White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1860-07-26
Description Of the Senate During Sum.
ner's Speech.

q. E-.i nets scpeeens
An occasional correspondent of the
Boston Atlas and Bee. thus describes the
scene in the senkt.9 Qlzniber during the
delivery Of Charles Summers great anti.
slavery speech I roe
Yesterday Senator Sumner made his
long expected speech. 1t was understood
that he would commence at u o'clock.
Long before that time the galleries were
filled to OVERLOOKING nearly one half
were ladies. The business of the morn
ing went on quietly till nearly u, when
Southern Senators could be seen quietly
leaving the hall. by the side doors. When
the clock told the hour of -, scarcely a
dozen were loft. But gayer or more
brilliant audience never graced the gal
leries than on this occasion. Every avail
able seat upon the Republican side was
literally packed with eager listeners
When the tall Massachusetts Senator
arose, dead silence fell upon the crowd
ed hall and galleries. The slightest
meditation of his voice was distinctly
audible to the most distant nearer.
His opening was very impressive and
eloquent. You can imagine his style, his
manner, and the profound impression it
made upon his vast auditory, when he
said, 81 have no personal griefs to utter !;
only barbarous egotism could intrude
these into this chamber. l have no per-
sonal wrongs to avenge only barbar-
GUS nature could attempt to WELD that
vengeance which belongs to the Lord
The years that have interviewed, and the
tombs that hare opened since Ispoke, hare
their voices too, which | cannot fail to
hear"
Hethen proceeded with the most elabor-
ate and terrible argument against the in
stitution of slavery ever delivered upon
that floor, or anywhere else. 1t would
be useless to describe the manner of Mr..
Sumner to most of your readers. His
whole manner discloses the ripe scholar,
the finished logician, and the most &C.
complIshed rhetorician and elocutionist.
His sentences fall in measured cadences,
musical and rythmetical his gestures
are graceful and appropriate; his elocu-
ton distinct; his quotations classic, apt
and appropriate in short, he is the most
finished scholar and the most graceful ora.
tor in the Senate.
Senator Hunter OF Virginia listened
respectfully, to its close. Not muscle
moved on his placid countenance to de-
note what was going on in his mind
Wigfall, the Texas Bombastes, was in
great torment He would keep his seat
for few moments quietly, as if strug-
Cling to be a gentleman then he would
glide around noiselessly to some other
Senator's seat, and confer in low whis-
pers, as if debating whether it was best
to remain quiet or not.
Mr.. Breckenridge. who was not in the
Presidents chair, remained through the
entire delivery. He made a strong effort
to appear Indifferent, sitting with an
open book in his hand, listlessly turning
its pages, but his eyes turning to the
speaker, and finally. with frown upon
his brow. he laid aside his book and re.
garded the speaker intently till he closed.
After an hour or two the absent Senators
hogan to come back, and one after anOth-
err dropped into their seats. jeff. Davis
was bnsily engaged reading the Globe.
Keitt, the accomplice of Brooks, came
in from the other House, and with much
nonchalance took his seat near Senator
Hammond, and turned his monkeys face
up to the galleries, as if to notice the
dramatic effect of his presence upon them.
But finding that no one seemed to notice
him. he gradually began to give heed to
the speech. Then his vulgar phiz be-
came disturbed with angry grimaces and
frowns.
By this time many Democratic mem
bers of the other House had come over
to hear Sumner. so that with them and
the returning Senators, the body of the
Senate chamber was as densely crowded
as the galleries. Mr.. Sumner spoke four
hours, and held his immense audience,
which could not have been less than FIVE
thousand, to its close. 1t was a most re-
markable effort, and take it all in all, it
was a scene and an occasion never to be
forgotten. sr -s1r. 10 sr.. --..