New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-09-04
OBIT UARY.
EX-SENATOR WILLIAM NJ. GwIN.

EX-SENATOR WILLIAM NJ. GWIN.
Ex-senator William NJ Gwin of California, who had
been sick for week at the New-York Hotel. was
thought to he getting better until night before last 40
yesterday be died having lived within one month
OF eighty years. His son. ex-Stae Senator G"ln' mas
been the way from California since Monday
Owing to the of speedy recovery eegrapeu
Mrs. Gwin at San Francisco, she made no effort 10
reach her husband before his death. Last evening
his body lay practically in state at the hotel Numer
Gus old friends from the South and West who had been
more less associated with him politically in years
gone by passed by the coffin to take "a last look at his
face and conversed the remarkable career OF tne
dead Californian On thu coffin lay large wreath OF
flowers the gift OF a near friend. Mr.. Gwin had been
spending the summer at West Point and Washington
About week ago he was attacked with dysentery,
which caused his death. For some time he had been
on intimate terms with Senator Call of Florida ana nc
and his family cared Tor the ex-senator during ms
sickness
Mr. Gwin was born on October 9, 1905. in Summer
County, Tenn. He received classical education at
Transylvanla University, Lexington, KY, where he
was graduated He then studied medicine ana
practised He soon after followed the fortunes OF
Andrew Jackson, whose private secretary he became
Pre- sident Jackson in 1888 appointed him United
States Marshal for Mississippi, whore he moved ana
invested In property. lie soon acquired great
plantation. and many slaves. He created friends
everywhere and few enemies. and on December -,
1S41. was elected q Democratic member OF the
AAVllth Congress serving until March ., ls43. lie
was then appointed 10 superntend the erection OF the
Post Office and Custom House at New-Orleans. lie
moved TO California in 1s4S. and me mber OF the
Constitutional Convention which assembled In the
following year. He retained his property IN Misss-
sipp but carried his southern politics with him into
California and succeeded In dividing the sentiment OF
his party in that State. He elected to the United
States Senate by the Democrats ON September io;
IL M.r,l a
the Southern wing Of the Democracy In his state and
found violent OF ponont In David &. BrOdcrck, who
led the Northern wing. Here he became famous as
political manager, and bis followers were absolutely
welded by him. When the time came for his re-
election he had bitter contest with Broderick, who
hot-headcd, Northern born, Free-SOil Democrat
The contest ended by n temporary truce ana COM
promise BrOderick receiving the long term to the Sem
ate and Gwn succeeding himself for the short term
But Immediately on arrival at Washington, the Two
Senators renewed the war with ferocity. Brodeiick
allied himself with stephen A. Douglas. and Gwn with
the Buchanan Administration. and the breckenridge
faction. whose slave extenton views he held as long
a. IL polite.
In 1853 both senators returned to California, and
stumpcd the State in behalf OF their respective
opinions. Bi oderic secured a powerful following wheh
unfortunately for him he challenged to q duel ny
David : Terry, then Chief Justice of the California
Supreme Court. slavery man, the present counsel
for Sarah Althea Hill v the llllsharon divorce case
Broderickwas shot aud mortally wounded, dying
within three days.
The death of Gwin's great rival gave him a clear
field and led TO the organization Of the Douglas DEM
ocracy the State for the Presidential campaign OF
1850 lie reelected Senator after the duel and
retained the Office until March 3. 1851, when he re-
tired irnn politics. At this time the Civil War broke
out II has been widely published that Mr.. twin
went 10 France representative OF the Coniederacy
bnt he has personally dcnicd this hundreds OF times.
He clam that he went TO get rid OF the C0niedCracJ
which he could not hgit against tie claims to have
been Union man at heart, that he never joined the
'onedcracy. took 9ny part IN II IN any form what
ever Hi- family utterly rcpudiate the idea that ne
wa Confederate. While in Europe, he met Louis
Napoleon who bad ambitious projects IN Mexico ana
consulted with him about them lie brought III the
Duke De MOny with whom he united MS fortunes
mud arranged scheme 10 COLOMBO the province oil
sonora In Nc NicJ with European miners ana lap)ies
n nd deyelop the metal aud other interests Around
this colonization scheme woven the more AMBITIOUS
project of empire in Mexico which ost The unfortunate
Macmillan nj. lite For his services here, Napoleon
red t0 crei &c Gtn the Governor of sonora with
the title Of Duke About this time the United Sttes
took a hand in Mexican matters. G~in, not yet Gov,
cruor nor even Duke, was arrested Tor treason anu
confined In Fort Lafayette. He repre-e nted 70
Abraham Lincoln that he had no interest IN the
noiitic,l mart Of the scheme, that he lost faith in
Ne,milian and had only the colonization project NJ
heart lie finally liberated IN 1856. He vanished
from public sight for short time. but appeared ten
wears later a. the chief OF successful lobbyists Tor the
Central Pacific Railway Later he was closely allied
with samuel j. Tilden In political warfare.
During SIR OWNS Senate career he was chairman
aud member OF many important committees. lie intrO-
duced nonolabe measures. he was not an orator.
lilo had. however. great influence with men. ana
secured the appropriations 10y when me g,,H n1roSr
improvements of san Francisco were made ana the
public buildings there reared He lived in costly
STYLE In Washington. He then had an income oil
100 600 year from his Mississippi aud other rop-
crty lie had great social influence. Later on ms
wealth increased TO several millions by judlcous IN
vestments in mines and railway but oil1e it d"lndch
to such an extent that he could not be called million
nire lie owned the Gwn Mines OF Cala eras County
which OF one time yielded enormous wc1lth. ms
welded lite was happy lie married the daughter ct
Mr. Bell of Kentucky, the widow OF Colonel Logan. OF
1oxns he was six feet and three inches tall and re-
maj kably handsome Ills funeral will be arranged
on the arrival Of his SON