The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-11-25

stion that had yet been made in any ieeis.
tlative body OF this country. He was =
delegate to tho Whig: national convention
of l848, Withdrawing on the rejection Of
anti.slavery resolutions, and then took
prominent part in organizing the Free
Soil II party. I About this time
,he purchased. the daily Republican
at Boston, which he edited
for two years. For four years from l840
be was chairman Of the free soil State
committeeo Massachusetts, and in 1850
and 1851 was president Of the State Sen.
a+e. In 1852 he was made chairman Of
the free soil national. convention 1T Pitts.
burgh and chairman Of the national COM
mittee. The same year he was the free
soil candidate for Congress and failed
Of election by only 90 votes
against = majority Of 1850 adverse
to his party. Natick and Berlin both
elected him to- the State constitutional
convention Of 1853, and the same year
he was defeated for Governor.
In 1855 he. was elected, to. succeed Ed
ward Everett in the United States Senate,
and from that time was 4 conspicuous
advocate of anti.slavery measures in
Congress. In 1855 he WAS for = brief
period connected with the American or
Know-Nothing party, but Withdrew
from II" it when it's national
council adopteda 4 pro.slavery platform
and was then active in organizing the
Republican party on the basis Of opposi-
ton to the extension Of slavery. For de-
nouncing the Brooks assault upon Mr..
Sumner in 1855 he WAS challenged by Mr..
Brooks to 4 duel, which he declined on
the ground that duelling is 4 barbarous
practice, which the law brands as .
crime; but, he added, he believed in the
right of self-defense in it's : broadest
sense b., ,...,.@. },,.j..
Mr.. Wilson was prominent throughout
the political contests and debates Of the
next five years, being reelected to the
Senate in 1859, In 1857 he was made
chairman Of the Senate committe on Mil.
itary Affairs, in which responsible po.
sitiou, during the extra session, General
Scott said he did more work than all the
chairmen Of military committees had
done for twenty years while Secretary
Cameron said Of him in JAM, 1872. "No
man, in my opinion, in the whole country,
has done more to aid the war department
in preparing the mighty army now under
arms" In the regular session of that
winter he introduced the bills abolishing
slavery in the District of Columbia and
abolishing the ''black code"
Through the war Mr.. Wilson still con-
tinued his untiring, earnest labors for the
Union, rendering most effective and
patient support to the administration Of
Mr.. Lincoln and aiding to keep up both
the courage and the faith Of the people of
the North. After the war he was strong
supporter of the principal features Of the
reconstruction policy adopted by the Re-
publican party his efforts being directed to
secur eequal rights to negroes and provide
for such establishment and recognition of
the national power as would forever do
away with the theory that State might
rightfa!ly secede from the Union at its
pleasure.
In 1872 Mr.. Wilson was elected Vice
President. In this position i'll health
has interfered with his duties, but when
ever his health has permitted it
he has taken an active interest
in political movements, and has advoca-
! ted = line If policy as to the reconstruct
the most liberal Republicans. The ad-
ministration leaders have seemed to re-
gard him for year or two Is hav-
ing presidential aspirations, which
were opposed to their plans, and for \
| time ridiculed his efforts 1t cancellation
I and reconciliation. But the policy he
advocated has already been vindicated in
the pacification of the South and. the
strengthening of the Republican party Of
| the North