Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1875-12-03
Charles Francis Adams on Henry
Wilson.

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Mayor Cobb, Gen. Banks Gov. CASTOR,
Charles Francis Adams, and Others, all Of
whom paid touching tributes to the de-
parted VIM. Lloyd Garrison was pre-
vented from speaking by ill health. The
poet Whittier and others sent letters Of
regret and expressing much sympathy
We give below the speech of Mr.. Ad-
ans, as follows.
SPEECH OF CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS.
The country has met with severe
loss.
So much has already been well said
and written touching the distinguished
man whose departure we are assembled
to mourn, that | shall not venture to en-
large upon the character Of his public
services. Perhaps few persons who have
reached his eminence in America have
been actually on terms Of acquaintance
and familiarity with so great a portion
of the population as Henry Wilson.
Throughout his career he was essential
ly and intensely man of the people,
and that, too, without being dema-
gogue.
| feel as if | had right to speak Of
him from early knowledge, because it
happened to me to enter in the same
year with him upon the field of public
life. 1t was in 1910, thirty-fve years
ago, the well-tempered era of the Harri-
son campaign, that we were first introduce
ed into the Legislature of this Common
wealth, and there we remained in one or
the other branch, for several years In
such bodies il is not hard soon to pene-
trate the character of companions. With
Henry Wilson it was my fortune to dis
cover unity of sentiment on some inn
portant questions then springing up.
The consequence was the growth of a
sympathy which lasted for many years
1t is for this reason that | venture to
speak of his character with some conf
dence
If ever there was man wholly self
educated, it was Henry Wilson. He
told me once with his own lips, when
struggling with his difficulties, that he
had never had more then three months
schooling Yet he overcome this obsta-
Gle by his steady exercise of will. The
strongest motive to it was doubtless his
propensity to political affairs. He may
fairly be described as a politician from
his cradle. But connected with his rul-
ing passion, he had an innate tendency
to discriminate correctly between right
and wrong, This saved him from being
a demagogue. He soon took his side in
what then was universally regarded as
most desperate venture, opposition to
the slave power of that day, and he stuck
to it through thick and thin, good and
bad fortune, until the reflex of public
opinion which he could scarcely have an
ticpated in bis life time broughtto him an
ample recompense. Yet his elevation to
the second Office in the land made no
difference in his heart or his head. He
was the same modest, unassuming man on
the last day when l saw him, but month
or two since, that he had been in 184l
when as the cobbler of Natick he first
stepped his foot into the House of Rep
resentatives of Massachusetts.
Firm in the maintenance of his own
principles, he had yet one characteristic
of great value he was of kindly dis
position towards opponents, which made
him conciliatory in all conflicts. AS he
grew older this quality became more
and more prominent and useful. The
country will miss him on many accounts
but in no respect more then in his atti-
tude Of a peacemaker. Blessed indeed
has he been who stills lives as such, re-
membered in the memory of all later
generations