Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-04-27
"He prayeth best, who loveth best
AL things, both great and small :"
REMARKS OF MR.. SUMNER.


Mr. Presdeat-There is a truce in this
Chamber The antagonism Of debate is husbed.
Ths echoes of conflict have died away. The
white flag is flying. From opposite camps we
come together to bury the dead II is sena-
tor that we bury, not soldier.
This the second time during the present ses-
sion that we have been called TO mourn dis
tinguished Senator from Vermont II was much
10 bear such a loss once Its renewal now after
so brief period is a calamity without prece-
dent IN the history Of the Senate. No State be-
fore has ever lost two Senators so near to-
gether
Mr. Foot at his death, wss the oldest Senator
| in continuous service He entered the Senates
in the same Congress with the Senator from
1 Ohio Mr. WAde) and myself; but he was sworn
| in at the called session 10 March, while the two
\ others were not sworn in TIL the succeeding De
cember. During this considerable space Of
time, have been the constant witness to his life
and conversation. Ii is with sentiment Of
gratitude that look back upon our relations,
never from the beginning impaired or darkened
by any difference. For one brief moment he
seemed disturbed by something that fell from
me in the unconscious intensity Of my eonvic-
tons, but it was fer brief moment only; and
he took my hand with genial grasp. make
haste also to declare my sense Of his personal
purity and his ineorruptible nature. Such ele
ments Of character, exhibited and proved
throughout a long service, render him an exam
pie for all He is gone. but these virtues 'smell
weei ani blossnn in the dust
He was excellent in judgment lie was eI-
celent also in speech, so that whenever he spoke
the wonder was that he who spoke 50 well
should speak so rarely. He was full. clear, di-
rect, emphatic. and never wssdiverted from the
thread Of his argument. Had he been moved
TO mingle actively IN debate, he must have ex-
erted commanding influence over opinion in
the Senate and IN the country. How often We
have watched HIM tranquil in his seat while
others without his experience or weight occu-
. pied attention The reticence which was a psr
Of his nature formed contrast to that prevail
ing eHusion where sometimes the facility o
speech is less remarkable than the inability Il
> keep silent; and again, it formed contrast Il
that controversial spirit which too often, ike Al
unyelcome wind, puts out the lights while !
fans flame And yet in his treatment Of ques
tious he was never incomplete or perfunctory.-
Ifhe did not say with the orator and parlismen-
tartan Of France, the famous founder OF I'M
Doetriaaire school OF politics, NJ. Roger Col
lard, that he bad too much respect for his au
dience ever to ask attention to anything Whci
he had not first reduced to writing. il Was evi
2 dent thai he never spoke in the Senate vithou
! careful preparation. You do not forget III
= commemoration Of his late colleague, only fev
short weeks ago, when he delivered Funera
Orstiop not unworthy ofthe French school from
which this form Of elOquence is derived. Alas
a. We listened to that most elaborate eulogy
!. shaped by study and penetrsted BY feeling. ho'
litte did We think that it was 50 soon to be echo
\ ed back from his own tomb:
y
E He was happy IN the Office Of senator:
4 vss to him as much - his ''dukedom" to Pros
: nero He felt its honors and confessed is duties
|. but he was content He desiied nothing more
9 Perhaps no person appreciated % thorough!
!, vhat 4 vss 70 bear the commission Of s5tats i