solicitous had Mr. Bigler become for a settlement of this vexed question, that, in 1857, he travelled over the greater part of Kansas, urging the friends of a free State to unite in the election of delegates to a convention for framing a State Constitution, and secure a majority of members favorable to their views; but they held themselves aloof, and he maintained that they had thereby authorized those who did vote to act for them, and were bound by the result. That he acted from pure motives there can be no doubt, though his course was not vindicated by subsequent events.

When, after the election of Mr. Lincoln, it became apparent that secession would be attempted, Mr. Bigler was untiring in his efforts to secure an amicable adjustment of the national troubles. He acted with Mr. Crittenden in his efforts to secure a compromise, and held that the people of the Southern States could have no reasonable plea for resorting to violence until they had first exhausted all peaceful means for the adjustment of their grievances. In the course of an elaborate speech upon the subject in the Senate, in February, 1861, he said: "As for secession, I am utterly against it. I deny the right, and I abhor the consequences; but I shall indulge in no argument on that point. It is no remedy for any one of the evils lamented, and in my judgment it will aggravate rather than remove them, and, in addition, superinduce others of a more distressing and destructive character."

He was a member of the committee of thirteen, to which was referred the famous compromise propositions of Mr. Crittenden, and throughout sustained their adoption. He also presented and advocated a bill providing for submitting the Crittenden resolutions to a vote of the people of the several States, which was rejected, but which has since been regarded by sagacious men as a remedy which would have utterly crushed secession. He was a member of the Charleston Convention of 1860, where he took decided ground against the nomination of Judge Douglas. He was temporary chairman of the Democratic convention of 1864, and voted for the nomination of General George B. McClellan.

He was also nominated in the same year for Congress, and though defeated received more than his party vote. He was again a delegate to the Democratic convention of 1868, which met in New York.

He is at present living in retirement at Clearfield, though he has the nomination for delegate to the convention which is to meet for the revision of the State Constitution, and will doubtless be elected. For many years he has given his time and energies and much of his means to the extension of a railroad to Clearfield, and to the erection of a beautiful stone church for the first Presbyterian congregation of that place, of which body he became a member some years ago. Mr. Bigler's career has been uniformly marked by great energy and steadiness of purpose. Whatever his hands found to do he did it with his might. Ceaseless devotion to a public trust is a characteristic that has been accorded to him by men of all parties, as well as the possession of superior grasp of mind and benevolence of heart.

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