Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1860-05-16

PORTRAIT OF SUMNER-The following is o life-like
portrait of Charles Sumner, of Mass drawn by Hon.
C. G. Clay, of Ala, in 1854, when Sumner tried TO
back out from his statement that he would not re-
turn fugitive "s!ave" in accordance with his oath
to support the Constitution -
Now, MIR. President, | have few more words to
say which utter with great difidence to older SEN
ators on this floor. We have means of prevent
ing these violations of the dignity and proprleties OF
the Senate. There is no penal statute which can
reach man who only avows his willingness to COM
nit crime. But let me ask, suppose private cit-
zen, however wealthy and well born, however high
" cultivated his mind, however great his talents or
rich his requirements, should openly avow read-
ness to commit moral perjury-should day by day
evince disposition to nstigae other men to crime,
which, from want of personal courage, he did not
dare to perpctrate himself-should daily encourage
other men to violate the rights of his ncghbors, to
steal their property, to kdnap their slaves, and to
refuse to return them-should daily assail the feel
ings of his neghbors by wanton, rude and uncalled
for assaults upon their characteristic when rebu-
ked for it in the harShest most offensive and oppro-
brious language like the spaniel should quietly SUBJ
init or beg for quarter, but never repair the wrong
or the nsult-a sneakng. sinuons. snake like
poroon, who Guild violate all the rights of assocl-
ates or friends, and never make rcparation or ac-
knowledge his error and who held himself irrespon-
sble to all law, feeling the obligation neither OF the
Divine law nor of he law OF the land, nor OF the
law of honor ask you, how would such a mis-
creant be treated. Why if you could not reach him
with the arm of municipal law, if you could not send
him to the penitcntary, you would send him TO
Coventry. You would exclude him from the pale Of
society; you would neither extend to him the cour-
tcsies that shown gentlemen. nor permit him to
offer such to you. You would make him feel that
he was Stunned like leper, and loathed like I'LL
thy reptile; and you would soon render him as i'm
potent for evil as he di>incned for good. Such
characters, though rare, may be found. and have
been known. l can give from memory the general
outlines of one portrayed by Dickens in his novel,
David Coppcrfeld-that of Crah was mean yet af-
fected honor; was malignant, yet feigned benevo-
lence; prcsumrtuous, yet pretended humility; in.
stigated others to violence he dared not commit yet
assumed an air Of meckness; suggested crimes, and
melted others to their commission, yet bore himself
with studied alnenty Of manner and choice express
sions of benignlty. We have such character on
this floor. have suggested our means of rebuk;ng
if we cannot silence him; of disabling if we cannot
disarm him. If we cannot check individual abuses,
We may preserve the dignity of this body. If We
cannot restrain prevent this eternal warfare upon
the feelings and rights of southern gentlemen, We
may rob the serpent Of his fangs We can para
lyze his influence 10y placing him in that nadir Of
social degradation which he merits. am surprised,
| repeat. | am surprised, that honorable men, but
especially southern men, should far forget their
rights and those of their constituents and their du
ties to them, well as to themselves as TO lend any
countenance to such character as have portrayed