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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