Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-01-22
The Reelection of Hon. Charles
Sumner to the U. S. Senate.

The Massachusetts, Legis lature, by vote
approaching nearly to unanimi,y, has just
reelected CE.SLEs SUMNER to the L. S.
Senate for six years from the 4th Of March
mkt his vote shows that the people of
the State are more deeply imbued with the
spirit of freedom and Of equal rights, than
the people cf the first six wards o. Boston
and the cities OF Cambridge and Chelsea,
which compose the district represen ed by
Mr. Burlingame. In that district, Burlin-
game barely escaped defeat, although bis
case was in many respects as Pecu lar as
that of Mr.. Sumner. Burlingame apPeaisd
to commercial city constituency, and came
near defeat. Charles Sumner appealed to
the people who live by the far-off sea shore,
the islands of the bay, and among the bills
and in the valleys of Mddlesex. Worcester,
Hampshire, Hampden, Franklin aud Bers-
shire, and with almost an unbrnken voice.
they have responded to that appeal, and have
sent msn to the Legislature instructed to re-
turn their able, but much abused Senator
again to the field Of his fame.
The election Of Mr.. Sumner by the al
most unanimous voice Of the Legislature,
shows, also, how changed the people of that
State have become in the six years just past,
in regard to the question of State sovereign
ty and slavery aggression. Six years ago,
after struggle Of seven weeks, Mr.. Sumner
was elected to the Senate by majority Of
ore, in House OF Representatives compos-
ed Of thee hundred members. That ses-
sion will ever be memorable in the annals Of
Massachusetts,. II was the first time, in a
quIrier Of a century, that the Whig party
fodnd itself in minority. The election had
taken place after the Fillmore Administra-
ton had gone into power. Daniel Web
ster, who had in the spring preceding made
his 7th of March speech, had been taken
from the Senate and placed at the head of
Fillmore's Cabinet That speech, and the
Fugitive Slave law, broke down ths Wing
party in the State, and caused its defeat
The Hunkers in Boston sustained them; the
liberal Wligs, both in city and country, op-
posed them. The people could not conquer
their prejudices for liberty and right. This
division lost them the Legislature. There
was no chuice by the people for Governor,
as it required a majority OF all the votes cast,
to elect. The Wing candidate had some
twenty thousand plurality over the Demo-
cratic candidate, and some twenty thousand
over the Free-soil candidate, but had not a
majority over both, consequently the cleo
tiun was thrown mo the Legislature, in
which body the combined opposition had
small majority. General Wilson, now IL
Senator in Congress. was elected to the
Senate, Mr. Banks, nov Speaker of the U
S. House of Representatives.; and Caleb
Cushing, Attorney General of the United
States, were elected to the House. Wilson
came in as Free-soil Wing and Banks as
Free-soil Democrat, and Cushing came in
as "Cushing man" and Democrat. The
Democrats and Free-soilerS by uniting had
a majority in each branch, without un on
they were powerless. They therefore ius-
ed, and obtained possession of The State
A programme was made out, and distribu-
tion of the Offices made. 1t was agreed to
elect Boutwell, Dem Governor, and Walk
er (Free-soiD Secretary of State 10 elect
Wilson (Ffee-soiD President OF the Senate,
and Banks (Dem.) Speaker of the House !;
to elect Robert RantOul. Jr., (Dem.) U. s.
Senator Tor Mr. Websters unexpired term,
and to elect Charles Sumner (Free-soiD for
the full term OF six years. SUCH was the CO.
alition and the way in whichthe Offices were
to be d stributed, and it was carried out with
out the creaking OF a wheel or The jarring Of
bolt, until it Came 10 the election of Mr.
SUMMIT.
Caleb Gus hing had voted for the who'll
list, including Boutwell,, Walker, Banks and
Rantoul, but few the track on Sumpet, and
carried with him some hal:-dozsn bunker
Democrats. the Senate had made choice
of Sumner, but the Cushing all in the House
prevented his election for seven weeks. At
length Mr. Bartlett Of Boston, in joke, },
proposed that, in taking the next vote, each
man should put his tallot in sealed enve.
o2e, and vote ia that way. The motion, To
the surprise Of the mover, was adopted, a
vote was taken, and Charles Sumno- receiy-
ed the exact numOer necessary to elect him.
Who it was of the Gushing party that voted
for Mr. Sumner was never known, though it
was believed by many that the vote which
turned the scale was cast by Caleb himself.
The Wing candidate was Robert G. Win
tn o3.--O. s. Journal