New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-26
THOMAS A. HENDRlCA0.
REVIEW OF Ills ACTIVE PUBLIC LIFE.
TAKING Up POLITICS IL TIL; FOLK cAMrAi'-'-
DYING YiCT-PEEsiDENr.

I IN q.
Holm Hendricks left Ohio before Thomas was year o'
and settled I'm Madison Ind, then the leading Guy
| of the state and tho home of many piomneu' hei'
among them william Hendricks uncle Oh Iho'n"7. "n0
was tho secretary OF the convention that Iorneu VI,
nrt Constitution OF the state IndiInas first Representa-
tive I'm Congress-, It's second Governor and TOT Two
fru terms United States Senator The family had thus
won considerable distinction before the subject OF tuls
sketch came upon the stage of public AFFAIRS t"o Vi
his cousins John Abram and Thomas, died I'D tue Univ"
! Army fighting galantly for the country MI hoh-
bricks passed most Of his early life IN Sheioy
! County, to which his father removed Inc ram
fly were in comfortable circumstances ana nc
had the advantages Of collegiate educauOh'
His father was prominent in the Presby Church
and man noted for his hospitality aud his son carry
maturity been ascrbed to tho formative lhhuehces
by which he was thus surrounded He did not. however,
complete his at Hanover College, leaving aI to
end of his junior year with the reputation OF only ah
average student but with that Of excellent depater
in the college In general hior'ha'
ton. lie entered upon the practice or law TWO years
later tho clients coming slowly at drst because as he
sad the people OF shebyye could not understand no"
one of their "bOys" to be trusted with law cases
lie showed ability and perseverance, however, ana soon
was well established He entered into law and politics
| almost at the same time.
The summer after admission to tho bar he took the
stump in the Polk campaign -Four years later he was
elected to the Legislature. and declining reelection,
was chosen in 1850 without opposition to the state
Constitutional Convention. In both bodies he was the
champion of State bank against free banking, aud
tho success OF the state Bank naturally brought him
| into greater prominence. In 1850 he was nominated
for Congress upon the fythirI ballot, which, as he
fond OF saying in after life, was tho only contested
| nomination ho received. From his boyhood MS
| concatory ways and winning manners which were so
marked characteristic through lfe had made him
friends. and all his later nominate were got without
a struggle. But a struggle made for several which
he did get. He elected to Congress. and was
| reelected. He then declined to run again.
his second term the Kansas Nebraska bill was intro
duced in tho Senate by Mr. Douglas. repeating the
Missouri Compromise OF 800. which prohibited slavery
all part OF the territory coded by France under
| the name OF Louisiana except that which had been
already erected into the State OF Missouri The introduce
OF this bill open again the wounds Of contro-
yersy which 1t supposed had been closed by the
| Clay Compromise OF 1880 which admitted California
IA free State. organized the Territories OF New
Mexico and Utah without any restriction IA to slavery
/ and enacted the Fugitive slave Law while prohibiting
the slave trade In tho District OF Columbia President
/ Pierce had declared in his first message that the
rcpose secured by the Clay Compromise should suffer
shock II he could prevent ii, and many Democrats
reg red tho bill violation Of this pledge and others
made IN National and state platforms OF their party.
The bill turning point in the history Of parties
and also IN that Of Mr. Hendricks lie bcsougft by
many Democrats after its passage the Senate to op-
pose Il ia the House. but he seemed to lack the moral
courage to withstand tho pressure Of the Almnisra
ton and the personal persuasions OF Douglas. The
organ President Pierce had openly promised that the
President would provide FOR Northern members who
should their 10y voting for tho bill. and 1t was
/ charged that Mr.. Hendricks was influenced by this
promise II also charged subsequently that he had
admitted thahis personal feeling was against the BILL
/ Although exactly onr-haif Of the Democrats III tho
/ House from Northern states voted against 1t. Nh
Hendricks was not OF them. II this step taken al
-four ~
I'm polite. II wa, al loa,t a key to H. II committed
him to thc most reactiouary school OF Democratic
politics. Io now sought yuhicotion 10y denomination In
spite OF hrs previous refusal to allow the use OF his
name. Ho was defeated. however and had The suisse
qucat modification % se.us his successful. rival carry
the district by a round majority.
A few weeks after his torn expired, In March,
iGas B---tfs"t rfcfrr maue nm Commissioner OF
the General Land ONCE. The appointment was
construed to Mr. Hendricks Jdisadyautage 20
. Dos a iu.f.mout OF the promise just alluded
TO. Ito continued TO hold tho place under President
. Buchanan by tho Influence OF Senator Doug.as until
1850 Tl., divided Il glance placed him 90 peculiar
position when Prc-idou Buchanan urged the acceptance
o. the Kansas Le Compton Constitute and Mr.. Doug
las opposed II. The question leading In the
. campaign OF l-jS. and 10 u>cl 70 Dee said that Mr.
Heudrck. showed ia M, speeches mat he could discuss
% subject FOR entire hour without taking sides upon
o. This tcmpouHug propensity was exhibited ~ many
. other point, ln his career and OF the chief
b'emshcs urOu u. II was shown IN the Coyolc mycst
CATION that Mr Hendricks. Land Commissioner. was
| among tho fret. II the very fist. Government
| Official 10 make political assessments on Government
! employees.
| THE POSITION TAKEN NJ HIM DURING THE WAR
| Mr. Hendricks resigned his place "a Land Commits
accept tho unanimous nomination OF his party
for Governor against Henry = Lane, the Republican
candidate, with whom he made joint canvass Of tho
stlto. The wave WI. rising, aud the Democratic
party were swept oil their feet in he North Lane was
elected by o7j7 majority. Mr.. Hendricks went back TO
his law Office which he removed to indianapolis. and
pracsed with n slccess As a lawyer he held high
rank IN the West. and noted especially for SKIN In
dealing with legal questions whereas he was often sur
passed jury lawyer IIs record was what
might have been expected Of mocrit Of peculiarly
conservative tcmpcramcnt-lylns IN state whore the
sO.called COppcrhcad" sentiment stronger than
anywhere else the North The state filed with
branches Oi orders known the Knights Of the
Golden Circle" ana "Sous OF Liberty" whose spirit
disoYal. II their acts not openly Mr.. Hen
bricks dd not identify himself many Democrats did.
with movements Tor the support of the Government
for the vigorous prosecution OF the for the relief
Of -uncrncs growing ont Of IT, Like other extrcmsls OF
his party he bitterly a.sacd tho Administration ut
time when It needed sympathy from all the people, and,
his uttcranccs could do e.. ho ob3ructcd the
visorou, prosecution OF the When he presided at
the Democratic State Convention In January. 1852 ten
months after the began he denounced the party
In unmeasurcd terms but nowhere ceusuIcd the rcbos
or justified the
In tue following year he was elected United statos
Senator by tho Legislature OF SOB, which called
" the Rebel Legislature" majority OF the Democratic
member, beng sad to bolou to the Sons of Liberty"
few weeks after his election no delivered speech at
Shelbyyille, in which he denounced the Emancipation
| Proclamation In unmeasuroi terms, said II was
"a wicked thing" and that no was going
"to vote to tako It back tho first OPP
! portunity." lie declared tho enrolment Of
negro troops bo direct insult every white man
and woman in tho United statcs," admitted that
VINO had deserted from the army had done an unfortu
nate thing" but said that II any one came into their