Year: 1875




division OF the military establishment These
bihs became laws In order to make enlisting
popular be introduced bill for prohibiting logging


IA the army, and also one for increasing the pay pr


Yates His measures numerous and they usually


became laws After the close OF the special session OF


iooi Senera Scott declared that Senator Wilson had


aohe more work than all the charmen OF military com


nltees mad done for twenty years His work very


greatly aided by his knowledge or mta affairs gained


as orgadier general in Massachusetts, General


scout wished that Senator Wilson should become gen


vla o Vounteersi but after consideration be-


S esu 'nae ne could better his country at the
neaa OF nus committee This was not wholly Mr. viii


s sons judgment and u with great effort that


Messrs' seward, Chase and Cameron induced him not
~ ~ io'naIh colonel on McClelans stan He salts
hed hlinseli with raising a regiment OF 2 200


nen ,nn Due ~ was generally understood that Senator
wilson Woulu mol make good military commander.


and ne was gwen an accomplished military officer "A


commander OF his regiment in his absence with tho


dea lhat his absence should always proonped His


regiment was presented with 4 flag by Robert & W,n


throp at Boston, and with another by James n Brady


at New York and banquet was given 10 him al Inc


same time ne was only popular politician In repi-
menala The Secretary OF War Knowing how vn1n


able ne was al the head OF his committee Induced him
10 resign the Coonecy The greater work falling to him
began. When Secretary of War Cameron resigned
he said to Senator Wilson, mo man. in my opinion


in the whole country has done more TO
aid the War Department in preparing the
mighty army now under arms than Yourself and Be-
fore leaving this city think II my duty offer TO you
my sincere thanks as its late head. AS chairman Of
the Military Committee OF the Senate your services
were invaluable At the first call for troops you came
here, and TO the meeting of Congress- a period OF
than six months, your labors were incessant /:
sometimes ia encouraging the administration by
surances of support from Congress- by encouraging
volunteering in your own State by raising regiment
yourself when other began TO fear that compulsory
drafts might be necessary; and in the Senate,
by preparing the bills and assisting TO get
the necessary appropriations for clothing, organz-
ing, arming and supplying the army, you have
been constantly and probably employed in the great
cause OF putting down this unnatural rebellion Sena
tor Wilson's ende9vors not merely devoted to tho
organization OF the army; they frequently direct
ed to the humanitarian side OF the conflict lie gave
ms postal frank 10 SOdierg he provided for


ums and hospitals; he gave his energies behalf of
freedmens savings banks and OF widows OF colored sol
ders No man did so much for the coored troops


When the war was over Senator Wilson's legislative
labors did not cease, his efforts politician
delayed by his abors IN the Senate When the results
OF the war considered as great
partisan triumph Mr. Wilson lost no time either
on lne stump or IN the midst OF political councils in
asserting that he was proud to be a member Of the
republican party He used the word proud" on every
occasion. When he spoke Of Grants victories he raised
ms voice 70 say that he was proud TO belong 10 the
number of those who in favor Of liberty and
union; and when he spoke Of the maryrcd Lincoln he
added, 81 too member OF that party which
itself by justice and humanity y He boldly


favored the policy OF President Johnson but he repre-
hended the idea that there would be any contest
between johnson and Congress- He placed great reli-
ance upon political power a result Of political num-
bers. His argument was, ave too strong TO be
beatcnn Still he had the moral strength claim that
the black man should reap the benefits naturally
ing to him from victorious and victorious party
" was through him that the ranks OF general and ad
mra were created But more than to anything else he
gave his attention TO the of reconstruction
To the last he was an anti-savery He had seen Will
lams prison pen 1888 and in 1862 he had introduced
the bill for abolishing slavery District OF Column
ba He gave himself also to the duty of assuring po
teal equality to the colored race In the army he had
sought to defeat distinctions against negroes soldiers
and he wished that there should be no distinctions
against them as political citizens. He Of the
originators of the Frcedmans Bureau In the plans
for reconstruction he aboed hard to negro
frage.


In 1868 Mr.. Wilson prominent candidate for the
Vice Presidency on the ticket with General Grant
Mr. Colfax received the nomination He did not how
ever relax his energies Senator. He wanted to
make negro IN all respects equal to white in
the United States But a trained politician he was
never tired of expressing the belief that great sacrifices
had been made by republican leaders to accomplish the
results OF war and legislation. He fond of talking
about his unpopuIarty at time when he knew lie was
popular.


As late as 1869 he advocated the stringent measures
OF martial law in States like Georgia where il was
claimed that outragos republicans had occurred
During the debates on reconstruction he
stanty moved amendments which provided that none
of the States then lately in rebellion should reassume
legislative functions until they had provided Tor equal
citizenship OF the black. On occasion he broke
through the trammes OF party by declaring in the
Senate that General Thomas tho grandest hero of
the war; but there we're people who knew Henry Will
well enough to say that he would not have made
this declaration If Thomas had been powerful as other
generals then in political affairs When the Amnesty
bill before the Senate he gave it his support not on
the ground of justice or of equality, but of
charity and policy He thought that justice demanded
a penalty.


At the Republican Convention held in Philadelphia
June D. 1872, Senator Wilson received 364s votes for
schuyler COllaX,
and was declared nominated. His election followed
From that time his life active legislator almost
entirely ceased His health not good; he was fre-
quenty prostrated and his place presiding officer OF
the Senate supplied by Presidents pro tenn He was
active however in political life Wherever he went he
promulgated his political principles which differed from
those Of the President He not in friendly accord
with the administration, which constantly snubbed |
him in regard to public affairs. But he kept himself
before the country in letters and in interviews and
through the medium of his books


His works were:-''Hstory of the AntiSlavery
Measures of the Thirty seventh and Thirty-eghth /
United States Congresses, 1860 to 1864 - MILITARY /
Measures OF the United States Congress-" "Testi-
monals of American Statesmen and Jursts to the
Truths Of Christianity History of the Reconsruc-
lion Measures of tho Thirty ninth and Fortieth Con.
yresses, 1S65-S;' "A History Of the Rise and Fall of
Slavery in the United States and "History OF the
Part which Congress Played in the War Suppress the
Rebellion


In 1906 at a revival meeting at Natick Senator Will
ION converted He became very prominent re-
igious man, and thereafter never tired of pro.
claiming that he converted to the service OF tho
ord