The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-03-06
OBITUARY.
HON. BENJAMIN y. WADE.
achieved.

The telegraph brings information of the
death on Saturday last of Benjamin Frank
lin Wade at his residence in Jefferson, Ohio.
Senator Wade was one of the noted men
of the country. From the most humble
walks in life he arose TO national distinction.
He was born at Springfield, Massachusetts,,
October q, 1850, of humble parentage. He
emigrated to the west when a young man
and settled in Ashtabula county, Ohio, where
he resided until his death. He first worked
as a common laborer then taught school,
and subsequently studied law. He served
for time in the senate of Ohio, and in 1851
was elected by the legislature OF that state
to the senate of the United States. He was
twice reelected, and served continuously for
is years in that body. The years that Mr..
Wade was senator from Ohio constitute
one of the most important epochs in our
country's history. When he entered the
senate the country was convulsed with the
slavery agitation and when be left it the
question OF re constructing the southern
states was unsettled. During all this time
he occupied prominent position in Lhe
public eye. He was an anti-slavery man of
the most ultra type. His friend and fellow
townsman, Joshua r. Giddings, was not
more decided in his anti.slavery principles
nor more ready to proclaim them than was
Mr.. Wade.
Mr.. Wade was a plain, bluff man and
very profane one. He was noted for the
latter quality, and could swear equal to 1.-The
army In Flanders" He also made preten-
tons to personal courage and probably not
without reason. He was in the habit OF say
ing hard things from his place in the senate,
and on one occasion he intimated that he
was responsible elsewhere for what he SAID
there. His manner and address were those
of bully and braggart, and it is probable
that his reputation for personal bravery was
founded more upon pretention than courage.
On the ascension Of Andrew Johnson 10
the presidency, Mr.. Wade was elected
president pro tempore of the senate, and
thereby became acting vice president of the
United States. In the war between Dir.
Johnson and congress he took a leading
part. Indeed, there was no senator or
representative who was more active in the
effort to impeach the president and remove
him from office than he who would have
succeeded to the presidency had the effort
been successful. When the radical leaders
of the senate determined to expe! a senator
from New Jersey without cause, in order to
secure a two.tnirds majority in that body,
Mr.. Wade, then president of the senate,
decided that a senator could not vote in
case affecting himself, but when the vote was
taken on removing Andrew Johnson from
the presidency be stuitified himself by vOt-
ing for it, Had Mr. Johnson been removed
he would have become president; therefore
no man ever cast a vote more directly affect.
ing himself than did Mr.. Wade upon this
occasion.
After Mr.. Wade retired from the senate
he was appointed by General Grant one of
the 81. Domingo commissioners He favored
the annexation of ST. Domingo TO this
country. the only piece of jobbery he ever
advocated, 50 far as We now remember. Mr..
Wade was never recOncied. He did not
realize that the war of the rebellion had
ended, and the country was at peace. He
was still for fighting, and when Mr.. Hayes
southern policy was announced he refused
TO be conferred. tie at once put himself in
antagOnism TO the acung president, aud con-
tnued to oppose his conciliatory course
until he died He belonged to the ''stal
wart" wing of the republican party, and his
death Will leave a void in the ranks of those
who wish still to wave the bloody shirt.
He is gone and his acts are q part OF the
history of the country. BY them will he be
judged, and if he had MS vices he also had
his virtues Although profane and bully
be was bluff and honest. On that great day
when he will be judged for the acts done in
the body will not his virtues Overbalance and
outweigh his vices and shortcomings? This
is q question any one can ask, but Omnipo-
tence alone can answer it.