Appletons' cyclopædia of American biography . d until 1839, when he was elected to con-gress, Uikwij: his scat. 2 Dec, 1839, and at oncejoining Messrs. Clay, Webster, and Calhoun in theirefforts to stem tie- tide of what they held to be thedangerous encroachments of the executive. was an original Whig, and remained suchuntil the party ceased to exist. His first speech,which attracted universal attention, was in favor ofthe reception of petitions praying for the abolitionavery. Although himself a large slave-holder,and maintaining that the Federal government hadno right to interfere w
Appletons' cyclopædia of American biography . d until 1839, when he was elected to con-gress, Uikwij: his scat. 2 Dec, 1839, and at oncejoining Messrs. Clay, Webster, and Calhoun in theirefforts to stem tie- tide of what they held to be thedangerous encroachments of the executive. was an original Whig, and remained suchuntil the party ceased to exist. His first speech,which attracted universal attention, was in favor ofthe reception of petitions praying for the abolitionavery. Although himself a large slave-holder,and maintaining that the Federal government hadno right to interfere with slavery in individualstates, he urged that the petitions, although ask-ing what fouId not be constitutionally granted,should nevertheless be received and second speech, on the bill to secure freedomof elections and restrict executive patronage, wasone of the ablesl of that congress, and became aneffective campaign document in the presidentialof 1840. Mr. Gentry was re-elected tothe 27th, known as the Whig congress, but, on. account of the death of his first wife, refused tobe a candidate for election to the 28th. He was,however, returned to the 29th, and was also electedto the 30th, 31st, and 32d. Mr. Gentrys first speech,after his return to congress in December, 1845,was in reply to the charge of President Polk thatthe Whigs were giving aid and comfort to the ene-my through their opposition to the Mexican Gentry, in behalf of himself and his politicalfriends, indignantly repelled the aspersions of thepresident. As a result of the speech, a resolutionwas introduced by the Whigs declaring that, whilepatriotism required that the armies should be sus-tained, yet the war should be waged only for thepurpose of obtaining an honorable peace, and notwith any view to conquest. On leaving congressMr. Gentry retired to his plantation in Tennessee,and after the election of Mr. Lincoln became asecessionist. He was elected to the Confederatecongress in 1862, and a
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