Great honor is due any man who rises from the shoe-maker's bench to be
Vice-President of the United States. Such a man was Henry Wilson, who
was born at Farmington, New Hampshire, February 16th, 1812. When yet a
mere child he was apprenticed to a farmer, whom he was to serve until of
age. Eleven long years did he serve this man, receiving only about one
year's schooling during that time, but he borrowed books and read
nearly one thousand volumes during the "wee sma' hours" of his
apprenticeship. Upon obtaining his majority he started on foot for
Natick, Massachusetts, and entered the town with all his worldly
possessions in a bundle. Obtaining employment as a shoemaker he was thus
occupied for the next two years. His course of reading, so faithfully
followed, had made him proficient in history, but thirsting for
additional knowledge he decided to attend school with the money he had
saved. About this time he went to Washington, when the sight of slaves
bought and sold excited his sympathy, and he decided to forever oppose
with all his might the institution of bondage, which he always did, no
matter how found. Upon his return he found his earnings swept away by
the failure of the man to whom he had intrusted them. Accordingly he
resumed the shoe business, but his light was beginning to be seen. He
was invited to partake in the anti-slavery meetings, then so frequent in
Massachusetts, and actively engaged in the campaign in which Harrison
was elected President, making over sixty speeches.
In 1843 he was elected to the State Senate. Also manufactured shoes on
an extended scale for the southern market. The old Whig party, with whom
he had been so earnestly allied, proving itself unable to cope with the
slave power, by rejecting the anti-slavery resolutions at the convention
of 1843, he withdrew from it. Later, he was a conspicuous figure in the
organization of the new Free Soil party, being the Chairman of the
committee in his State, and editor of the _Boston Republican_. In
1850-52 he was president of the State Senate, and in '52 presided at the
Free Soil contention at Pittsburgh. The next year he was the Free Soil
candidate for Governor of Massachusetts, but was defeated. In 1855 he
was chosen United States Senator, where he distinguished himself. When
his colleague, Mr. Sumner, was attacked by Preston S. Brooks, Mr. Wilson
fearlessly denounced it as a cowardly, not to say dastardly assault. He
was immediately challenged by Mr. Brooks, but declined on the ground
that dueling is a barbarous custom which the law of the country has
branded as a crime. He was one of the leaders in the new Republican
party movement.
During the civil war his labors were indefatigable for the Union, and in
1872 he was elected on that ticket with Grant by an overwhelming
majority.
He died in office, November 22nd, 1875, and the boy shoemaker was
mourned by a great nation. Truly, the price of success is patient toil.