Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-11-22

can party itself that everywhere there was
evidence OF the return 20 the party OF those
who went of in the liberal movement: OF
this fact he had sufficient evidence in the
numerous letters he had received dur
ing the past year from leading liberals.
He expected in the next campaign 20 see the
party thoroughly united. He said that the
people would never be willing 20 intrust the
administration Of the executive OF the gov
eminent TO one who had been arTayed against
IL by voice or service, and that this was the
record OF every person named for the demo-
cratic nomination. He said that the security
and perpciuation OF the Union were the para
mount issues IN the minds OF the people, and
that this woald override questions or curren-
cy, church and state, public schools aud all
else. On saturday he spoke OF feeling 50 well
tnat ne thonght he should be able 10 leave for
tie North ia day or two.
Sketch OF the Vice Presidents L.trc.
Vice President Wilson was conspicuous
example or 2 self made man. Born OF ver-
poor parents in Farming toa, stafford county,
New Hampshire-a sterile portion OF the
Old Granite Slate'-Fc5rCary L., 1872, he
struggled during his early years with pow
erty and want, and although he was richly
hororod during his later years with high po-
litical preferment, reaching The next highest
Office in the gift o. the people, he diei a CO N
paratively poor man. At the time OF his
death he hal reached the age OF sixty-three
years, nine months and six days. He was OF
Scotch Irish descent, and his parents, at tae
time Of his birth lived In n wilderness, and
STRUGGLED FOR A sCANTY SUBSISTENCE
with rigorous climate and a barren aad
thanSleSs soil. Henry, who was the eldest
OF eight boys, went to serve an apprentice
snip 10 Nj knight, a farmer in the neigh
bofhoOd. lie was permitted 10 go to school
only ore month ont OF the twelve, and Mr..
knisht being strict cons;ruciioniSs, de
cideu 10 give him his month in old DAYS
when there was no wOra 10 be done. Oae
day, however, n lady, Mrs. Eastman, n sis
ter OF eX- Gov. Woodbury., Offered 10 give him
the use OF her husbands library, an offer
which he accepted with ayidlty. and before
he was twenty-one he had real more than
one thousand volumes, aud having n good
memory retained everything OF value he
read. This good LAZY also gave him tesla
ment, which he kept and highly prized until
the day of his death. In 1855, when about
twenty-One, young Wilson started with
APACK on HIS BACK
10 walk from Farmington TO Natiek, NJ ass,
in search OF work, passing a mile out OF his
way TO stand on historic Bunker IIiil. Aud
here allusion may be made ID n speech he
made at Great Falls, y. II, February p,
1872, in which he referred to his boyhoo1,
and expressed his sympathy for the Ia boring
classes of the country. In that speach ne
said: 81 feel that have right u speak foT
toiling men and TO toiling men. was born
in poverty;
know what il is oask mother for bread
when she has none 10 give. / left my home
at ten years OF age and served an apprentice
snip OF eleven years, receiving months
schooling each year, and at the end OF
and six sheep, which brought me ssh A
dollar would cover every penny spent from
the time was born until 1 was twenty-one
years OF age"
In Natick he learned the trade or shoe
making, and by industry aud strict ecouomy
soon became
A MANUFACTURES
Meanwhile he made diligent use OF all
books which fell in his way. He was active
in forming debating society, ia which he
took a prominent part and soon acquired
self possession and f,uency in public speak
ing. In 1885 attempts We're made In many
parts of the country to put dow n the discus
sion of slavery by violence, and young Will
son entered the contest as
AN UNCoMPRoMISING ABoLITIoNIsr.
In 1886 he made his FIRST visit TO Washington,
where he ''saw beneath the shadow of the
Capitol the slave-pen, and men, women, ant
children herded for the markets OF the far
SOUTH 81 left the Capitol" said be in a
speech delivered i'm 1868, with the Unalter-
able resolution 10 give all that had, aud all
that hoped 10 have, of power, 20 the causa
OF emancipation I'm America, and / have
tried TO make that resolution a living faith
from that day 10 this"
In 1857 the great financial panic came, and
IN the presidential campaign OF $50 the
questions of banking, currency: and tariffs
were widely discussed. Mr.. Wilson
IDENTIFIED HIMSELF WITH THE WING
PARTY
and made a number OF speeches. II was
about this time that the Boston Pos alluded
TO him as the "Natiek cobbler," a title of
which he was never ashamed and which his
political opponents continued To use during
his after life. After the Presidential cleo
ton he was chosen from Natick TO the Mas
sachusetts legislature, where he served on
the committee on manufactures and during
OF the financial distress of the country.
HIS MARRIAGE.
In 1910, Mr.. Wilson married Miss Harriet
NJ. Howe, OF Natick, an estimable young
lady, who sympathized in her husbands pur-
suits and aided and cheered him In his varied
career. She died a few years since. 10 1873
In 1915 he stood with Charles Summer, Chas
Francis Adams, Wendell Phillips, Z. R.
Hoar and others in opposing the annexation
q neaas, ana 10 h Isto was was agsin elected 70
he was delegate to the whig national con-
vention which nominated General Zachary
Taylor for President, but repudiated the
nomination OF a Shareholder without any
declaration of principles, and returning To
Massachusetts was prominent in
ORGANIZING THE FREE-SoIL PARTY.
ticaT In the interests of the party, and in ls4s
was elected chairman OF the state committee
OF the same party, i'm which position he Ia
bored four years, and was principally instru-
mental In organizing the famous coalition
between the democrats and free-soilers
which, after Mr.. Webster's speech on the 7Lh
OF March, 1850, overthrow the WING party
senator from Massachusetts. In 1870 aud
1851 he was president of the state senate, and
while in this capacity welcomed Kossuth
the Hungarian patriot, to the state in a very
neat speech. In 1852 he was president OF the
national convention of the free-soilers held
at Pittsburg. He ran but was
DEFEATED FOR CONGRESS
the same year, by ninety-three votes.
de was chairman OF the committee on the
order of business at the constitutional con-
ventiop held In 1853 to revive the state con-
stitution, and took prominent part in the
proceedings.
In 1855 Mr.. Wilson was
ELECTED U. 8. SENATOR
to succeed Edward Everett, and soon after
made q vigorous speech, urging the repeal of
the fugitive slave law and the abolition of
slavery in the District of Columbia. In 1856
he attended the American national conven-
ton at Philadelphia, where platform in
dorsing slavery was adopted. In an earnest
speech he repudiated il, saying that the peo-
pie OF the north would spurn il, spit upon IT.
Denouncing IL. he said, 81 tell you TO your
faces that 1 will trample with disdain on
your platform. viii not support IL. will
support no man who stands upon IL. ADOPT
that platform and you array against YOU
that is pure and holy, everything
that has the elements Of permanency in It,
the noblest pulsations Of the human heart,
the hottest convictions of the human soul,
the profoundest ideas of the human intellect,
and the attributes Of Almighty God" Mr..