History of Irvington, (Delaware County) Indiana United States of America

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George Washington Julian, representative, was born near Centerville, Ind., May 5, 1817; son of Isaac and Rebecca (Hoover) Julian; grandson of Isaac and Sarah (Long) Julian, and a descendant of R?n? St. Julian, a native of Paris, France, who came to America near the close of the seventeenth century, and settled on the eastern shore of Maryland. His parents, who were Quakers, early in the century went from North Carolina to Indiana Territory, where his father died, Dec. 12, 1823. He attended the districtschools of Centerville; taught school for three years; was admitted to the bar in 1840, and practised in Centerville. He was a Whig representative in the state legislature in 1845, but soon after, becoming an abolitionist, he severed his party relations and became one of the founders of the Free-Soil party. He was a delegate to the Buffalo national convention of 1848; represented Indiana in the 31st congress, 1849-51, and was the candidate of the Free Democrat party for Vice-President in 1852, with John P. Hale for President, the ticket receiving 156,149 popular votes. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention, June 17, 1856, at Philadelphia, the first national convention of the Republican party; was a Republican representative in the 37th, 38th, 39th, 40th and 41st congresses, 1861-71, and served on the committee on the conduct of the war, on the special committee to prepare articles of impeachment against President Johnson, and on the joint committee on reconstruction. He proposed a constitutional amendment in 1868, forbidding the denial of the ballot to any citizen on account of race, sex or color. He joined the Liberal Republicans in 1872, supporting Horace Greeley for President, and thereafter occupied the position of an Independent in politics. He was a champion of the homestead bill and of the preservation of the public lands for the people. He was surveyor-general of New Mexico, 1885-89, appointed by President Cleveland. He was married to Laura, daughter of Joshua R. Giddings, the abolitionist. He is the author of: Speeches on Political Questions (1872); Political Recollections (1884); Later Speeches (1889); Life of Joshua R. Giddings (1892). He died at Irvington, Ind., July 7, 1899.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Irvington, (Delaware County) Indiana

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