Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-03-02
Death OF Hon. Matt. II. Carpenter.


A star Of the first magnitude, whose bril-
lancy has long fixed the admiring gaze of
the nation, has suddenly sunk below the
horizon. Hon. Matt. II. Carpenter, United
States senator from Wisconsin, died at his
residence in Washington at half-past nine
o'clock on the morning of February oath.
A strong local interest has always been felt
in Senator Carpenters career. He was born
in neighboring town, his early youth was
spent in this county, and in the years of his
national fame he has occasionally revisited
the scenes of his childhood and earlyaman-
hood, and renewed associations which hon.
ors and distinction seemed never to cool.
Decatur Merritt Harmon Carpenter was
the formidable christening given to bright
child born in Moretown in 1924. His grand
father being sort of village squire, and his
father successfully holding the office of dep
uty sheriff and of sheriff, Hon. Paul Dilling-
ham, distinguished lawyer in Waterbury,
was naturally brought into professional re-
lations with them. The promising lad at
tracted the attention of the genial attorney
from Waterbury, who frequently bantered
him about coming to live with him, promis-
ing TO make lawyer of him. On the occa
sion of certain trip to Moretown, while
passing over the height Of land midway be-
tween the latter village and Waterbury, Mr..
Dillingham; was surprised to meet young
Carpenter, then a lad OF ten or twelve years,
trudging along on foot with all his worldly
effects in small bundle. When asked
where he was going, the boy replied, "To
Waterbury, to live with you and be a law
YER" Squire Dillingham;, as he was then
popularity called, finding his former propos-
ais thus unexpectedly accepted, directed the
lad to go ahead, report to Mrs. Dillingham;
and await his return at night. Mrs. Dilling-
ham was greatly pleased with her youthful
visitor, who made such good use Of his un-
developed arts as an advocate that when MIR.
Dillingham; returned he found an entente
cordidle had already been established be-
tween his wife and the boy And this is
how young Carpenter became a protege,
though never a formally adopted son of Hon.
Paul Dillingham;. Infelicitous relations ex-
listing between the lad and his stepmother
had impelled him to this initial step in an
illustrious career. In maturer years his re-
lations to his benefactor and benefactress,
always of the character of dutiful and de-
voted son, were strengthened by his mar
riage to their daughter Carrie, a union blest
with the highest marital and domestic fe-
licity.
Through Mr.. Dillingham's influence young
Carpenter was appointed to West Point,
where he remained two years, and after that
the opportunity of enjoying the advice and
direction of Rufus Choate in the study of
the law was procured for him by his bene-
factor. He removed in 1S4S to Beloit, Wis
consin. At this time he was tall and hand !
some of figure, with noble head and win
ming blue eyes, with voice of sympathetic |
quality, and with manner of mingled |
frankness and almost boyish ROBUSTNESS
His prospect was full of promise, when, af-
ter a few months residence in Beloit he was |
suddenly end unaccountably afflicted with |
disease of the eyes, which resulted for sew
eral weeks in total blindness. For eighteen
months he was under treatment in New |
York, poor, almost hopeless Of cure, and |
with no other than his constant friends, Mr.. |
Dillingham; and Rufus Choate. Nearly three |
years were thus lost-so far as professional |
Advancement was concerned-hefore he was
able 10 return and resume the practice Of |
his profession in Beloit. Poor as he then |
was, he managed to collect what was then |
the best law library in the county, and from |
the first developed that thoroughness of |
" working out cases which ever since char
acterized him. Then, as since, he was very
fond of literary studies. The poets he had |
almost by heart, and his studies of the his
torical, philosophical and political classics
of England and America were unceasing.
Politically he was democrat of the most
decided cast. Going to Beloit just as the
" free-soil" movement was carrying all be-
fore 1t, he had to breast the almost unani-
nous political sentiment of county and
town invincibly whig before, then "free.
SOIL" and since republican. Still, he as
sailed his opponents in their stronghold with
SO much fearlessness, wit, logic, constitu-
tional learning and unfailing bonhomn,ie, that
his few enemies were vexed at his personal
Still democratic on his return to Beloit,
he became known more widely by occasional
speeches in various parts of the state, while
his professional success grew with steadi-
ness. So strong had he become in few
years in his own county, that he received
the legal majority of votes cast for district
attorney, although his party was beaten by
over fifteen hundred votes. His opponent
received the certificate, owing to the divers
lty in the use of the numerous initials of
his name on the ballots cast by his support
ers, but MIR. Carpenter appealed to the court,
and indicated both his right and legal abil-
lty before the supreme tribunal of the state
with equal success. II was in consequence
Of this experience that he obtained legislative
sanction to the name, Matthew Hale Car
penter, by which he had become to be called
by his admirers in spirit of pleasant recog-
milton of his splendid legal abilities. In
1859 he removed to Milwaukee and formed,
by invitation, law partnership with Z. G.
Ryan, subsequently chief justice of Wiscon-
sin, then one of the most eminent as well as
the most irascible, lawyers in the state. The
partnership was of short duration. Mr.. I
Carpenter opened an office for himself, and,
although he had TO contend for prominence
with the leading members of the bar, it was
not long before he won for himself an envi-
able position. As soon as the great issues of
1861 revealed themselves he, like many 9TH
ers, left the ranks of the democracy. In a
speech of thrilling eloquence, delivered on
the departure of the first Wisconsin regi.
ment OF three months men from that place,
the staunch advocate of the democracy burst
all party ties. 1t has been asserted that his
unqualified speech probably did more to dis.
solve the democratic party of Wisconsin
than any score of speeches since made.
In the summer of 1862 he reviewed in a
mastery speech an address of his former
partner then the leader of the state democ-
racy, who took the extreme Bourbon view