The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-05-23

to the West-His Congressional Career
Distinguished Services While Minister to
France.
by Hon. John j. Perry
The "Washburn Family" raised in
Lebanon in the county of Oxford and
State of Maine, 10 many respects, was
one of the most distinguished and re-
markable families in the whole country
in fact we believe it's equal cannot be
found in American history.
From this family of seven sons there
have been one memb Der of the United
States Senate, three members of the
House, two governors of States, one Sec
Rotary of State. one minister to France,
one Major-general in the U. S. Army,
one captain in the Marine Service of the
United States during the war and vari-
Gus minor officers too numerous to men
tion. Elhu B., the third son was born
the 23d day of September 1926. Wien
nineteen years of age he began his event.
full life, by securing the position of
printers devil" i'll the Office Of the
Christian Intelligencer, published at
Gardiner, Maine.
Upon the expiration of his term he OBJ
tanned position in the office of the
Kennebec Journal. His health becom-
| ing impaired, he determined to study
| law and to this end entered the Maine
Wesleyan Seminary at Kents He'll, where
he remained a year. He then entered
the Office of John Otis, of Hallowell, a
distinguished lawyer. afterwards a
member Of Congress, where he remained
until March 1899, nwhen he entered the
Law School at Cam bridge and studied
there over year, having several student
companions who became men of re-
pute, among them, Gen. Chas. Devins,
James Russell Lowell, ex-Gov Bullock,
Richard H. Dana and Vim. NJ Eyarts
After being admitted to the bar, MIR.
Wash burn decided to seek his fortune in
the great West, and 1910 found him SET
tied at Galena, Illinois Here COM
menced his political career, in the great
presidential campaign of that year. and
| being Wing, he warmly supported Gen.
Harrison for the presidency. Four years
later he was member of the National
Convention that nominated Henry Clay
for the presidency and took the stump
| for the "sage of Ashland" In 1913.
without solicitation on his part, he was
brought forward as a candidate for Con-
gress, but failed a nomination. -Four
years later he was nominated and tri-
| umphantly elected. In 1854 he was re-
elected to the 34th Congress and took an
active part in the election of Nathaniel
! P. Banks rs Speaker of the House and
was made chairman of the committee OH
| commerce. Mr.. Washburn was elected
and reelected until March 1869 and on
account of his long continuous service,
he became known az the Father of the
House" In his district he was exceed
| ingly popular and at his fifth election re-
| ceived the largest majority given to any
| one in that Congress and one OF the larg-
est that has ever been won by any repre-
sentative in the United States
While in Congress Mr.. Washbu occu-
pied very important positions and was
recognized as party leader. For ten
years he was chain man of the committee
on commerce and from 1859 to 1869 was
chairman of the important committee on
appropriations. He was also chairman
of the committee on contracts during
the war, member of the joint commit
tee on reconstruction and chairman of
the committee of the whole in the i'm
parchment proceedings against Presi-
dent johnson. During his eighteen years
service in the House he was the deter
mined enemy of all "jobs" put up on the
government and was long known as the
He was a terror to the corrupt Lob
byn that lowered around the capitol
with wicked designs upon the national
treasury, and the most feared and most
hated member of the House by the gov
eminent thieves and robbers.
After General Grant was inaugurated
President, he appointed Mr.. Washburn
Secretary of State This place he did not
desire and after holding it a short time
resigned, desiring a rest from his long
public labor. He WAS soon after rendered
the position of Minister to France, which
he accepted, little knowing what was
to follow. He had been in Paris but
short time, when like thunder bolt
from a clear sky, the terrible struggle
between France and Prussia with her
German allies commenced. All the for
eign ministers but Mr.. Washburn, de-
| serted Paris. Hs was asked to undertake
the protection of the German and other
| foreign population then in Paris and the
American legation, over which waved
| the old American flag, was regarded as
| the only safe place from molestation
| Throughout the bloody siege of Paris
and last the terrible rule of the Com
mune, he heroicaliy remained at his post
and was practically the protector of, not
only German interests, but of the people
there from Saxony, Portugal, Mexico
and the South American governments.
Over all the fearful complications that
surrounded Mr.. Wash burn, during this
reign of terror in Paris, he triumphed
and upon his action in this matter his
| fame securely rests.
| We first became personally acquainted
with Mr.. Wash burn in the Saith Congress
and in the House at that time were his
two brothers, Israel, Jr. and CRdwallader
G, the first from Maine and tue latter
from Wisconsin, all men of great ability
and large influence.
In person Elihu b. EWashburn was a
strong man, stout and compactly built,
of medium height, and muscular system
we'll developed. He was a man well able
to take care of himself in the trou BILE
some times in which he was an actor.
In the trough and tumble" fight
which occasionally disgraced the House
of Representatives, Mr.. Washburn always
appeared on the defensive to protect
Northern members from the assault Of
Southern fire-eaters. Upon one occasion
when Keitt and Barksdale assaulted
Galusha A. Grow upon the floor Of tn,
House, it was the powerful arm of Elihu
B. Wash burn, that came 10 the rescue o.
Grow and pitched his assailants "out of
the ring" 1t was in this melee thai
Barksdale lost his wig, and in puttins
if on oot the raar end in front to ths