New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-23
HENRY WILSON.
Continued from First raC-.

.d =, Massachusetts, where il fingered longest
aid where il hal wealth and ability and respect
b;litv upon its side; where it was strong IN all inc
large towns; where il bad possession OF all 'he gr0.
oorporations and where 1t upheld the heIcsies VI
Mr. Webster and the fortunes of that great pu' nus
taken man. Mr.. Wilson led the battle aRd''''' ~
,o, Ala be mt off his arrnor until he and his as9o-
ciates had swept it from the face OF 'he 'I
watched every sign Of the times, every mutanon VI
,hl,o foelipg every throb of the public pulse.
Ia loew everybody from Berkshire to Barn
,tohe He cOmprchcnded the politics oil every
,,yr whether il cast ten votes or ten hundred. lie
oonld toll fearfully and, If necessary, speak every
niqht FOR a month"; making addresses which were re-
n,arlaiIe for their strength of argument ana per
suasive mower. This was theman who planted MN
self against the old Wing majorities. They might
Laugh they might critcise. they might sneeI pu' III
the end he proved too strong for oil Their
their urostige and their opulence. Mr. wilson n's'
great successes were with The coaiihonoi Conscience
Vbigs or Free Sellers and the DemOcrats-an aiI''o
absurd on the face Of it, and not to be ueleH''ou q"
rordinc 10 any ordinary rules OF pu'Hc Inoi.i'>' ~
ha same time. IL ought to be remembered that III
the Democratic party in Massachusetts th'Io n'u
slv.vs been an anti-Savery leaven. We believe
that Int for this. there woud have been
no coalition. for without it there would have
h.ap u,thinr 70 build upon. The Democrats abroad
l,v ed eskance at the doings OK their brethren
~ the BAY state and wondered to behold upon
friendly terms the MortonS and H@lietS' the sum
ners and Wilson's But the Massachusetts Delho-
gratis understood very well what they were about
and were deaf TO criticism and remonstrance ron
Washington. The coalition came into power and
tbe first use which it made of ITS opportunities vas
tocau q Constitutional Convention. Oi thlS MI
Wilson was q warm advocate, but Tor once ne was
unluckv The Wing element was sim 100 slIons'
several members Of the coalition at critical mo
nent deserted it, and the new Constitution Wn'ch
vas 70 snatch Massachusetts forever from tie Wings
,as rejected by the people. Almost all the amend
r,eDts have since been adopted but the Wings once
more pclie,e ed power upon the issues which II theh
presented go, 49,
The coalition of the Free Sellers with the Know
Nothing, came next, and the Wings we're forever
snuibilaied Mr.. Wilson al this crisis eXhbted MS
usual boldness. Either he went with inc uue
which he could not stay or he voluntarily joined the
Order without any qualms. lie said frankly IN con-
vs-sation afterward that he Joined the Know
Notlings 10 kill the Wings" The remark al least
does credit TO his Sagacity. II would have Oeeh
better afterward if. with equal candor he haa &C
kpowlcdged the connection, if he had NOT Perni'ie"
his friends TO deny it for OF all men III MaSSa-
cbusetts lie prOtitcd most largely ~ tH"'
pVaUe1GPut
limited States Senator and gave him at once
q position in national politics. Mr.. sumner had
been previously made a Senator by very much such
abargain, but he had the merit of taking no per
so,ol Dart in the business and he was not called
uron 10 make professions which he might aiterwaId
6nd convenient TO disclaim. During the heat OF the
last Presidential election, THE TRIBUNE had oc-
casion 90 allude TO Mr. Wilson's know-Nothng
record His connection with the order was Nehe-
meDtly denied by the newspapers which supported
him. and letter over his signature, subsequently
declared to be forgery. sustained the denial. but
political history is not 70 he falslted even IN the
presence Of death. Mr.. Wilson. IN achieving the
senatorship probably did nothing which, With his
views he thought TO be wrong. Others, however
might hold q different opinion
When Dir. Wilson came TO the Senate he soon
showed himself to be q frSt-rate man, with large
personal capacity for public affairs. His courage
was Of the first order. Those who undertook 10 put
him down found that they had mistaken their man.
He was proof against sarcasm, snecrS and threats,
ard quite able 20 hold ms own, whatever fhe con-
ltover.v. Indeed, in the days Of bis strength, he
would have been very uncomfortable person 10 ell
counter in physical combat, and the race Of ire
eaters now happily obsolete. wisely let him alone
Ubcu Nr Sumner was assaulted, he expressed III
his place his opinion of the deed. While tho e1cte-
neBt incident TO that event was at JUS Ho''csi' nc
calmly walked upaDd down Pennsylvauia-ave. alone,
and nobody molested him. Those who have had occa-
son often to disagree with Mr.. Wilson remember his
bearing IN these dark DAYS with pride and with IN
slloyed satisfaction. He was S;anch friend al
ways-reyer staucher than them
Indeed il is as The champion Of the oppressed, -
lbe friend Of tho frendles, the protector OF the
fugitive as the helper Of the struggling Kan-as col
oni,t rather than a. the NcepIc-ieeut OF the United
States, that We prefer TO remember him. We like
better e. regard him as the leader of small band of
honest iueu eagued together in the cause Of human
NV, than as % nacnate of powerful and triumphant
party nervous lest it should lose State, and too
anxious oco,er ts faults and extenuate its failures
With an important period of American history Mr.
Wilsous name viii always be inseparabiy and cred
itably connected; and as we inscribo il upon The
roll Of tie Republics dead, we feel that another is
gone who ha, done large service to and who has
bieIitod well %; iho B"public.