New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-23
THE yICE-pREsIDENTs CAREER.

dent first saw the light at Pennington, N. H., Feb
lG. 1912 in the same State that gave birth to TWO
other of the foremost champions of heedom-
Salmon =. Chase and Horace Greeley. Like Doth OF
them he was born at the very bottom OF the ladaer
Indeed he was born even below them. His parents
were not only very poor but belonged to- the least
respcctable classes Of the community having
poverty without industry or character. IL was
on this account that lie dropped his parents
name ard assumed that which he wore throughout
his life. At the age OF 10 his play-days
ceased when he bound out TO farmer
until he should become of age. But he
was not content with the meagcr intellectual
fare of the Winter school, which gave him in these
eleven years about twelve full months of study He
drained all the libraries within his reach, and ct
tie end Of his term of iLdenture had read, by en-
ployinc every spare moment, nearly thousand vol
nmcs. chiefly in biography and history. When his
apprenticeship vas ended, he walked, with his pack
on his back to Natck Mass, and learned there the
trade of "A shoemaker. Two years hard work with
the hammer brought him sufficient money 10 enable
him 10 90 TO NeN-Hampshire 70 attend the acade-
mics Here he studied for abOut three years, when
the person to whom he had intrusted his savings
failed and there was nothing TO do but to go back
TO his bench at Natick This IN S3s. During
the next two years lie busted himself with the men
tai Improvement of his fellow-wOrkmen, as Wei as
his own He formed a debating society, and spoke,
and wrote and read constantly. In 1910 he made
his first appearance in politics He warmly adyo-
Gated the election of Gen. HARRISON making more
than sixty speeches during the campaign, and was
himself elected to the Legislature from Natick, be-
ing reelected the following year.
Like most of the leaders of the anti-slaSery move
ment, Mir Wilson entered public life pledged to that
carly visit to Washington lad brought him face to
face with the brutal aggressiveness of the slave
power 1t was during his stay at the national capt.
tai that Mr. Pinckneys resolution declaring against
the reception of anti-slavery memorials received a
majority vote in the House, and Mr. Calhoun's III
cendiary Publication BILL which designed TO
prevent the transmission Of aholitionst publications
through the mails, was ordered TO be ongOssed by
the casting vote Of Yicc-PTesidcnt Martin Van Buren,
If these crimes against liberty left any doubt in his
mind that it time 10 take MP arms against tins
usoleut power a visit to the slave pen and the
slave auction surely diSpellcd them. lie went back
t. his New Hampshire school full OF the dark I'M
pressiOns OF his visit and in debates and orations
denounced the institution of slavery Early the
next wear he took leading part in an ant-slayery
convention held by the young men Of New-iiamp-
shire This honorable stand he maintained from
this time on TO the end Of his life. In IS II and lS45
he was made State Senator from his district, and
strongly opposed the admission OF Texas as slave
State beside iavorng he admission Of coOfed chill
dreu into the public schools and demanding the pro
lection OF colored seamen. In the Autumn OF 1915
ho was instrumental in getting together conven-
ton in the County of Mddesex in oppo lion TO the
admission Of Texas. At this gathering committee
was formed which obtained nearly hundred thous-
and signatures 70 a memorial on that subject, which
the poet Whittier and Mr.. Wilson together carried
TO Washington. In 1916 he transferred to the
lower house OF the Legislature, III which he offered
q resolution denouncing the further extension and
longer existence OF slavery in America" and sup
ported il in q speech which William Lloyd Garrison
declared to be tie most comprehensive and OK
haustvc speech on slavery ever made IN any ccisa-
tive body In the United States" In 1913 lac vas
delegate to the Wing National Convention held at
Philadelphia, hut when the Convention surrendered
10 the Shareholders in its rejection Of the Ninot
pruviso and the nomination of Gen. Taylor Lc spoke
out boldly and withdrew, and on returning home
defended MS action TO his constituents.
lie now became one OF the heads of the Free Soil
party in Massachusetts. and bought and edited for
two years The EOs,on Atpsboan in It's interest From
this time Oh to the day of his death his pnbhc ser
vice was well nigh continuous. In 1880 lie was
Of the Free Soil members for Speaker. He headed
the State Committee of that party, and brought
about the COAL on which elected George Z. Boutwell,
Governor in 1851 and 1852, ard Robert RantOul
and Charles Sumner United States Senators. He
was President of the State Senate in 1871 and 1892,
and IL the latter year President Of the Free Soil
Convention at IittGbmgh, and Chairman OF the
National Committee, and candidate for Congress,
failing of an election only by % votes, although his
marty was il minority Of 5000 in the district.
lie vas q member Of the Constitutional Convention
of 1898, in which lac endeayofcd to secure the adj
mission of blacks TO Che militia, and in tho same yaar
made an unsuccessful canvass for Governor as the
Free Soil candidate. Ia 1855 he YVES elected to the
United states Senate 10 succeed Edward Everett. the
G1e had need OF sternef men than Everett, and the
elegant scholar gave way 10 the PLAIN shoemaker
from Nstck. Like sumner and Chase he stepped az
once into the upper iOase without any probation IN
the lower, but Ike them, too, his advanced opinions
and his uniinching courage In uphOliing them gave
Inn immediate prominence On hls entry INTO the
Senate, he acted with the Know-NothingJ, who had
aided ia his election.
He entered the Senate at time when the battle
between slavery and ant-slavery was fairly joined
The cloud that burst upon the country IN 81 was
already heaped up, hinge aud threatening, Oh the
horizon. 1t was in the Know Nothing Convention
Of that very year at Philadelphia that, While Mr.
Wilson was speaking Oh this ali absorbing ques-
ton, one of the Southern leaders crossed
the room and sat down by him with bis
hand on his revolver His added threat met
with this bod response from the speaker :
Threats have TO terrOrs for freemcn;
ready TO meet argument with argument
scorn with scoTn and, if need he, blow with blow
II is time the champions of slavery in the South