The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-03
A REMARKABLE CAREER.



and Military Emincnce.
remarkable career indeed was that of
Nathaniel prentiss Banks. A statesman
at two widely separated eras and sol
dier between them, he twice went into al
most absolute retirement, and twice
emerged therefrom to figure in exciting
congressional debates, and finally, when
most Americans had come to think of him
as historical character only, he aston
ished generation which had not known
him by appearing for II third time in CON
Eress.
The Banks fnmily occupied middle
class position in Walthani, Mass, and
there Nathaniel Prentiss was born Jan.
10 1916. His father seems to have begun
life IA laborer and TO have thought he
had done quite well in becoming superin-
tendent in cotton factory At amy rate
he took it for granted that his son was to
rise in life in n similar way, aud at an
early uge put him to work in the factory
The son, as il often happens took diff
ferent view of his future, devoted all his
leisure hours to study, aud assembling
other youths of his own nge as often ns
pos ible ''practccd on them" to acquire
the habit of public speaking.
Fact and fiction are somewhat mixed in
the popular details of this part of his life,
for soon after his appearance in public
life came the issue Of a very interesting
little work, entitled "The Bubbin Hoy."
which was for many years among the
most popular boys books in America.
The real Nat, like he one in the book,
was very progressive and aggressive boy,
boldly called in question all the received
opinions of his time and town, equally in
politics, theology and social science lie
embraced every opportunity to speak he.
fore school, n club or oven n public
meeting of citizens.
Quite early in life he took rank ms a lee
turer before local lyceums, n little later
became editor of the paper in Waltham
then studied law. was admitted TO the
bar, and in l8i9 was elected to represent
his native town in the legislature.
General Banks began political life as a
Democrat and Free Soiler, and as such
served his four ter,ls in the legislature,
being speaker of the assembly in 1851 and
1852. The next year he presided over the
constitutional convention aud immrdi-
atGy after took his seat in the Thirty
third congress, still nominally Demo
crat. But new ISSUES were up and i'll 1854
he mude his canvass avowedly as IA Know
Nothing and carried his district by an
overwhelming majority.
All renders know the facts connected
with the struggle in electing speaker in
the Thirty fourth congress- 1t gave Mr..
Banks world wide fame. On the l3Ji
ballot, after a confess lasting months, ho
wa, chosen by a plurality only, the house
having agreed that the rule requiring a
majority should be set aside The vote
stood: Banks, l03; Aiken, of South Caro-
lima, 100; scattering, II. He filled the of
flee with dignity and ability, and was re-
elected to the Thirty-iifth congress by an
increased majority, but resigned Dec 4,
1851, to become governor of Massachu-
sets. That place he held three terms Of
one year each, and in 1850 accepted the
presidency of the Illinois Central railway,
which place he left to enter the Union
army.
He began his military career as major
general, but it is not necessary to detail
his services. To do so in fact would
amount to writing at least half history
of the war, Rs he served in the Army Of
the Potomac and us an independent COM
mander in the Valley of the Shenandoah
and in the southwest. Relieved of his
last command in May, 1864. he at once re
signed his commission, returned to Massa-
chusetLs aud was reelected TO congress
from his old district Tic was reelected
continuously, save in 1872 when he joined
the Greeley party, till and including 1879,
after which he served year as United
States marshal for Massachusetts,, and in
1855 was elected to congress for the last
time When General Banks was can
didate in 1858 the painful confession was
made by some of his friends that he
needed the salary" 1t was not pleas
ant thing for Americans to read, and old
friends and old opponents in congress
joined in voting him military pension Of
tlO0 per month.