Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-12-03
MR.. HENDRICKS CAREER.

vanla, and the son OF one OF the earliest
settlers of Westmoreland County, who
erected mill in the Ligonier valley in
that county on stream since known
as Hendricks Run. John Hendricks
father was Abraham Hendricks, sew
eral times member of the Pennsylva-
MIA Legislature. Thomas A. Hendricks
mother was Jane Thompson, grand
daughter of John Thompson, a Scotch
man, who, settling in this country in
1772, sent back to his native country
an address advocating emigration to
America William Hendricks, an elder
brother Of John, had moved to Cincin-
natl. and thence to Indiana, of which
State he became the second Governor,
and later he was elected a United States
Senator John Hendricks, with his
newly married wife, followed in his
brothers track, and settled first in
GAINESVILLE. where his eldest son, Thos.
A., was born. When his son was only
months old John Hendricks moved
to Indiana and settled at Madison, on
the Ohio river. Three years later he
moved to Shelbyville, where he built
substantial brick house, in which,
amid such refinement as could be en-
ioyed in those days, he reared his fam
ily. John Hendricks was Il man of
considerable education, and his house
was the meeting place for the Presby-
terian clergymen of central Indiana.
He was founder of the Presbyterian
Church in Indianapolis, and Thomas
was brought up in the faith of that
church.
Thomas A. Hendricks attended the
village school at Shelbyville until he
was old enough to enter South Han
over College at Madison. He was
graduated from that institution in
1S41, when 90 years of age, and began
to study law. He attended the law
school in Chambersburg, Pa, presided
over by his mothers brother, Alexander
Thompson, formerly a Judge. In 1S43
he was admitted to the bar at Shelby
vile, where he opened an office. Sue
cess came slowly, but after two years
| he had practice sufficiently large to
| permit him to marry. He married, on
Sept. 25, 1S45, Eliza G. Morgan, by
whom he had one son, who died in
1851, when 8 years old.
In 1S4S Mr.. Hendricks, though not
| % wears old, was elected to the Indiana
Legislature, where, as he said later, he
did not feel at all at home. He did
not seek a reelection at the end of his
term in 1850, but was elected to State
| Constitutional Convention called for
! that year In the Convention with
him was William S. Holman, Schuyler
Colfax and Robert Dale Owen. Mr..
Hendricks took a stand in favor of
a system of State banks, supporting
each other in credit, yet Independent
! in their business transactions. His
arguments prevailed. and banks were
started in the principal towns of In
| diana, with q central bank in Indian
apolis Private banks of issue were
started later, however and, as Mr..
| Hendricks had predicted, they fell by
| their own weight in the panic of 1857.
Mr. Hendricks, in 1851, was elected
! to Congress as a Democrat from the
| Central district of Indiana, defeating
his Whig opponent by nearly 1000
votes. He was reelected in 1862.
During his second term the question of
repeating the Missouri Compromise act
came up. Congressman Hendricks
supported the repeal. Personally he
had opposed it, but when the repeal
was adopted as a party measure he
| threw his influence for it. His vote on
that question had much influence in
causing his defeat when he ran for
+COngress in 1854, although the Know
| Nothing vote assisted in that defeat
| Mr. Hendricks returned to his law work
| in Shelbyville, and in August 1854, was
appointed by President Polk Commits
sioner of the General Land Office. The
appointment came to him without his
solicitation, and at first he wished to
decline it. After consultation with his
/ father, however, Mr.. Hendricks ac-
cepted the office and went to Washing
/ ton. He acted as Commissioner during
| the latter half of Pierce's Administra-
/ ton and the earlier half of Buchanan's,
during which time he signed upward
/ of 100000 land warrants and settled
more than 10000 contested land cases,
| few of which have been overruled He
resigned the office in 1859, when he re-
turned to practice his profession in
/ Shelbyville.
/ He did not remain quiet very long.
His party was preparing for the con
test of 1860, and Mr. Hendricks was
unanimously nominated by the Indi-
ana Democrats as their candidate for
Governor. His opponent was Col.
Henry 5. Lane. The Democratic party
was divided by the contest between
Douglas and Breckinbridge, and Mr..
Hendricks was defeated. Again he re-
turned to his law practice, which he
now transferred from Shelbyville to
indianapolis. He entered into part
nership there with Oscar b. Hord, late
AtUorney-General of the State.
Early in 1863 Mr. Hendricks was
chosen TO the United States Senate to
succeed David 5. Turpin, who had held
Office for eighteen days Mr.. Hen
dricks took his seat on March 4, 1868
and sat until 1869, being for four wears
a colleague of Oliver p. Morton. He
early gained place among the Demo
o,-, tia Iars ('CnCracc