The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-11-25
DEATH OF VICE-PRESIDENT WILL
SON.

Henry Wilson, Vice-President of the
United States, died Monday morning in
Washington, from the previous attack
of apoplexy, which, contrary to general
expectation, has eliminated fatally. He
was in the sixty-fourth year of his age
ut the time of his decease.
Henry Wilson was born in Farming
ton, New Hampshire, February 10th,
1912. He was brought up on a farm,
and when twenty-one years OF age went
to learn the trade of shoemaker at Nat
lex, Massachusetts,. He continued
working at his trade end studying as
opportunity offered until 1910, when he
was elected to the lower house of the
Massachusetts, legislature, and was re-
elected for three successive terms. He
was then elected to the State Senate, and
served in that body two years. In 1913
he became editor and proprietor of the
Boston Republican, and in that capacity
did good servie &c in the anti-slavery cause.
During these years he was one of the
most active of the anti-slavery leaders.
With the poet Whittier he carried to
Washington the great Anti-slavery petit
ton of Massachusetts, against the anne1a-
ton ofTex- as Heintroduced into the lower
house of the Leg.alature, while a mem
Der thereof, and supported in a speech
of great power, q resolution declaring
the unalterable hostility of Massachu-
sets to the extension and continuance
of slavery. The resolution passed the
House by SO majority.
In 1850 and in 1851 he was chosen
State Senator and during both terms
was President of that body. He was
President of the National Free Soil Con-
vention at Pittsburg in 1852, and in the
same year ran for Congress in the eighth
district of Massachusetts,, and failed of
nm election by only SO votes, although
the majority against the Free-Soilers
had previously exceeded 1900. He was
a prominent member of the constitution
alconvention of 853, and in the same year
was the Free-Soil candidate for COVER
nor, but was defeated. In 1856 he was
elected to the U. S. Senate to succeed
Edward Everett, and at once took a
position as one of the most active and
nncompromising of the opponets Of sla-
very.
Upon the organization of the Repub-
o,fr I,n OF hnnnn0n
its most jealous and efficient leaders.
When his colleague, Senator Sumner,
had suffered the murderous attack of
Brooks, Mr.. Wilson, in fiery speech
in the Senate, denounced the act as a
''brutal, murderous, and cowardly as
sault'. For these words Brooks challeng-
ed him to duel. This challenge was
declined ON the ground that dueling is
q barbarous practice but at the same
time he informed Brooks that he believ
ed in the right of self-defense in its
broadest sense. He was reelected to
the Senate in 1859, and in 1861 he was
made chairman of the committee of
military affuirs, position which he held
during the war, and which was one of
great labor and responsibility, and in
which lie rendered the most signal ser
vice. Gen. Scott said of him that during
the short extra session of 1861 he did
more work than all the chairmen of the
committee for twenty previous years.
He was again reelected to the Senate in
1866, and again in 1871 but having
received the Republican nomination for
Vice-President in 1872, he resigned his
Senatorship.