▁He ▁ran ▁a ▁successful ▁tin ware ▁business ▁in ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁eventually ▁am ass ing ▁a ▁fortune ▁and ▁retired ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Bank ▁of ▁the ▁State ▁of ▁Missouri , ▁and ▁" sub scri bed ▁largely " ▁to ▁the ▁Kansas ▁Pacific ▁Railway . ▁ ▁He ▁contributed ▁finan cially ▁to ▁Frank ▁P . ▁Bla ir ' s ▁ant is la very ▁newspaper ▁the ▁St . ▁Louis ▁Union . ▁ ▁Mayor ▁of ▁St . ▁Louis ▁Origin ally , ▁F ille y ▁was ▁a ▁" hard ▁money ▁Jackson ▁Dem ocrat " ▁and ▁a ▁personal ▁friend ▁of ▁Thomas ▁H . ▁Bent on , ▁the ▁Democratic ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁from ▁Missouri ▁from ▁ 1 8 2 1 ▁to ▁ 1 8 5 1 ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁champion ▁of ▁west ward ▁expansion ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁a ▁cause ▁that ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁Man ifest ▁Dest iny . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁time ▁late ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁when ▁the ▁Wil mot ▁Pro vis o ▁proposed ▁to ▁ban ▁sla very ▁in ▁territory ▁acquired ▁from ▁Mexico ▁in ▁the ▁Mexican ▁War ,. ▁F ille y ▁declared ▁himself ▁in ▁full ▁support ▁of ▁Free ▁So il ▁and ▁the ▁em an cip ation ▁of ▁Missouri , ▁leading ▁him ▁to ▁support ▁Martin ▁Van ▁Bur en ▁in ▁the ▁president ial ▁election ▁of ▁ 1 8 4 8 . ▁ ▁The ▁Free ▁So il ▁party ▁was ▁eventually ▁absor bed ▁into ▁the ▁Republican ▁party . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁Civil ▁War ▁mayor ▁of