Little Falls transcript., 1880-07-02

1
earnest and active lives than; William, H
English, Of Indiana. N. English q 1 naive
lsIndianian. He was born IN Scott coonty,
August 81, 1922. ststhA sillsge Of Laxine.
ton, and has literally grown with bis native
State and strengthened with her strength.
Born at . time when school houses in In
tlians were few and far between, he mastered
the rudiments of an sduoation at "a earIy
oge and took : position in public affairs
when others more ,favoTably situated were
dallying With problems he had solved: Nj.
English studied law and xas admitted to
practice in the circuit court st The early age
Of 10 years; he was subsequently, admitted
to the supreme court Of his State, and, in
the 2sd year Of his age, to the highest ju-
dicial tribunal in the country, the supreme
court of the United States. "> - =. a.,
Several years before he was Of age he was
chosen delegate from his native county to
the Democratic State convention ct Indianap-
oils which nominated Gen. Tiglman A. How.
ard for governor, and he: commenced max
ing speeches in that memorable campaign.
At the age of twenty years he was appointed
postmaster of Lexington, his native villspe,
then county seat of Scott county. In 1913,
when twenty y-one years Of age, he was chosen
principal clerk Of the house of representa-.
tives. Soon after tho close of the session Of the
legislature the great campaign Of 1874 began.
The standard-bearers of the opposing par.
ties were James z. Polk shd Henry Clay.
MIR. English took an active part IN that cam.
paign, and a. recognition, of his valuable
services hewas rendered an appointment in
the treasury department 81 Washington,
which he accepted, and continued to dis.
charge its dsties during Mr.. Polk's admin
istration. - y. Fs.s7:=@
LArEh POLITICAL RECORD. .
In the year 1850 the people Of Indiana
called convention to revise the constitution
"e the State, which was adopted in 1916,
when the State was admitted into the union.
The convention assembled in October, 1850,
and Mr.. English, then % years of ape, re-
eeived the distinguished honor Of being
chosen its principal secretary. In this posi-
tation, and the fact was recognized that his
wider sphere Of usefulness to the party and
10 the country. In 1851 Mr.. English was
elected to the State legislature against an
opposition majority and over competitor
considered the strongest and most popular
man Of his party in the county. This
was the first meeting of the legislature under
the provisions of the new constitution, and
judgment and discretion were required of
the members to put the new State nachin.
cry into harmonious ond successful opera
tion. It was considerable honor, therefore,
for Mr.. English to be elected to take part In
the deliberations of such body, but It was
still greater honor to be elected, as he was,
speaker of the House, though but twenty
nine years Of age, and his first appearance
as member Of q legislative body. Mr..
English has in an eminent degree that
force and energy of character which leads to
successful action. and has left his impress
upon every association, company or delibera-
tive body to which he has ever belonged. In
. word, he has all the elements of bold,
aggressive and successful leadership.
With the close of the long session of the
Legislature of 1861, in which Mr.. English
had earned golden opinions Of men of all
parties, he was justly regarded as one of the
foremost men of their State, and the Demo.
Gratis of his district, with great unanimity,
selected him for their standard bearer in the
race for Congress. In October, 1852, when
Just thirty years of age, he vas elected to the
Omitted States House of Representatives by
498 majority. Mr.. English :entered Con-
gress at the commencement of Mr.. Pierce's
administration, and gave its political meas
ures warm and generous support. It was q
memorable period in the history of the coun-
try-a time when questions of far-reaching
consequences had their birth and which 9
few years subsequently tested to the utmost
limit the strength of the Republic.
KANSAS AND NEBRASKA BILL.
Mr.. English served four terms in Con-
gress-in all eight years--immediately pre-
ceding the war, and that during the entire
period as stormy as the national legislature
ever experienced Fhe Kansas Nebraska
bill and questions growing out of Its intro
duction were among the most prominent and
important measures that were ever submit
ted to Congress. With these measures Mr..
English was conspicuously identified, and
the comprehensive craftsmanship then dis
played gave him q national reputation which
subsequent events have not obscured. Mr..
English, at the time the Kansas Nebraska
bill was introduced, was q member of the
House committee on Territories, which was
charged with the consideration of the sub
ject. Passing by the question of
area and other questions of secondary
importance, the real question at issue was
Popular Sovereignty" the right of tho
people to determine for themselves the char
ter Of their Territorial and State institutions
and this great question, which underlies
the Democratic idea Of government, was first
sharply defined In the discussion of the
"Ksnsas- Nebraska bilp' for the organization
of the Territories bearing these names and
now sovereign and prosp srous States. Mr..
English, for prudential reasons, did not con-
cur with the majority of the committee ON
Territories in bringing forward the Kansas
Nebraska bill, but q majority of the commit
tee decided to report 1t, whereupon Mr..
English, on the a1st of January, 1864, made
minority report. Both the House and
Senate bill, at the time Mr.. Engllsh made his
minority report, contained provision 'that
the constitution and all laws of the United
States which are not locally inapplicaple
shall have the sams force and effect within
the said Territory as elsewhere in the United
States," and then followed this important
reservations:
Except the eighth section of tho act prepara-
tory to the admission of Missouri into the
Union, approved March, G, 1920, which was su-
perseded by the principles of the legislation of
1850, commonly called the compromise meas
ures, and il hereby declared imperative.
Mr.. English proposed to strike out this
exception and insert the following: