HILDRETII, RICHARD, 1807-65, an author and journalist, b. Mass. He graduated at Harvard college in 1826, studied law in Newburyport, and entered into practice in Boston. In 1332, however, lie abandoned the profession to become the editor of the Boston Atlas. In the autumn of 1834, being out of health, he went to the south, where he resided nearly two years on a slave plantation. The slavery question was then caus ing much excitement in the country, and lie improved the opportunity to study the workings of the institution for himself. During this time he wrote an antislavery novel, which was published in 1837 under the title of Arch!' Moore. This work was reprinted in England, and in 1832 it was republished in this country under the title of lnite S.'ave. It is a talc of thrilling power, and, if the public mind had been pre pared for its reception as it was for Uncle Tom's Cabin, it could hardly have failed to make an impression as powerful as that produced lay Mrs. Stowe's later work. In 1S10 appeared his translation of Dumont I3entham's 792eorg of Legislation. His Histarg of J/a des was published shortly afterwards. When the project for the annexation of Testis began to attract the attention of the country, he published in the Bitdon At/as ,series of articles which did much to intensify the hostility of the northern people to that scheme. He passed the winter of 1837-38 in Washington as correspondent of the .:1t/as, and, upon his return to his editorial chair, entered warmly into the campaign for the election of gen. Harrison to the presidency.. In 1840 appeared his Despotism in Amerira,
a work on the political, economical, and social aspects of slavery. A second edition, with a chapter on Tin Legal Basis (f Slavery, appeared in 1854. Ile published several controversial pamphlets, atnong them a letter to prof. Andrews Norton, of Cambridge, on .Wiracks, in which the views of that. gentleman were warmly opposed. Front 18-10 to 184; he resided in Demerara, British Guiana, busying himself in editing two IICAVS pape•s, in which lie advocated the system of free in opposition to slave labor. He also wrote, while there, his Theory of Morals and his Theory of Politics, which were published after his return. The work, however, for which he is most likely to be remembered is his History of the United States, in s4: volumes, in which he professes to present the founders of the republic in their true character, without any attempt to heighten their virtues or disguise their mistakes and faults. The history is brought down to the close of Mr. Monroe's first presidential term. In 1855 appeared his Japan as it Was and is For several years, ending with the inauguration of Lincoln as president, he was engaged on the staff of the Kew York Tribune. inauguration went abroad in the summer of 1861 as L. S.
consul at Trieste, and died in Florence.