The Portland daily press., 1891-07-06

terestlng anecdote Is told of their relations
at this Time. The Portland Argus had ar
ranged with Hamlin for some sketches of
members of the House and with another
prominent Democrat for sketches of the
senators. When he came to write a sketch
Oh his friend Allen, Hamlin shrank from
treating his friend as the leading Wing
would be expected to be treated by the Ar
gus, and so arranged with the man who was
writing up the Senators to do 1t for him.
The man did it and sent it the Argus over
Hamlin's nom de plume 1t was scor-
ching criticism, and so enraged Amen tnat ne
refused to speak to Hamlin unIi tne iatter,
through mutual friend, had explained 1t.
They were afterwards better friends than
ever although they were destined to be on
nonents in greater contests than those of the
legislature The elections of 1870 came on
and Allen and Hamlin, being In the same
district, found themselves rival candidates
for Congress. 1t was bad year for the
democrats everywhere, and young Hamlin
lound himself in one of the worst parts of
that terrible 1910 tornado. After the old
custom Hamlin and Allen canvassed the dis
triet together. holding joint discussions near
iy every evening for about two months. The
result was close, but Allen was elected by
majority OF some under 200 votes. But at
the next election the 1910 craze had subsid-
ed and Hamlin triumphed over his old COM
pettor by about 1000 votes. He was now
definitely embarked in national politics. he
was described at this time as "tall and grace
iul In figure. with black, piercing eyes, a
SKIN almost olive colored, hair smooth, thick
and Jetty, manner always courteous and
affable."
Three years ago, when Mr.. Hamlin deliy-
cred public address in Portland, he said !;
Thank God there is no vote of mine in my
thirty-four long years Of Congressional life
that was not for freedom" He had right
to be proud of this, for 1t meant great deal
for young Democrat from the North to
be true to the cause of freedom
in the days when Hannibal Hamlin first en-
tered Congress. Yet then. as always, there
were announcements for him who acted the
manly part. as Mr. Hamlin found out at the
beginning of his Congressional career In
the course of debate he had taken occasion
to say. as an Oxford county boy should, but
as all Northern Democrats did not dare to do.
that he was opposed to slavery He said it
quite forcibly, so that many heard him and
not few wondered at his temerity. Among
those who heard him was John Quincy
Adams, the venerable ex-President, hated
by the Shareholders as the upfiinching de-
fender of the right of petition. He walked
over to young Hamlin, took him by the
hand and said, Light breaketh In the East.
sir; light breaketh in the East" John
Quincy Adams was right. The young man
whom he took by the hand was destined to
be one OF the great leaders in the anti-slav-
cry battles Of the next twenty years Il
would be wrong to infer that Hamlin was in
those days political crusader against slav-
cry. He probably regarded the abolitionists
with little favor. He was simply a Demo-
crat who had conscience that told him that
slavery was wrong and should not be ex-
tended; and he was man enough to oppose
the dominant spirits of his party who were
committing it to the extension of the institu-
tlon. This may seem very little in this day,
but many were the eminent men who dared
not do it then, and 1t cost Ramlin many a
bitter fight in Washington, and even here
In Maine. But there were strong
men In the Democratic party who stood with
hir. nlen like Preston King, of New York,
md David Wilm0t, Of Pennsyl, ania. With
hem he took the side of freedom in the de-
bates over the annexation of Texas, and with
them he supported the Wilmot proviso. Mr..
Howard Carroll has told in the New York
lIml2 nf h,
connection with the passage of the Wilmot
proviso. This proyiso, which aimed at the
exclusion of slavery from territory that might
be acquired from Mexico, was the form OF
protest which the anti-slavery men in the
House took to show their opposition to the
pro-slavery schemes in regard to Texas. Will
mot was to offer 1t to the bill approprIating
the money which was to recompense Mexico
for her loss of territory. But when the critical
arrived in the House, Wilmot was
absent and could be found nowhere. The
men were in panic when Mr..
who had remained cool throughout
the excitement, arose at the proper moment
and offered the proviso, which passed, to the
great disgust of the southern members. The
moment after the proviso had been offered.
Wilmot, breathless and exhausted with rum
ling, arrived In time to vote for it. It was
hen found that President Polk had sent for
lin, and had detained him in conversation
ntll he had barely time to get to the House,
Nilmot then declared that he believed Polk
lad purposely detained him to prevent the
offering of the proyiso. Mr.. Hamlin was in
the House two terms. long enough
The anti-slavery wing of the Democratic par
ty, and to lay the foundations for the oppt-
sition which he experienced later in Maine
from the other wing, led by James W. Brad
bury aud Nathan Clifford.
In 1847 Mr.. Hamlin was again q member
Of the Maine Legislature from the town of
Hampden. But he had his eye on the Unit
I'd States senatorship. The term of George
Evans, the brilliant Wing senator, was
about to expire; and as the Legislature was
Democratic there was an opportunity for
some brilliant young Democrat Mr.. Ham,
i'm was candidate and so was James W.
Bradbury OF Aus lsta Their strength was.
lutte evenly matched, but eventually Mr.
Bradbury won. The next year however, the
lntimely death of John Fairfield left vacant
The other seat in the Senate, and to this Mr..
Hamlin was elected. But 1t was not without
long fight. James w. Bradbury and Ma
Than Clifford were heading a faction of his
party who were not friendly to him on ac-
count OF his anti-slavery convictions and &C
ions while in Congress. But there were in
both branches of the legislature a few Free
Sellers who would not stand by and see de-
[eated the man who had worked and voted
Tor the passage of the Wilmot proviso. They
finally came to his aid and he was elected.
This was In 1849. lie would be duller man
than Hannibal Hamin whose heart would
not beat higher at the prospec.
of entering the United States
Senate at that time. The old
whose names and fame had filed
me nation for generation were there, some
If them cropping feebly and blindly with. the
dragon of slavery and seces-
zion, which they had alternately prodded or
'oothed for many years, others of them
openly encouraging and comforting the mon
'ter. There were the old Wing statesmen,
Clay. Webster and Bell, devoted to the union
above all else; there were those representa-
lives of the better days of the Democracy.
Benton, Cas-, and the picturesque Sam
Houston. man who lovad thu pn;or hooo,oo