The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-13
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
The Life and Times OF Hannibal HAM
lin, Names Great Political Leader.

President would OF itself lend interest 10
any carefully written book treating OF his
Kfe and his times: but when MIR Hamlin
became Vice President he had served in the
House two terms and was In the middle OF
third United States senator
He was a member of the Senate while Clay.
Webster Calhoun. Benton and that genera
ton OF statesmen were leaders He was in
the Senate when Seward Sumner Douglas,
sherman. Wade and Jefferson Davis became
members After he was Vice President he
entered the Senate again TO see the last OF
the coterie OF war senators, with two or
three exceptions. pass away, and the
younger men who are old enter. Thus
from lS4S until 1881, Mr.. Hamlin may be said
to have been almost continuously in Con-
gress including his four years as Vice Prest-
dent.
This book OF over COO pages is more than
the life OF Hannibal Hamlin; il is picture
of the times in which he lived. 1t reads like
his Own narration of the issues and the lead
ing events OF that period, as he was wont TO
relate them to personal friends who were
SO fortunate as TO meet him in later years
That portion of the book relating TO his
early life is full of interest. but that interest
becomes absorbing when the period before
the war, when Mr.. Hamlin served in Con-
| gress is reached. 1t is history, yet 1t is
different from any other work covering the
period. 1t is the history of conflicts and
/ actors told by one OF them. AT that date,
! 1S43 the controversy over slavery had en-
tered Congress. Mr. Hamlin was an anti
| slavery Democrat. Whenever that topic
| up Mr.. Hamlin's name is found with
| these of John Quincy Adams. Robert Dale
! Owen. John z. Hale and Caleb b. smith
! anu-slavery Wings and Democrats. IL Is
| this personal narrative of that early period
which gives interest to a period Of our
national life of which so little is accurately
! known. In Maine during the twenty-five
years before the formation OF the Repub-
lican party Mr. Hamlin fought the bunker
wing of the party. making a large part or
| the Democratic party anti-slavery men.
| He was wonderful leader. When the Dem
ocratic party opened the Territories to
slavery and the national Democratic con-
| vention of 1856 Endorsed this demand OF
| slavery Mr.. Hamlin resigned his committee
workmanship and in. a speech severed his
connection with the Democracy and Joined
the new party. This in the spring OF
1856. He was nominated for Governor by
the Republican party in Maine in the June
! following and swept the State in September.
Mr.. Hamlin knew Senator Seward, OF New
York, who the Eastern favorite for the
| Republican nomination in 1860. He valued
| him highly; yet he believed that he did not
possess the qualities needed in a President
to obtain delegates for Mr.. Lincoln and pre-.
| vented the instruction Of the delegates at
large for Mr. Seward. When the vote was
taken in the convention Mr.; Hamlin had
| won six of Names sixteen delegates to Mr..
| Lincoln. Mr.. Hamin was not a candidate
| for the vice presidency. He had not been
spoken of in that connection before the
| meeting or the convention He was simply
selected as the best man 10 promote the
| election of the Lincoln ticket
During Mr.. Lncoln's administration he
made Mr. Hanlin one Of his trusted ad-
! visers. June Is, 1862, more than a month be-
fore President Lincoln read his emancipa-
| ton proclamation TO his Cabinet, he read
It to Mr.. Hamlin. On all occasions Mr.:
| the unreasoning radicals. He early saw that
Lincoln was the greatest man Of the period
| "a fact which his letters written at the
| time prove. During the war there was no
| more, unselfish patriot than Mr. Hamlin,
| and hundreds of Maine men in the service
will now testify to his ready assistance OF
| those in need.
1t is generally believed that Mr. Lincoln
desired that Andrew Johnson should succeed
| yond a doubt that Lincoln had 10 liking
for johnson AID would have preferred the
nomirlation o. Mr.. Hamlin. He so expressed
strangs as 1t may now seem. considerable
| oppC s;tion to the denomination of Mr..
| Lincoln. Hale dozen senator's were hostile.
| In 1853 the radicals in Congress asked Mr..
| Hamlin to be their candidate for President,
| but he woulo net listen and he became the
| ardent champion OF Mr.. Lincoln's renomi-
him. Mr.. Elamlins friends did not make an
| active canvass for his denomination, while
| M. Sumner took the Massachusetts, delega-
| ton from him because he hated Senator Fes-
scnoer IF Name, ard believed Mr. Hamlin
| would succeed Fessenden in the Senate. But
| Il made difference with Mr. Hamlin He
threw hiInseI: into the campaign, carrying
| Maine by -arge II ajority in September,
ls64 AT the same time he encouraged en-
| listment by enlistng as a private in a sixty
| days regiment and doing duty in Eastern
forts He was appointed collector OF Boston,
but resigned because ne could not be mis-
| understood as supporting Andrew Johnson.
He returned to the Senate in 1869.
This book tells the story OF the life and
| service of Hannibal Hamlin-of the Hanni-
bal Hamlin as those who knew him saw
! him In life. He was a rare character. He
| loved public life because he had political
| was statesman, which means that he had
the capacity to read the future and to pre-
pare for its demands. He saw that Lincoln
| was better man for President In 1860 than
was Seward. Before most men saw 1t he
| was certain that war would follow Mr..
Lincoin's election. He was rare judge Of
| men. In private life, and an old man in
| 1888. he urged his friends TO support General
| Harrison In the Chicago convention, assur-
| Ing them that he would make an excellent
| President By invitation of General Harri-
| son Mr.. Hamlin was present at his inaug-
uration Until the day of his death. July 4.
| Harrison administration.
He was Names grand old man" for
! years, and when the quality OF his public
y.
| Votlon 10 principle, his simple life his high
| attachments, his model citizenship are con-
sidered. no State ever had a grander. His
| grandson, Charles L. Hamlin, who Is the
| author of this deeply interesting book, saws
| In his preface that the chief feature of
| Hannibal Hamlin'S career is his anti-sIay-
| cry record. To one who recalls the name
| or Hannibal Hamlin of his earliest
| recollections this Characterization is made
| quate. Hannibal Hamlin's wisdom as a
| statesman, his high courage. his unyielding
| integrity as q man, his boundless sympathy
| and his transformations but fervid patriotism
| nave won for his name a place in the front
| rank OF those who have served the coun-
! try with honor and I'm usefulness
| This book shows painstaking and intel
| ngent preparation on every page worthy Of
| the man and his times. II Is printed in the
| best style of the Riverside Press of Boston
and Is sold by subscription, concernin;,
| which information may be obtained by adj
| dressing Charles T.. Hamlin. Bangor Me
| 1t Is a book which all those seeking =
| better understanding of the political events
or the country from 1870 to 1881 should read
Letters of Robert Browning and EIiz-
! 0beth barrett.
The correspondence which fills two vol
umes Of 800 pages each under the above title
was remarkable one in many respects.
The writers are both famous in literature.
| the letters disclose the origin and progress
| Of the love fyyppf1 fbpy,1 xubfab