The Irish standard., 1905-07-22

~ DiaSh. 14dlei he returned TO Smell
byville and opened law office, and
ultimately became successful prac.
tltioner and one of the leaders of the
Indiana bar. In 1SAS he was elected a
member of the state legislature, and
the following year he was member
OF the convention called to frame a
new constitution for the state, In this
body he distinguished himself, and
gave promise of his future eminence,
In 1850 Hendricks then 81 years of
age, was elected to Congress, and he
was reelected two years later. The
Whig party was just dead, and the
know-nothing party was just begin
| ming to make mischief in New Eng
land. 1T was thought that the COM
promise of 1850 had settled the slav-
| cry question for all time, but it was
question that would not stay COM
pOsed-never was there fairer game
for the fanatic or the demagogue. 1t
was a case of politics, of conscience,
OF religion, Of property and of polity.
1t was moral and a physical impossi-
bility to settle 1t permanently in any
other way than it was settled-on the
field of battle.
| When Stephen A. Douglas became
an issue in the Democratic party Hen
bricks became his follower, parting
company with Jesse ID. Bright, who
was for Is years the leader of the
Democratic party of Indiana. In 1854
Hendricks was defeated for Congress
by know-nothing, that craze having
reached the Mississippi Valley by this
time. After his defeat he was ap-
pointed Commissioner of the General
Land Office, and he was holding that
Office when the Republican party was
born. He was bitterly disappointed
when the Supreme Court rendered the
bred Scott decision, but, unlike Nor
ten, who left the Democratic party
because of the passage of the Kansas.
Nebraska bill, he clung to the faith
of his youth, and lived and died a
Democrat In 1860 he was the Douglas
candidate for Governor, David Turpie
being on the ticket as the candidate
for Lieutenant Governor. The Re-
publican ticket was Henry S. Lane
and Oliver P. Morton. The Democracy
was divided, and Lane and Morton
were elected.
In 1862 Indiana went Democratic,
and the legislature that year chosen
elected Thomas A. Hendricks to seat
in the United States Senate, which
body he entered in 1863. He found
very few colleagues there of his faith.
There were two old Whigs-Reverdy
johnson and Garrett Davis-and
neither was, as yet, exactly Demo-
crat. Both were men of commanding
talents, and Johnson was the best
lawyer in the Senate, the ablest jurist.
1t was about this time that Davis be-
gan to oppose the policy of the Lin.
coin administration, and what he
lacked In voice he made up in invec-
! tive. He was an accomplished man,
AMI his scholarship, or, rather, his
learning, was scarce second to Sum-
| ner's. Buckalew was a Democrat
| from Pennsylvania, and he and Hen
| bricks served four years together. Nc.
Dougall, Of California, was elected as
a Democrat, and was the most bril-
| liant man in the Senate, but his dissi-
pated habits destroyed his influence.
Millard Salisbury was from Delaware,
and gentleman of the name of Rid
die was his colleague. Lazarus w.
Powell, very able and pure man, was
I the colleague Of Garrett Davis, but he
! was looked on as a Southern sympa-
thizer, and was barely tolerated.
James R. Doolittle was from Wiscon-
| sin. He was Republican, but when
the Radicals got complete control of
his party he opposed the reconstruc-
! tion acts, and subsequently Joined the
Democratic party. He was man of
very great ability and one of the great
| lawyers Of the Senate.
1t was among these men Thomas A.