tened by himself, and packed up in the cellar previous to his leaving for Washington in the fall."

In addition to what we have quoted from Mr. Johnson, of the evidence afforded by Mr. Wright of his disposition to support the religious institutions in the neighborhood of Canton, we can state, on the authority of Mr. Moody, that Mr. W. and another gentleman whose name Mr. Moody has (accidentally) neglected to mention, having purchased a lot of land on the south side of the village of Canton, gratuitously conveyed four acres of it to the Presbyterian society, upon one acre of which they directed a church and parsonage-house to be erected, and the remaining three acres to remain a public square.

Mr. Moody has had the kindness to furnish us with many other anecdotes relating to the habits of Mr. Wright, and his avocations and employment while at home,—all tending to prove the benevolence of his nature, and the deep interest he took in the prosperity of the village, and the welfare of its inhabitants,- -a few of which we cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of presenting to the reader.

"After," says Mr. Moody, "the legislature had passed. a law directing the county buildings to be located in a more central part of the county, and the commissioners had located them at Canton, the inhabitants of other sections of the county boasted that Canton had no materials for the buildings, and that before they could procure them the legislature would assemble and change the law directing a central location. Having ascertained how the matter stood in regard to materials, &c., Mr. Wright called a meeting of the inhabitants of the town, and after having stated the case, he made an urgent appeal to them to make an effort to help the matter forward, and closed his remarks by saying, 'I will go to the Stone

Ledge to-morrow morning with a spade, shovel, crowbar, and pickaxe, and will work there until there is not a doubt left as to the ability of Canton to furnish the materials necessary for these buildings: who will go with me?' The meeting unanimously responded, 'We will all go.' The next morning he led the way to the ledge, followed by his neighbors, and was the first man to break ground in clearing the earth away from the quarry. On the first day there was quarried and delivered upon the site selected for the buildings, six miles distant from the ledge, in the village of Canton, twenty wagon loads of stone, on the second day eighty loads, and on the third day one hundred and twenty loads. Other materials were procured with like dispatch, and very soon those who had doubted the ability of the inhabitants of Canton to furnish them, admitted that they had nothing to hope from that quarter.

Mr. Wright labored in that quarry, and assisted in loading the teams for twenty-one successive days; and when the building commissioner called upon him for an account of his work, he declined receiving any pay for his services.

In his law business he never charged or would receive pay for advice, and has discouraged hundreds of men who wanted to commence suits against their neighbors for some petty trespass, by advising them to settle the matter in dispute, and not disturb the neighborhood with a trifling quarrel; and while he was a magistrate his court was emphatically a court of 'conciliation.'

"At the time of leaving for Washington, after his first election to Congress, he made a thorough examination of all his notes and accounts, and found about $600 in small amounts against the different individuals for whom he had done business. He said to a friend who was present

at the time, 'Here are notes and accounts against different individuals varying from $1 to $5, to the amount of $600. Now, these men have done more for me than I have for them, and they must be relieved from these little debts,' and without waiting for his friend to make any suggestion as to what was the best mode of relief for them, he opened the stove door and reduced the package to ashes.

He was very kind and attentive to the sick, frequently walking miles from the village to watch by their bedsides; and there is scarcely an old resident now living in this town, but will relate, with tears in his eyes, instances of his kindness to them in their sick hours."

We shall give one other anecdote of Mr. Wright, not because there is any thing very remarkable in the story, but because we think the course pursued by him towards his associates forcibly illustrates the principles by which he was afterwards governed in his treatment of his political friends, who were laboring with him and in the same

cause.

Mr. Wright's favorite amusements were hunting and fishing, and he rarely returned from those expeditions, which sometimes lasted several days, without a goodly number of trophies. He was capable of enduring much hardship, deprivation, and fatigue while in the woods. Upon one occasion, while making a trip to the "South woods," as they are called,-an extensive wilderness in the south part of the county of St. Lawrence, he, in company with several other hunters, was out about ten days; and as each one was obliged to carry a large pack, he would make an examination every morning of each man's pack, and arrange them so that his own would be the largest and the heaviest. Many persons now living

can testify that in his subsequent political and legislative labors, in the division of that labor between him and his associates, he always took the most onerous burden on himself. His pack was always largest and heaviest.

We are aware that to some readers many of the anecdotes we have related may appear trifling and frivolous; but in our judgment the true character of an individual is best developed by his conduct in the ordinary concerns of life. The actions then performed, and the words spoken, are unpremeditated-the result of the natural impulses and emotions of the heart.

CHAPTER III.

Commencement of Mr. Wright's Political Life-His Nomination and Election to the Senate of New York from the Fourth Senatorial District-His action on the Bill providing for the Election of Presidential Electors by the People-His attachment to the Democratic Party— H. Seymour's Opinion of Mr. Wright-Governor Yates and Colonel Young-Mr. Wright supports the renomination of Mr. Yates for Governor-De Witt Clinton's Removal from the Office of Caual Commissioner-Attempt to elect a Senator of the United States-Electoral Law of 1825-Its Repeal in 1828-Reflections thereon-Numerous Applications for Bank Charters in the year 1826-Mr. Wright's Action upon those Applications.

HAVING in the preceding chapter endeavored to acquaint the reader with the domestic habits of Governor Wright, and in doing so alluded to several incidents which occurred after he entered into public life, and in advance of our narrative; we now resume it in the autumn of the year 1823, when he was nominated and elected to the senate of this state, and when his political life may be said to have commenced.

He had not at that time, as we are informed by an intelligent correspondent from St. Lawrence county, participated much in the party contests of the county. He was therefore little known, even in his own county, as a politician. It was, however, generally understood that he was moderately opposed to Mr. Clinton, and therefore he was considered as belonging to the Bucktail party.

At the general election in April, 1821, we think a majority of the people of the county of St. Lawrence were