Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 7.djvu/386

 34-S THE GRANITE MONTHLY.

upon his personal appearance, and slray auditors from the Democratic

would describe himself as a •' rough fold found their way to the side of the

hewn lilock from the Granite State." field where Wilson was speaking.

His friends spoke of him familiarly as Tney returned with a glowing account

" Long Jim," •' Gen. Jim," &c. of his eloquence. One by one the

He had all the qualifications of a Democrats went to the other side of

first-class orator. He was a logical the field to hear the famous Whig

thinker, and arranged tlie subjects of orator, till finally not a listener was

his thought methodically. He was left for the Democratic speakers, well read in history and the Bible, and The Whigs were victorious, but

was ready with a good illustration to Gen. Harrison enjoyed his victory

enforce his points. He was a capital only a single month. Mr. Tyler, who

story teller, and knew just when and succeeded to the presidency, offered

v>?here to tell one. He could laugh to Gen. Wilson the office of surveyor-

or cry at will, and could produce general of public lands in the then ter-

either effect upon his auditors at pleas- litories of Wisconsin and Iowa, which

ure. Nor was this done wholly for office he accepted and took possession

effect. He was a sincere man. He of the surveyor-general's office, at

had fine feelings and instincts and Dubuque, la. He was removed by

was remarkably humane; and, when- President Polk, in 1845. ever he spoke, he was tremendously in It^ 1846, the voters of Keene again

earnest. He was no hypocrite. His returned Gen. Wilson to the general

political principles were based on court. About that time the " Inde-

study, reflection, and sound arguments, pendent Democrats," uniting with the

He had a powerful voice and could be old line Whigs, defeated the regular

distinctly heard for many yards in an Democrats, and Gen.; Wilson was

open field. He had a marvellous elected to the Thirtieth Congress from

command of language and an inex- the third New Hampshire District,

haustible fund of wit. He was a He was re-elected to the Thirty- First

keen, shrewd observer and a good Congress, but resigned his seat Sept.

reader of human nature; hence he 9> 1850.

knew how to adapt himself to his While in congress, he was busily

audience. Possessing all of these employed with the proper duties of

manifold qualifications of a first-class l^'s office. He made several speeches,

orator, it is no wonder that he gained one of which, on the condition of the

a hearing in the famous canvass of country, in which he openly and freely

1840. Men of every shade of politi- expressed his views against the institu-

cal opinion flocked to hear him. A tion of slavery, made a profound

curious anecdote of the time is pre- sensation in the house of representa-

served. One day he was making a tives at the time of the delivery, and

stump speech in some place, and, in is still an eloquent composition, as one

another part of the same field, some r^^<^s it in the Congressional Globe. distance away, some one was address- In Washington, Gen. Wilson was a

ing a Democratic assemblage. Some great favorite in society, and a popu-

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