The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1856-06-20

have done. Well, he did not bend. lie took
his position and kept it. lie mcekly bore
the cold shoulder from some Of his New
England colleagues. the hatred Of his enc
mics, the pity Of the Indifferent, cheered by
the love and respect Of good men with whom
he acted. and has stood for the North, lit
tic in advance of ell the North, and therefore
without adequate support. Tie has never
faltered in his maintenance of justice and
freedom. He has gone beyond the large ex-
pcctation Of his friends in his increasing
ability and his manlier tone.
| have heard that some of his political
friends tax him with Incidence or negligence
in refusing to make elcctioneering speeches,
or otherwise to bear his part in the labor
which party organization requires. | say 1t
is to has honor. But more to his honor are
the faults which his enemies lay to his charge.
| think, sir, II Mr.. Sumner had any vices,
we should be likely to hear of them. They
have fastened their eyes like microscopes
now for five years, on every word, act, man
ner and movement, to find a flaw, and with
what result? His opponents accuse him nei-
ther of drunkenness, nor debauchery, nor
job, nor peculation, nor rapacity, nor per-
sonal aims Of any kind. No but with what
Why, beyond the charge, which it is impossi-
bic was ever sincerely made, that he broke
over the propreties of debate, find him ac-
cused of publishing the opinion Of the Ne
braska conspiracy in letter to the people OF
the United States, with discourtesy. Then,
that he is an abolitionist; as if every sane
human being were not an abolitionist, or
believer that oil men should be free. And
the third crime he stands charged with, is
that his speeches were written before they
were spoken; which Of course must be true
| in Summers case, as it was true of Webster,
Of Adams, of Calhoun, Of Burke, of Chat
ham, of Demosthenes, of every first rate
speaker that ever lived. 1t is the high com
pliment he pays to the intelligence Of the
Senate and of the country! When the same
reproach was cast on the first orator Of an
cient times by some cavalier of his day, he
said, 81 should be ashamed to come with
one unconsdered word before such an as
sembly.n
Mr.. Chairman, when think OF these most
small faults as the worst which party hatred
could allege, think | may borrow the Ian
guage which Bishop Burnett applied to Sir
Isaac Newton, and say that Charles Sumner
has the whitest soul | ever knew
| Well, sir, this noble head, so comely and
so wise must be the target for pair Of bull
/ lies to beat with clubs The murderer's
i bI"hu Shall stamp iHeir loEeneaus wherever
! they may wander in the earth. But wish,
sir, that the high respects Of this meeting
shall be expressed to Mr.. Sumner; that u
copy Of the resolutions which have been read
may b. forwarded 10 him. wish that he
may know the shudder of terror which ran
through all this community on the first tt
dings of this brutal attack. Let him hear
that every man Of worth in New England
loves his virtues; that every mother thinks
OF him as the protector Of families that
every friend Of freedom thinks him the friend
OF freedom. And if our arms ut this dis
lance cannot defend him from assassins, we
conhde the defence OF life so precious, TO
nll honorable men and true patriots, and to
the Almighty Maker Of men,