Anecdotes of public men; by John W. Forney.

WILLIAM WILKINS. 87
XX.
No Pennsylvania statesman is more kindly remembered than
William Wilkins, who was born at Carlisle, Pa., December 20,
1779, and died at Homewood, near Pittsburgh, June 23, I865,
in the 86th year of his age. His career may be said to have
been unusually fortunate and distinguished; and when called
away he was sincerely mourned by a community in which he
had lived a long period, and taken an active part in public affairs. A Senator in Congress from I831 to I834, successor to
James Buchanan at the Court of St. Petersburg, Representative in Congress from 1843 to i844, Secretary of War under
John Tyler from 1844 to 1845, member of the State Senate in
I857, and intermediately a successful practitioner of the law
and judge in the higher courts of his district, he filled all these
diversified stations with signal dignity and tact. His family
was closely identified with the Government in its political, judicial, military, and naval service-many of his connections to
this day holding high and responsible positions. Reared to
the habits and manners of good society, and well educated, he
was one of the most agreeable of men; and yet, while mingling
much in fashionable life, he had confessedly few of its vices. I
have seen him many an evening, when jollity, wit, and humor
ruled the hour, yet he never touched a glass of wine, and was
the chief attraction, by his endless flow of spirits and his peculiar magnetic amiability. When I was the Democratic candidate for United States Senator, in 1857, before the Legislature
of Pennsylvania, of which Mr. Wilkins was a member, I felt
that we should have exchanged places, and that the post for
which I was selected ought to have been tendered to him, and
called upon him to make the suggestion. His answer was
characteristic: " Ah, my young fiiend, I have seen the elephant,
and it is quite time that you should have an opportunity of