The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1889-04-12
THE NEGROES CHAMPION.
DEATH OF VETERAN LEWIS HAYDEN
IN BOSTON.

The First to Recommend tho Placing o
Colored Troops In the Field-Tho Friend
of All the Great Antl-Slavery Cham pions
Boston, April 8.-For full quarter cen
tuary Lewis Hayden was TIE messenger In
the Office of the secretary Of state at the state
house. Within that time his venerable form
has been as familiar to visitors as the battle
flags in the rotunda, and by many almost as
much reverend ed. He died at his home on
Phillips street yesterday, after an illness ex
tending over a period of two or three. years.
He suffered greatly from pain, but during
his last days he was unconscious and his
death was without agony.
Mr. Hayden was born in Lexington, KY,
about eighty years ago, and there he spent
his early days in slavery. In 1S46 he and bis
family, which consisted of himself and wife
and son, Joseph, made their escape, by the
assistance of the Rev. Calvin Fairbanks and
Miss Della A. Webster, both of whom suf-
fered cruelty for their kindness. Miss
Webster, after several months imprison-
ment, was liberated, but Mr.. Fairbanks re-
mained in the Kentucky state prison in
Frankfort for more than ten years, during
which, it is stated, the officials did all they
could to make his condition as painful as
possible. By the underground railroad" the
Haydens came north and reached Boston.
In slavery times he was conspicuous. The
famous fugitive, William Crafts, concerning
whose escape there was such commotion,
was concealed in this same house on Phillips
street. Theodore Parker and Wendell Phil
lips were there, and hundreds:of colored men
collected about the house to protect them
from arrest by the United States marshal,
Patrick Riley. Another matter of record is
the forcibie taking from the court house of
the Shadrack man, for which Hayden was
arrested. John P. Hale defended the case,
and the jury disagreed. In the famous
Anthony Burns case, just before the war,
Mr.. Hayden was one of the foremost in the
rescuing party, and was one to use his muscle
on the battering ram that broke down the
door.
Mr.. Hayden used to say, with good deal
Of pride that the first Thanksgiving dinner
that Governor Andrew ate after his election
as the chief magistrate of the state was at
his (Hayden's) house on Phillips street. Mr.
Hayden gscaPed Bcstqg n the height Of the.
struggle, and assisted lii holding
up the hands Of William Lloyd Garrison,
Wendell Phillips and their coadJ tutors. He
was seen everywhere, watching for fugitive
slaves who had just come to Boston. Finding
them, he would take them to a place of
safety, running great risk in SO doing.
Mr.. Hayden was one of John Browns
friends, and the first man that the hero of
Harper's Ferry told of his plans of going into
Virginia. Hayden was not aware that Brown
was going to make a raid on Harper's Ferry
The plan that Brown laid before Hayden
when here was that the slaves should be
gathered up off the plantations and taken to
the mountains and armed, and then an effort
was to be made to get them into Canada. The
arming of them was to have them prepared
to defend themselves if their owners were to
break in upon them in the mountains. But
after John Brown arrived in Virginia he
changed his plans.
The words of Lewis Hayden always had
great weight with Governor Andrew. One
day during the war, wien the northern
forces had met with several disastrous de-
feats, Governor Andrew sent for Mr.. Hay
den to come to his room. AS Mr.. Hayden
entered, he perceived that the governor was
much troubled Mr.. Andrew said to him.
"Mr. Hayden, what in your opinion, is the
course the national government ought to
pursue to bring this terrible war to success
full termnatiolf'
"Put colored troops in the field, SIR" was
the answer.
Governor Andrew was forcibly struck by
the reply. A day or two after, he went 10
Washington, and laid the suggestion of Lewis
Hayden before President Lincoln Governor
Andrew came home exceedingly eated, and
in due time President Lincoln issuel his cali
for the enlistment of colored sold :ers. Cover
nor Andrew was the first of the governors to
have these men mus cred in, thus placing
Massachusetts colored troops at the very head
of the list of all the commonwealth.
In 1864 Mr.. Hayden entered the service of
the state, in which he remained until death.
being member of the legislature in 1875.
He was prominent in politics. His life seems
to have been one of almost continuous COM
bat with what he considered abuses of his
race. He had deep feeling concerning the re-
fusal of the white Free Masons to recognize
colored men Or colored lodges and wrote two
or three books on tbs matter, making the
point of inconsistency with the announced
principles of the body.
He was greatly interested in the Crispus
Autucks monument project, and was prob
able moi influential than any other man in
carrying it out. In politics he was rigid
and in this direction there was
no harder worker of all our colored politi-
clans. He was shrewd, and had a great deal
Of influence among the people of his race.
Mr.. Hayden leaves widow. His son died
in New Orleans in early manhood.
His Mind Failing.
WASHINGTON, April Sit is becoming
painfully evident that the venerable George
the octogenarian historian, ex-sec-
Ietary of the navy and ex-minister to Ger
many. is failing He is dying at the top ap-
his memory going first. He still
rides and walks. and called at the White |
House the other day on one of his jaunts,
but ne spends most Of his time indoors.
s. metinn S his friends wonder whether he |