The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-07-02
WILLIAM Il. ENGLISH.
HIS EARLY LIFE.

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HIS EARLY LIFE.
Few men in this country have lived
more earnest and active lives than William
Fl. English, of Indiana. Mr.. English is q
native Indianian. He was born in Scott
county, August q, 1922, at the village of
Lexington, and has literally grown with
his native State and strengthened with
her strength. Born at time when school
houses in Indiana were few and far be-
tween, he mastered the rudiments of an
education at an early age, and took po-
sition in public affairs when others more
favorably situated were dsllying with
problems he had solved. Mr.. English
studied law and was admitted to practice
in the Circuit Court at the early age of
eighteen years; he was subsequently ad-
mitted to the Supreme Court of his State,
and, in the twenty third year of his age,
to the highest judicial tribunal in the
country, the Supreme Court of the United
States.
Several years before he was of age he
was chosen delegate from his native
county to the Democratic State Conven-
ton at Indianapolis, which nominated
Gen. Tflgbman A. Howard for Governor !;
and he commenced making speeches in
that memorable campaign. At the age of
twenty years he was appointed Postmaster
of Lexington, his native village, then
county seat of Scott county. In ls43,
when twenty-one years of age, he was
chosen principal clerk of the House OF
Representatives Soon after the close of the
session of the Legislature the great cam
paign of 1874 began. The standard bear
ers of the opposition parties were James
X. Polk and Henry Clay. Mr.. English
took an active part in that campaign, and,
as recognition Of his valuable services,
he was rendered an appointment in the
Treasury Department at Washington,
which he accepted, and continued to dis
charge its duties during Mr.. Folks ad-
ministration.
LATER POLITICAL RECORD.
In the year 1850 the people of Indiana
called convention to revise the constitu-
ton of the State, which was adopted
in 1915, when the State was admitted into
the Union. The convention assembled in
October, 1850, and Mr.. English, then
twenty-eight years Of age, received the
distinguished honor of being chosen its
principal secretary. In this position, Mr..
English added largely to his reputation,
and the fact was recognized that his abil-
tiles were of a character to command q
wider sphere of usefulness to the party
and to the country. In 1851 Mr.. English
was elected to the State Legislature
against an opposition majority, and over
| 81 \
most popular man of his party in the
country. This was the FIRST meeting of the
Legislature under the provisions of the
new constitution, and judgment and dis
erection were required Of the members to
put the new State machinery into harmo-
NOUS and successful operation. 1t was
considerable honor, therefore, for Mr..
English to be elected to take part in the
deliberations of such body, but it was a
still greater honor to be elected, rs he
was, Speaker of the House, though but
twenty-nine years of age, and his first ap-
pearance as a member of . legislative
body. Mr.. English has, in an eminent de-
gree, that force and energy Of character
which lead to successful action, and has
left his impress upon every association,
company or deliberatiye body to which
he has ever belonged. in word, he has
all the elements Of bold, aggressive and
successful leaderships so5sall
With the close of the long session of
the Legislature of 1861, in which MIR.
English had earned golden opinions of
men Of all parties, he was justly regarded
as one of the foremost men Of their State,
aud the Democrats of his district, with
great unanimity, selected him Cor their
standard bearer in the race for Congress-
In October, 1852, when just thirty years
of age, he was elected to the United
States House of Representatives by 4S6
majority. Mr.. English entered Congress
at the commencement of Mr.. Pierce's adj
ministratien, and gave its political meas
ures warm and generous support. 1t
was q memorable period IN the history Of
the country--a time when questions Of
farreaching consequences had their birth,
and which, a few years subsequently,,
tested to the utmost limit the strength Of
the republic. t
M KANSAS AND NEBRASKA BILL
Mr.. English served four terms in Con-
gress-in all eight years-immediately
preceding the war, and that during the
entire period % stormy % the National
Legislature ever experienced. The Kan
sasNebraska blu, and questions growing
out Of its introduction, were among the
most prominent and important measures
that were ever submitted TO Congress.
With these measures Mr. Knglish was
eonspicuously identified, and the compre-
hensiye statesmanship then displayed