“ Go to heaven for the climate and hell for the company. “
Quotes by Benjamin Franklin Wade
Introducing Benjamin Franklin Wade
Benjamin Franklin Wade, commonly known as "Bluff Ben," was a significant American political figure in the 19th century. Born on October 27, 1800, in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts, he rose from humble beginnings to become a prominent lawyer and politician. Serving as a United States Senator from Ohio from 1851 to 1869, Wade was a leading member of the Radical Republicans, a faction known for its staunch opposition to slavery and its advocacy for harsh Reconstruction policies post-Civil War. He was notably involved in the Wade-Davis Bill, which proposed stringent conditions for the re-admission of Confederate states into the Union. Wade's political career also included his role as chairman of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War during the Civil War, where he was a vocal critic of President Abraham Lincoln's leadership. Had Andrew Johnson been convicted during his 1868 impeachment trial, Wade, who was then the president pro tempore of the Senate, would have succeeded Johnson as President of the United States. However, Johnson was acquitted, and Wade never ascended to the presidency. After his Senate term, he returned to law practice in Ohio until his death on March 2, 1878.
