The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-10-09
by Hon. John J. Perry. }


When 1 first became a member of the
House in 1855 among the prominent men,
bers of the Senate was BENZ. T. Wade OF
Ohio, then better known at home ana IN
Washington as sBen Wade" He was
man of medium stature, Keen black eyes.
ron gray hair standing out in all dlrec-
tions, coarse and rugged features, grim
voice, always carrying about with MN
sort of Independent don't-care look char
acteristic of the man. He came from OLD
Massachusetts,, having been born in Field
ing Hills Parish, in that state, OCT. ~
1900. His education was very limited,
and he commenced life teaching school
and attending to agricultural pursuits, IN
Ohio to which he removed when twenty
one years of age. By dint of industry
and hard work he studied law and was
admitted to the bar in 1928. He became
prominent as member of the bar and
was for several years the law partner OF
that old commoner, Joshua r. Giddings,
who represented the Astabula District in
the House twenty-five consecutive years.
Mr.. Wade was originally Wing with
strong anti-slavery proclivities ~hich
led him into the Republican party at an
early day, after its formation. One
prominent trait in the character of Mr..
Wade, was his independence and he was
as fearless as he was independent
In 1851 the question Of the extension OF
slavery into free territory became prom,
nent factor in American politics, and the
Wings of Ohio recognized in Mr. wade
the imam for the times, and elected
him a Senator in Congress, his term OF
office commencing in 1851 and ending IN
1857. The Senate at that time was
strongly pro-slavery. The men In tnat
body who had the courage to say anything
against the peculiar institution were few.
William II. Seward, nominally Wing,
occasionally opened his battery against
slavery extension. John p. Hale was then
the fearless champion of freedom and so
was Salmon p Chase of Ohio, the dis
tinguished statesman and jurist OF strong
was that very year first elected to the
Senate Seward. Hale Chase and sum-
ner in numbers were comparatively a
small force yet they were party OF
giants, every man peer OF any otner
Senator in that body. But look at IL IN
any light we will, Benjamin L. Waue'
was valuable accession to the friends
af freedom in that body. Wade knew
yery we'll how Northern men had been IN
suited and abused IN that body and in or
der that there might be no m1sunder-
standing between him and the Southern
braggarts of the Senate the very day ne
took his seat he openly placed in his desk
q brace of duelling pistols where they re-
manned so long as he had a seat in that BODY
It became we'll known that old Ben,
as he was called by the Southerners, was
O s'dead shot, - and that II. he was chal-
lenged he would fight When questioned
upon this matter, to his intimate friends
he.svould always say, that while duelllng
was adverse to Northern sentiment, still
the great cause of freedom must be main
iai I'd at all hazards even at the sacrl-
fc of the lives Of some OF its defenders
ar if the exigences of the case required 1t,
T was ready to ri-k his life in defense OF
ne hit.
The position taken by Senator Wade had
its fleet, for while he always intended
to k, I'D himself inside of parliamentary
rules in the discussions upon the slavery
question, his denunciations of slavery
and slavery extension were sometimes
terrific, sparing neither the institution
or it's advocates from his fiery attacks
One Of his greatest speeches was made
on the night the bill repeating the mis-
souri COMPROMISE, passed the Senate.
In strong and terse language he de.
nounced the repeating act, the sssum OF
all villanies'', and in prophetic words,
warned the guilty party that 1t would
not only cause them political overthrow,
but in tina end would send slavery itself
to its native she'll 1t was grand and
ringing speech and SO well pleased were
many who heard it that they denominated
it the sssecond Declaration of Independ-
ence''.
AS evidence of the. relations then and
after existing between Senator Wade and
the Southern fire eaters in the Senate, 1
will relate an incident which took place
in the Senate one day when I happened
TO be present.
Bob Toombs Of Georgia was making
one ofhis characteristic philippics denounc-
ing all northern men as towards and pol
troons when Wade, who sat directly IN
front of him suddenly arose and turning
suuarely round demanded to know II the
Senator included him in his category OF
towards? Toombs at first seemed thun-
der struck, but reyiving said he had the
highest respect for the Senator from
Ohio, who had the courage to defend his
honor upon that or any other field OF con-
flict.
One morning Mr.. Giddings came into
the House before it was called to order.
very much excited and privately calling
together three or four of Senator Wade S
personal friends stated that he, Wade.
had been challenged and begging of them
to use their influence with him, not to
fight. 1t turned out that message of
this kind had been PREPARED by noted
duellist member of the Senate, but be-
fore sending it being informed that his an
tagonst would eight to the end, con-
oluded that discretion was the better
part of vaior'', and as quietly as possible
withdrew it.
Senator Wade was reelected for a second
End third term ending in 1869.
II will hA tad q a
influential element among the loyal men
of..tke country, nearly all the way through
Mr.. Lincoln's administration criticized
it sharply urging him to 'smoye faster. -
1t commenced in the ION to Richmond
cry before the first battle of Bull Run,
and in one way and another was contin-
ued up to the time of his death.
This element consisted of the radical
anti-slavery men who believed the Eman-
oipation Proclamation should have been
issued a long time before it appeared.
Senator Wades radical, excitable nature
led him to sympathize with the party
holding these opinions.
With what was alleged to be President
Lincolns views relating to the recon-