Smyrna times., 1904-02-03

him and of his distinguished father in
law James A. Bayard, the elder, was
preached by Rev. Ezekiel Cooper, who
at that time ranked as the most elo
quent and forcible preacher of his day.
Twenty years or more after Richard
Bassett had broken bread under
Thomas Whites roof and been intro
duced to Francis Asbury, he remem-
bered his good friend of early days
and appointed his son Samuel White
to the vacancy IN the United States
Senate. On January 11th, 1903, at
the regular session of the General
Assembly, Samuel White was elected
for the full term of Senator beginning
March 4th, 1903. He was placed in
nomination by Outerbridge Horsey,
a representative from Sussex county,
and was elected over George Read
Junr, Ga son of the signer of the Dec
laration) by a vote of 20 to 8. He
served the full term, and on January
11th, 1909, was reelected for second
term. At this election he was placed
in nomination by Henry NJ. Ridgely,
representative from Kent county,
and received II votes to 10 cast for
Andrew Gray, the grandfather of our
present Judge George Gray, who
was a manufacturer in Mill Greek hun
dred. At the time of his election he
had barely reached the constitutional
age of senator, and was one of the
youngest members ever elected to that
body. 1t is a remarkable fact that
both men who placed Samuel White
in nomination for Senator afterwards
became members of that body. Out
erbridge Horsey was elected as the
successor of Senator White on the lat
ter's death in 1909, and Henry NJ.
Ridgely was elected United States
Senator in 1927.
Samuel White 10 the United States Senate.
Samuel White had as his colleague
in the Senate, for one year, William
Hill Wells, of Sussex county, and af-
terwards James A. Bayard, the elder.
The proceedings of the Senate show
that Samuel White was not a silent
member. Soon after his admission
he made vigorous speech in opposi.
ton to the Louisiana Purchase, and
placed himself decidedly against the
doctrine of expansion. Nothing in the
way of records remain to indicate how
active or prominent he became as a
lawyer. The first reported cases O.
Delaware decisions begin twenty
years and more after his death.
While still member of the United
States Senate he died on the fourtI
day of November, 1909, at Whining
ton. His remains were inferred at til,
Old Swedes' graveyard, Wilmington
Liberated All His Slaves By Will.
Judge White by his will which wa
probated at Dover, March 7th, 1895
provided for the Liberation of all his
slaves using the following languag,
therein: 81 think it wrong and op.
pressive and not doing as 1 would be
done by, to keep negroes in bondage
or perpetual slavery. 1 therefore
hereby mauumit and set free thos,
that are or have been in bondage t.
me-" He then mentions the names o
twenty-one slaves. Samuel White
the son, seemed imbued with the same
idea, as the records at Dover disclos,
four separate deeds of manumissiol
from Samuel White to slaves owned
by him, between 1899 and 1904.
These fragments of history that re
main after the lapse of a century, jus
tify the conclusion that both fathe
and son were true sons of Delaware
and that in their day and generation
they merited the recognition and hon
ors that fell to them.