Later Life
In 1875 Wright was appointed Federal Indian Agent and Ontario's Crown Agent for the Thunder Bay area; (Wright resided in the then-named Port Arthur). While his Provincial appointment lasted until 1886, he was involved in alleged conflict of interest controversy in his Federal capacity of Indian Agent. In this controversy, religious issues are also said to have played a part; in any case, Wright, a Methodist from an essentially Protestant background, was replaced as Federal Indian Agent in 1883.
Amos Wright was active in public life well into his seventies. Known as a well-liked figure with very wide connections, in his policial life was seen as a representative who, particularly in his earlier career, took a nuanced position on some of the key issues of the day: arguably, such a stance at times both smoothed and hindered his political advancement, but his popularity was undoubted. The 'Toronto Daily Patriot and Express' even disobligingly stated he was “as bewildered with unexpected honors as an interesting widow giving herself away in matrimony for the fourth time”. While undoubtedly unfair, this comment serves to hint at the transition which his life encompassed from his early days in farming and involvement in local parish affairs, to the sometimes tumultuous political events of the Federal Parliament, as the new Dominion expanded westward.
He died at Port Arthur on March 31, 1886, and was buried in Richmond Hill.
Read more about this topic: Amos Wright
Famous quotes containing the word life:
“We are all conceived in close prison; in our mothers’ wombs, we are close prisoners all; when we are born, we are born but to the liberty of the house; prisoners still, though within larger walls; and then all our life is but a going out to the place of execution, to death.”
—John Donne (c. 1572–1631)
“The goal in raising one’s child is to enable him, first, to discover who he wants to be, and then to become a person who can be satisfied with himself and his way of life. Eventually he ought to be able to do in his life whatever seems important, desirable, and worthwhile to him to do; to develop relations with other people that are constructive, satisfying, mutually enriching; and to bear up well under the stresses and hardships he will unavoidably encounter during his life.”
—Bruno Bettelheim (20th century)