Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-01-31

\ Washington correspondent says it Is be-
coming more and more certain. with every
day that passes. that editors all over the
country must sharpen their pens and pre-
pare facts for the obituary Of Charles sum
ner. The great agitator's life-w0rk i end
ed, whether life llnger much longer in his
debiitated body or not. He can never take
his seat again. lie has held on to il. thus
far. at the EXTREMIST peril To a system that
was undermined years ago. on 4 certain
sadly memorable occasion in the Senate
chamber, and that has only been kept in
running order for long time past by the
surgeon constant skill. | talked yesterday
with a man who had just come from sum
ner's house He said he had seen the sad
dest spectacle Of his life. The Senator's
cheeks were haggard and sunken. his EYES
bloodshot. his frame feeble, and his spirit
broken. 1t Is only by the constant use of
morphine and other anodynes. that he can
obtain any sleep at all. When a man Is in
that condition, his end becomes nothing
more than Question Of time.
His sickness has much similarity to the
last illness Of Horace Greeley, and it justi-
iies the conclusion that the disease Is more
incurable because 1t i as much mental a. 1t
is physical If the Senator could see the
whole nation at his feet Tomorrow" said
hi, visitor Of whom Just spoke, "he would
be well again. But he feels keenly the
altered condition in which he has been
placed by the events Of the last iev months.
lie sees that he has not strength enough
left to retrieve himself. The shadow Of the
cloud under which he lives Is made darker
by the resolutions of condemnation which
were recently passed by the Massachusetts
Legislature. He feels the rebuke more
keenly than anything else" If the folly Of
liberalism shall be emphasized again by the
death OF another of its apostles no less great
in his way than Horace Greeley, far greater
than Horace Greeley in many of the aspects
of his mind. the temptation to indulge in it
in the future Will be small indeed. Mr.
sumner feels that the work of all his life
time viii be lost sight Jfif he dies while the
people are fresh from an expression of the
belief that he lent himself to an effort 10
oyerrurn the results of that life work.
But he need not fear that. The death Of
Greeley gave good proof that the American
people have very short memories for mis-
takes, and very long memories for virtues
and good deeds There Is something mex
pressably pitiablc in the surroundings OF
this broken-Spirited man. He lives all
alone in his elegant mansion on the corner
Of NermOnt avenue. within a stone throw
of the White House. where lives the man
whom he viii hate with an implacable
hatred up % the very moment of his death
lie Is alone there, save As nurse and serv-
ants make company. His home Is a very
palace of luxury There i no place like it
in Washington. and, ! doubt not. in this
country. The house Is literally crammed
with fine paintings, statues and copies, by
the foreign masters, old and new. lie has
a passion for art. Every corner Of every
room Is crowded with rare curiOsitieS from
all the countries on the globe. exquisite
pieces of mechanism, and many specimens
Of classical antiquities. These are the
cleaning of his foreign travels, and the teS
tm0nials of respect which he has constant
ly received. in years past from the foreign
ministers resident in this city. in token Of
their friendly Intercourse with the chair
man of the committee OF foreign relations.
During his recent visit to Europe Mr.
sumner secured another quantity of curlOs-
itie> and varieties, which are more wonder
tul than any he owned before, but which
fear he will not live long enough 20 enjoy.
Mr.. summers property, which Is sup
posed % be very large, viii probably tail 10
his wife. They have never been divorced,
although it Is a number of Years since they
have lived together. Mrs. Summer Is now
living in Nice. and those who have recently
seen her say that she still remains one Of the
most beautiful and attractive Of women.
Washington has not Vet ceased 70 gossip
about thecauses which lead TO this separa-
tiun. Opinion has crystalized into the old
formula. &c incompatibility Of tempera-
ment" Mr.. Sumner did not marry until
very late in life Habits were all fixed, and
habits So arbitrary, enforced by opinions 80
haughtily dietatorial, that he could not
have failed To see that he made a mistake in
marrying at all. He married woman
whom he did not WOO, whO was herself the
Suitor in the case. That proved TO be her
great misfortune. People say that she still
speaks in terms of the highest admiration
for the requirements Of Mr.. sumner. Ger
tain it Is that the Senator i still on the best
of terms with her iamily-old Samuel
Hooper, the rich Boston Congressman, was
the father of Mrs. Summers first husband.
Let the nation prepare its habiliments Of
mourning for another of its greatest men.