The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-05-12
A Long Life Well Spent.

| NEARLY FIFTY YEARS IN ACTIVE rrELIc SERVICE.
Under the above headings the n Y. Times pub
| fishes eleven columns of biographical remns
tonees Of the life and services of Hon. Hannibal
Hamlin, beginning with his birth at Paris. seventy
two years ago and following the events of his dis
tinguished career. We made some extracts from
this article last week and now copy the following
interesting account of Mr. Hamlin's early declara
tions of anti slavery sentiments in Congress
EIGHT EEEAKETH IN THE EAST"
Aher having served with marked distinction in
the Legislature described, Mr. Hamlin, i'll 1910.
at the height Of the great excitement which at
tended the Harrison campaign, received the Dem
| ocratic nomination for Congress in the Penobscot
| district 1t is noteworthy that the Wing candi-
date was Mr. Allen, and that for the first time in
the history of the politics of Maine Hamlin can
vaSSed the district with his opponent, holding
| Joint discussions upon every evening during the
better part of two months. Even at that early
day there began to exist throughout Maine good
deal of feeling upon the slavery question, and up
on that question it must be said to his enduring
credit that Hannibal Iiamlin from the first held
the most advanced views. During all the bitter
discussion which followed mp to the time of the
war and after he always pronounced in his
|. opposition 10 the extension OF human bondage.
Still, his anti slavery views of practical
character For this reason he never Joined him
cable, though earnest, men who made war Of
words upon the pei inst tuition Of the South. In
his trst canvass for Congress he was the victim of
the Harrison tornado which overthrow for the
time Democratic rule in Maine. In poll Of H.,
O0O votes his Wing opponent. Mr.. Allen, was
elected by majority of less than POO Three years
later, poStponement Of the election having oc
cured in order to accommodate the new appOr-
uOnment under the census, Mr.. Hamlin tri-
umphaht, being elected to Congress over his old
competitor by majority of 1000.
The first trip to Washington made by the newly
elected member was principally noticeable Tor fle
varied character of the cOnveyances in which it
was accomplished From his home MI Ham
lin travelled TO Portland by stage coach. from
Portland he went to Boston by boat. then to Nor
wich by rail from the latter place he crossed the
Sound to Greenport from there took the Long
island Railroad to New \ Ork, from the latter
place he again took the railway to Philadelphia,
from that point made the best of his way by boat
and stage coach to Baltimore, and from the Monu-
mental City at last reached tEe capital by rail Ar
irving in Washington after this tedious Journey he
found il to be struggling, dilapdated, and over
grown village of less than % 0h0 Inhabitants. The
streets OF magnificent houses which now accom-
mediate the two hundred and odd thousand resi-
dents OF the place were then utilized as COW past
ures. Pennsylvania avenue was then as now the
principal street VI the place but at that time-it
was in wet weaJher-paved principally with two
fee Of thick black mud, while IN dry and windy
weather the great clouds OF fine dust which arose
from it literally obscuIed the day.
In those good, primitive, and, even their
greatest advocates must confess, decidedly IN
comfortable times, nine tenths of The members oI
Congress lived in what are ca.!Cti ''meSSeS-
is to say, II was the habit for four five or six, and
sometimes many as twelve and fourteen OF
them, 20 club together rent house, and contrac'
with the Iandlady OF some caterer to supply them
with meals The nesses so established were ey
ccedlngly exclusive, it being the rule that
but members should be permitted at table wlthou,