The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-16

teded to colonize this new empire
New England Yankees. His
speeches on Central American colonial
ton, on the Suicide of slavery" and
on the Admission of Oregon brought
him great fame. Against the caucus
decision of his own party he secured
the admission of Oregon into the un-
ion, and in this act though in opposi-
| ton to partisan dictation, he was sus-
| tanned by leading republican organs
| Throughout the country although he re-
ceived some censure in his own dis
| trict
Soon after these speeches his politi-
cal enemies in the district began to or
ganize against him, but his popularity
was not to be overcome and he was
returned with a flatetring endorse
ment. During his second term in con-
gress he was instrumental in the ad-
mission of Oregon as a state to state
| hood. The republicans were Of the
opinion that the admission Of Oregon
into the union would mean heavier
democratic representation. Mr.. Thay-
er, however, argued that the best way
to make Oregon republican state
, would be to admit it into the union.
succeeding events proved that ms
view of the matter was correct, but at
the time the republicans in the mouse
| opposed the admission.
Mr.. Thayer, during the discussion OF
the bill, went to Alexander H. Stephens
then chairmen of the committee on ter
ritories, of the house, and told him that
he should work for the passage or the
bill and it was to his everlasting credlt
that Oregon was admitted to the un-
ion by a majority of eleven votes, OF
which fourteen had been won over py
the untiring efforts of Mr.. Thayer.
| He was assailed at home for his stand
! in this matter as his constituents con-
sdered that he had voted for a mea-
sure which provided for the admission
| of a state whose constitution excluded
the negro from all political rights. AS
a direct result of his stand in this mat
| ter, the district failed to send him as a
| delegate to the national convention II
| 1860, which placed in nomination Abra-
! ham Lincoln for the presidency
Together with Horace Greeley, how
ever, he was a member of the conVen-
| ton, representing Oregon, the state for
/ whose admission he had so earnestly
| worked, and whose people appreciated
his services in its behalf. He worked
| with Greeley for the nomination of Lin
| coin in a convention which was replete
with startling incidents, not the leasl
] of which was the motion of Joshua X
| Giddings, aiming at the admission OF
! clause in the platform providing tha'
/ all men are free and equal.
! On account of this outspoken stanG
/ in several important measures, it was
! apparent to Mr.. Thayer that he would
/ fail of a denomination, and in the
| spring of 1860 he announced himself as
an independent republican candidate
! AS the campaign developed, candidate
4 in opposition to Mr.. Thayer was fOunC
in the person of Goldsmith F. Bailey Of
| Fitchburg, but no speaker in the state
could be found who was willing to meet
| the arguments on important questions
| advanced by Mr.. Thayer. Such men as
| Henry Wilson and Charles Sumner
refused to meet him on the stump II
| joint debate, and he was obliged to fight
1t out alone. The result was that he
was defeated by a very small majority
| So great was his popularity through
out the country, during his second
term, that he was prominently spoken
of as a possible senator from Massa-
chusetts.
Bailey, who defeated him for con-
gress, was in advanced stages of con-
sumption when he was nominated, and
was unable to take the stump against
Mr.. Thayer The voters of Worcester
at last became so vigorous in their de-
mands to see the candidate that tC
quiet them, a meeting was arranged al
which he was to be presented to them
from the platform. When Bailey ar
rived in the city he was such a haggard
and CHASTITY spectacle that it was
feared by the party managers that il
| seen by the voters as he was, it would
make votes for ThaYer.
It is maintained by those who seem tC
know, that Bailey was taken into George
r. Spears drug store before the meet
ing. There his face was painted anG
touched up with cosmetics until he
looked like thing of life instead of a
| spectre. He sat in congress but one
day, and then returned to his home and
| died.
In 1856 he originated a southern col
onization scheme, which had for its OBJ
| ject the settling Of Virginia, North
] Carolina, Kentucky and the border