
''''s WIN ,''u' money ana from a small
store which they kept in New York they
would load a sloop with goods. go up the
- ','''.o''' '''I from 'n''ce penetrate mo the
''" '"''' l'"'hs Strapped 70 'hef
. I, y '''o transporting 'heir wares IN
. n u '"''',' q '''''''''i ''li"' mus win
-. ~ "''''' al, ~ VI SWIM rivers as 'i'-
",' ''.,' wars were
;, -" w. ''g ''''''''s' ''''S' g'.''l MS
o'.-,''i ''''' "5''1 '""i 'n.,' i,,'9
~. '''''' ''' - ''''' " ''n '''' ana '' 'ne M
800 ..,.y ',,'''' ~ ''', ~ ''''''' ",," ~
H., ,1., a., ~ ','''',''' ''." ''''''''
a..n,...i...i Wv!
80 ''." ''''
~, !" '''''''e.'S'
'rN.-,',., -, ''"7'- I.''',''N' consisting
and III; ..'1 ..,','' 49, W ~ O''e''' '1"'''S
- H.. 60. 80 '''',,"'''' ''
- a.. 49,, '.'''',''' ''' .,,. ''' '"''e'
a.. s..,.1s " ''''',o' ",.'s III
~. -. "'''' ,'''' VI"
'' " MS r''i''''' ''' "''o
,c9o. ~ 80 '''' =,
&, ,ete '' ''',',y,' %. ''''''','o', 'o''.S'
-, W. .,''' ~ "'5" '''''
49, anu s''"
-. ..,,.,..1 re-, VI ~"
: l 5'''' '"u"''
A.. was I'u''i''"' III
''''' '' ,,.. ''''', ~ ''le i'','u ana
~, - W = " ny O'''''o,' lo' s"o'r'N'o-
go" M ''l' i'''' was "i' ar
n.. ny p 80, 5'"'' VI "o''" 'Su'''! ADAMS lor
""' '''' '"''e' required ms
'''' ~ VIC ''i'''aS .'i'''"' VI ms large es-
','' Nv ''"''' i'iiiiSeH Vigorously ana
N.i''''''J 20 J." e'lncihs great executive
80 ''''' ''''''''"s competent ana sue
30, ,.,' BUSINESS manager
'.7N ''.e Ooiohl@'tloh society was flst
SAM d" i'-'' le iuen''ueu hiihsell win
~ ''"''i's ''''' 'n'r'py peaceahle solu'
,''' ''''s"' o' "''l'eu at regarding the
Iue9''o"' II was argued mat the
, +, ''".'i "'s' o'9' Il removed BACK to
IVA 'n'sn' Ieueeh tnaV country rom bar
~" ,,''' anu Ieoi''iii Vne ehlire continent TO
r'N'''''" ror 'rn years MI smith gave
- '',S NOV e'nen' an llle influence winch his
''"' MS voice ana ms large means could
0''''n'lu' A' thls tiihe' however, he real
.'' i'S iD'l'"c'icaol'ly' ana one eventiul
'iiou'n9lance caused nm to JON the ranks
- .'ie aooiOoihs's' Whom he never iorsook.
t''ehulls as aspactalor the first meeting of
"e NE" orh Ahu-SlaVery Society at Utica,
II i''' ne heen'y lei th' injustice done
''''. y, s"'',A'''oi ""'n lhe authorities per-
ny" us INVASION ana dispersion by mob
'''u Nv po'u'y invited all the delegates to re-
'''ei''ole at MS nome at Peterborough as
''i,'S 'naln Oh Whatever protection he could
s''''' ino 'nN''alloh was accepted, and
u ''' adjourned session he made passion
W. 'Doi'io" "uuress' ana from That time
a. ''''''' io'"a'Ied 'he aims and purposes
- '''a. P"'l' Two years subsequent, Mr.
'''i.'i i"'le' uled' lea'lng nm nearly all
MS immense landed estate, consisting
''S'iy oil uhprodnet'Ye lands charged with
'''S i'S'c'eS 70 o'her helrS' Inc panic OF
''S ''' oO'u''u a lew months alter this,
''''A' 'usp'nueu payment ana Mr.
'''," ""a 'iseu 70 make an assignment
" ''io peleh' Oh ms creditors This, how
,e', ne 'eiuSeu' ana negotiating loan from
, =, i''lei irieno' MI Aston he fulfilled the
- ''''0''' " ms parent WILL although the
anu, "oi' At 'h"' '''le apnrden rather than
u '''' ''''ase
Nir' oni''h was essentially an advocate
''' 'e''e'er III human rights and though
very extensive landowner was opposed
''' i''''''u inonololy--one oil ms most not
''' "''S' eA'n,PhlyihS MS sincerity IN this
'sa'u, oe'ng Ihe lree donation OF two hun
~" thousand acres oil land IN hity-acre
Inns 'n' % poor "i''t'S ana blacks who would
W. "i'O" anu improve them' lie was an
1o,"''''s advocate oil ile homestead
w. ~ "''u '"' '"oo'y oi small farms IN oppo-
w" 20 '"Be Plantations lbs great kind
'ss u iear' caused MN to be often i'm
'''" upon ana through these acts, false
: n '''''", u MS o,'a'ac''r were conceived
'"ose VINO knew nm only by reputation
o",' n'o"n' IKE olnef phiianthropic enthu-
""' snsio"er upon ms bounty