The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-10

legislature OF Alabama he destroyed all
chance Of political preferment by refus.
Ing to pledge himself to the support OF
Andrew jackson. then at the height Of
his popularity, while bad management Of
his plantation soon reduced him to f1nan-
cial straits nfid compelled him to resume
the active practice OF the law. which had
been Interrupted by his political labors.
two years, whet, he was Mayor of Hunts"
vile. but refused TO accept a salary for
his services. ss5.ss
Birncy's career as an anti.slavery or
ganizer and agitator began COON after
his retirement from that post. He seems
to have been early persuaded OF the for.
rors OF tho slavery system. and In 1888
returning to Kentucky. he began the cru.
SADIE against II which ended only with Ills
death He freed his own slaves II, = 1884,
organized tho Kentucky Anti \ Slavery So
ciety II, the same year. and in 1886. fnd-
Ing It impossible to 4 obtain In \ lucky
n publisher for the anti slavery paper
he proposed .to iss,ie ne removed TO 70, en-
Gcinnati. and there started the Pnilan-
ltrophist But even In Cincinnati his OK
istence was stormy one. his press be-
ing repeatedly destroyed by mobs. New
Hertholcss, he mnde his paper n power
among, thinking people and soon Ills SER.
vices 10 the cause became 30 valuable
that In 1897 he was chosen, secretary Of
tile American Anti Slavery Society. He
then removed to New York. and became
so conspicuous In that organization that
In 1910 and again in 1874 he obtained the
unanimous nomination Of the Liberty
party for President.
Caused Defeat Of Clay.
Though. Blrney received only I 900 votes
4 In 1910 and 81, 900 In 1874, his candidacy
lin the latter year decided the result OF
the election. In 1874 Clay, then at the
Sfoodetide OF his popularity, was the can
3didate of the Yhlgs. and Polk the nomi-5
nee OF the Democrats. The annexation Of
Texas. to whichith the Democracy was conl-s
mitted y was the dominant issue OF the.
$hoir.SsThe WING platform was silent
upon the subject, but subsequently Clay
wrote his so-called clghRletter In;
which he announced his opposition to an =
$ncxation: then. alarmed by the dssatis-
faction. OF his friends in the South, he.
wrote again, this time the Alabama"
letter, In awhich8he temporizcd with the
burning question. He could not have
contributed more effectively TO his own.
trndoing. His vnclllatins course failed to
relnstatc him in Southern ia vor, and "a t;
cost him much Of his Northern support,
Birncy's popula vote Of 81. 900 was SUI SUI Y
$fcicnt to turn New York and Michigan
from the Wings aud to give Polk a ma
jorlty OF sixty-hve In the Electoral Col
Alcgc. Thus Birney's candidacy In 1914 put
an end, to Glay's lifelong ambition to
reach the presidency, made possible the
4 entrance Of Texas into the Union as a
slavea State. and vitality and profoundly
influenced the entire subsequent history!
OF the country Birney's career a tier 1874
was an nncvcntfnl one. for In 1845 a fall
from a horse disabled him physically and
compelled him TO withdraw from all ac-!
tive participation In politics. The home
OF his last days was In Perth Amboy, n.
81, where he died in 4 57, just four years
before the beginning OF the armed con-
test precipltated by the champions OF