New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-09-19
iFrem the Boston Commonwealth
Of Hon. Charles sum.
ner for Europe.

Departure Of Hon. Charles Sum.
ner for Europe.
| When we last had the pleasure of meeting
Senator Sumner, on Thursday week, in speak
| ing of his health he said he was "not well;
he was sick man - and his haggard coun-
| tenance and blood.shot eye indicated that
he was indeed feeble man. Yet there was
a measure of the old buoyancy and upright
ness of stature so well known in this commu-
nifty. 1t is not strange, therefore, that
trip to Europe was suggested to him by warm
friends several months ago, and that he has
at last yielded to their oft-repeated wishes
and sailed, with a view to return in season
for the meeting of Congress in December.
He was passenger on the steamer Malta"
which sailed from this port for Liverpool on
Tuesday last. Hosts of personal friends
earnestly hope that the object of his voyage
may be secured, and that he will return home
| in greatly improved health. A few friends
who were in the secret of his departure,
which was we'll kept from the public, assem-
bled at the wharf with bouquets and other
tokens of personal esteem and regard, and
babe him "sood-by." General notice was
not given of his departure Indeed it was de-
| termned upon only two days previously
that the demonstrations of regard might not
affect farther his enfeebled system. Upon
arrival in Paris, Mr.. Sumner will place HIM
self at once under the care of his old physi-
clan, DIR. Brown-Sequard. There is little
doubt that the mental and physical excite
ment Of recent months have brought on his
old complaints, and if he can find recovery
at all DIR. Sequard will point the way. Wher-
ever he may be, and whatever his fate, there
are thousands who will cherish the memory
of their association with this great leader
and exponent of political principles. Mr..
| loft hohipH on elaborate Cnppch n
the political situation, extracts from which
will be found elsewhere.
The following details of Mr.. Summers de-
parture, from the daily papers, are interest
ing:
There was no formal leave-taking. The
tug ELSIE" took him to the steamer
Malta" leaving 7 wharf short time after
the steamer had left her dock. The COM
pany did not include over twenty persons,
among whomwere George S. billiard, Francis
w. Bird, Edward l.. Pierce, George IL.
Monroe, Edwin Z. Whipple, James Redpath,
Martin Mimore, G. a. b. Shepard, John
Owen, and Miss Virginia Vaughan. On
board the steamer the party sat down to an
elegant little lunch, and after a half-hOur' s
tarry, tho steamer in the meantime going
out, the parties reluctantly babe MIR. Sumner
goodbye, and as thc.tug left gave him nine
hearty cheers. There were no speeches or
| tOrmalltleS OF any klnu.
Mr.. Summers room aboard the steamer,
which is one of the largest stateroOms amid
ships, on the port side ON deck, and one of
the pleasantest ON the vessel, was only en-
gagged three days before, and knowing no one
on board his voyage will be quiet one. He
has made but few plans for his trip. At
present he proposes to land at Queenstown
and take a trip among the lakes of Killarney.
He will then go to London, where he pur-
poses remaining some little time for rest.
AS soon as he can he will 60 over to Paris to
see DR.. Brown-Sequard, who treated him
before when he was abroad, and in whom he
has the greatest confidence. After Paris,
Professor Longfellow has urged him to go to
Spain, and he will probably do so, and if the
spirit moves him go to Berlin and st. Peters
burg. He proposes to ignore entirely, if it
| be possible, and leave unopened the political
campaign American newspapers and the
deluge of letters which flood his tables con-
stantly, and take his news as far as may be
from the brief summaries III foreign papers.
He says that his physicians have told him
that his life depends upon absolute rest, in
order that his system may get that tone
| necessary to restored health.
His great object is entire rest and recrea-
ton, and a renewal of his study of art. The
subject seems uppermost in his mind, and he
tiles he would have to pass his time in gal
| leries of art. His health is, without any
doubt, in a very dangerous condition. He
cannot walk quarter of a mile without COM
plete exhaustion. DIR. Sequard predicted eX-
actly the trouble which has come upon him,
which is an affection of the heart. In all
| cases where the spine is I'M ured in manner
similar to that in which he was hurt, some
other bodily infirmity generally arises, either
paralysis of the limbs, loss of sight, hearing,
or of the other senses. In Mr.. Summers
case it has resulted in an affection of the
whole cardiac region, which has made his life
hang on very delicate strand. 1t was con-
templated short time since to have MIR.
Sumner present at a meeting in Faneuil Hall,
and appear before the audience and excuse
himself from addressing them on account of
his health, and have some gentleman read
his speech in his presence to the meeting.
His physician told him, however, that such a
course would be suicide, and he would prOba-
bly, never leave the hall alive, and he reluctant
ly declined. tits now twelve years since he
has taken anything like rest, and when he
has had vacation it has been only to do
work constantly in preparing speeches, his
books and his correspondence. The pro-
tracted strain has told upon him, and, as he
himself said, his poor brain demands rest.
In this connection, the following letter is of
interest:
AS all sorts of rumors will prevail concern
ing the cause of Mr.. Summers apparently
sudden departure from the country, let us say
what we know about it. He had determined
to enter actively the political campaign, COM
mencing with a speech at Faneuil Hall, when
a recurrence of serious symptoms of his old
disorder made him seek medical advice. Abb
sOlute rest for considerable period was pre-
scribed as necessary. 1t is our belief that
had Mr. Sumner been told that he would
probably drop dead at the end of his speech
he would nevertheless have made it; but
learning that he might simply break down,
bodily and mentally, aud drag on years of
manned life, he concluded to withhold and
take the prescribed rest.
SAMUEL G.. HOWE,
F. W. BIRD.
South Boston, Sept. 3.