The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-01-20
THE DAILY GAZETTE.
~. sUnNER IN PRIVATE LIFE.

gentleman who has had good opportu
mites to study the private character OF
Mr.. Sumner, we find q studied and
grateful tribute Of that gentleman,
which we take the liberty to transfer to
our columns. The writer says:
He was passing couple OF days
with my grandmother some years ago,
and he said to me one day: "W., |
will say to you what Mrs. Siddons
said to Macready, when she saw him
play for tho first time. Said she,
young man, | discover you have
talent aud / wish to give you this ad.
vice-study! study! stndy! and don't
YOU get married till you are thirty" !
always supposed Mr.. Sumner to have
been joking, though he delivered the
advice with very grave face. While
was in Washington, ] had the op.
portEnity to see great deal OF Mr..
Sumner in private life, being employ.
ed by him to direct several thousand
documents to all parts oithe Union.
was in his room every morning, for
abou, a month, from half after eight
till two, and saw him there untram-
melled by any requirements Of public
position. | saw with amazement such
men as Soule coming in day after day
(the author OF white, Red and Black,
Pulzky said that they came secretly,
like the young man to Jesus, J to enjoy
few minutes social chat with the
most polished gentleman in Washing
ton. / heard one Southern gentleman
tell him that the best suppers to be
had in the city were at the free tables
of the gambling hells. He than men
toned few Of the delicacies OF which
he had partaken Oh the previous night
10 all which Mr. Sumner smilingly as
sented, remarking that he had heard
10 before, but should never know from
experience.
lshould have been surprised at Mr..
Summers condescension to me--hc al
ways quietly made me feel that |, as
q fellow being, was his equal-had it
not been that | saw him equally cour-
teous to all, even the negro servant
who waited upon him. As far as my
limited experience ofmen goes, l have
never yet seen so perfect an embodi
ment OF the Christian gentleman as
Charles Sumner, and ] do not believe
that his equal exists Hehas positive
ly no vice or weakness. lie has never
used either tobacco or spirits, or pro
fame language, and have yet to see
another prominent man Of whom it
can be said.
He was constantly receiving hun
dreds of letters from all parts OF the
Union, praising him for his hrlnness
and integrity, and urging continn.
ance in the same path. He showed
me some of these, the most remark
able thdt remember being letter
from poor young couple in Connect.
cut. 1t was badly spelled (rnore full
Of errors than even my epistles are,)
and horribly folded, but it contained
more of veneration for his noble and
pure character than any dozen windy
eulogies could. Amongst other things
they said, "We are poor, most honor
ed sir, but our small library contains
two volumes OF your speeches, which
we read daily and we will never part
with them" But the great heart OF
these poor people they laid bare to him
in the conclusion OF their letter: "We
have" said they, ga little infant son,
only few days old, and with your
kind permission we shall name him
Charles Sumner We have not the
means to give him the book learning
and wisdom you possess, but We shall
try to SO train him that when he gets
to be man, he shall never do any
thing to disgrace the honorable name
that we have given him" The letter
was signed in their separate hand wri
ting, by both husband and wife. and
was evidently composed by them.
oh! better have died beneath the
,cowardly bio VS. of the assassin, follow
ed by the blessings and tears OF such
sous as these, than to live like Bully
Brooks, aocursed and despised by all
good men! When Summers private
life shall be written, even his public
enemies will read with admiration OF
a character, which none ofthem can
ever aspire to imitate.--Erchange.