, 1874-03-16

Tic .fnots as they thon oxiatod ii tGoront rola.
ttonb and moannEB from his viows. W0
| groatly orr unloss wo 1nako luo allowance
for tho influence OF education, sectional eaila'
personal intorcata, tho powor OF political paH-
| eions, aud manifold faotors that operate In the
told of political oontroyorBy. 1ho fau!B no
rloaophio obHorVor chi ignore, and theao hep
10 explain the lmpellmonts with which MIR.
Summer had to contend In hia earlier curoor II,
tho 9onnto. ~.
I am not noting tho pnrt Of historian and
therefore rotor to events only to illustrate moro
clearly tho charaotor b, the. we are now contom-
! night how difficult It waa for Mr. Summer,
IN those early days, to overcome tito obstacles
that were interpoaed ~ tho sc1ato to hfs intro
daotlon l ot any proposition N "hoao dlsolsaon
liberty that were 80 noar Lis hoart; aud how, at
| last, Il was only by . pioce OF Ingenious, yot
most Legitimate. parliamentary tactica TINT ho
o1tsnGd aS oof 9 pfsseMt o sabe9 s,, Gf
mover forget how the opening paragraph of TINT
speech thrilled mo, noarly twopty-swo. years ago,
aB, roading It, Haw III my minds oye tho intrepid
sonntor rising amid tho acornful and INDIGNANT
looks Of q hoBtilo majority, aud, with voice
TINT had boon Suppressed by tho discourtoous
advantage Of those III power, declare
Doyond oil controversy eavl II Is strictly in Or
ys o our dea has b ~ the eaes opp"r
nhy m tS oo ord net e v1r s A. rsn
but the estabsSod rsagos @ sd 81 dobato csnmot b
abridged. Parliamentary courtesy ,nny ba forgotten
80 senaa '' ~ e. 6e.'ns Il od
But such devotion ns hls to tho doctrines Of
tho Fathers Of the Republic, such fenrloss ad-
vocacy of liberty ut that timo Of intenae political
agitation, could not fail to Insure poraonal conso
quenccs. It was only after provooations that no
waa moved to sesore !, but haitablo rop'y:: III His
anB, roally cost him his life, for from tho shock
| OF tho murderouB assault that followed he mover
fully recovered. Its violouco would layo killed.
| outright Que Of loss perfect health and magn16-
that only in ono othor cano In my lifetime
did m Intentional phyaical injury to
/! public man strikes mo with q hurt 80 exoruciat-
ing. It Roemod that in those. blows patriotism,
public, were snitten,-forit It was not tho man
merely Tint behold PROSTATE, but tho idoas tho
| sympnthies the hopes, tho justlco thnt found In
| him 80 eloquent an advocate. 49,.
| auppose thai comparatively faY aro aware Of
tho tortures that AIr. Sumner ontiured in tho
treatment that WIS finally adopted for hts roliaf,
| or tho mental anguish that he experienced In
WOW Of duties TINT pressed for performance. 1n
condition about two years after ha calamity and
beforo hc paced himself in tho hands Of foreign
physicians, letter datol May Q, 1868, he saya:
From the beginning Of my calamity maca1cu'atca
tor i ny acsasta,ae9 stseaat thst Might agatn
ta0u8ut 0u pHTIect recovery W0ent
without ony adequnto ca,lac, after only slfght
ton, found myself cbiltatcd in ths e1tronc, uuabe
to wllk without pan Or riso from my T. ebHir exeeps
slowly mud like IN old man OF 90. Thia condition
Ing to Warrington % vote questions Of interest.
ions timo 70 como N invalid, especially avoiding
those very ,abors which have most at heart, mud
roposo of tho injured psrt Ind inesssat o1erciso Ii
tho open air. But ! feel d deop disappointment at
seeing 40 much of fo and precious Opportunity pass
away unemployed.
| To d grcat soul like his spurrod by q high
ambition for usefulness, to teol crippled in tho
very blossom and noo1, Of life, forced, a cagod
eaglc, to the aecuHion Of tho invalid, whilo cagor
was blttor trial. I should fail to noto an ami-
able feature Of Ills olaraotor, II I did not rolnto
tlat through tho darkest period Of his aufforings
aud tho years that followed. no unbeooming
1nnlodiction Tor tho hand TINT dashed tbs bright
| noss ana ygor from his manhood. In his for
bcnrnnco md fortitude are revealed but another
aspect Of his greatness. Other and later triais
sensitive m spirit, bus they TO- wore borne with
From tho period Of bis return to- his place IN
tile Senate to tho day TINT ho breatilod hls last,
! Of patriotic fidelity. Wo ail know With what
| wisdom aud devotion, during t1o Var, ho sup
ported tho Govornmont-how potent tor good
his influence OH our foreign relations during
| how close he stool to Mr.. Lincoln in lie and
! death ut tile Capital, md how generously and
disintorestedly, since the settlement Of our civil
a.soords, he has denls With every subject that
could prRmoto pacacatio1. md fraternAl hnrtl1o-
ny, and tic general good.
! indeed, ono reviewing his public life Reca all
| along how his lnbors were directed to practical
| and graciona ondB. Whom thu a]aye-powor wna
menacing the Republic. he sought to qucll it.
When rebellion laid it's hands upon tue ark Of tho
| Union, he ssroyo to preserve tho sanctuary OF
| liberty. When poaco returned, he ontleayorod
to utilize its advantages everywhere without 70.
gard to past ovontB or locality. Whom powor-
ful policy seomod about to precipitate ditlicnl-
| to avert the danger: 10 destroy old fends, to
insure tic rewards OF industry, to oxtend
tue safeguards Of 1shteous a -. Inv, oto TO
functions throughout its.wholo Jurisdiction, xas
| the end 1,o laborod to promote. But in> NIL tho
years Of his devoted public service, whatever the
| criticism eoncornius his policy. la lived above
| tho suspicion Of corruption. Whatever bis op-
! arc elean. lie might be accused OF dictatotial
mperaousnoss Of spirit, and of sn impraqticablo
political virtue, but none could impoach lais
honor. or oil disgraceful limputatlonn thatst
approach Charles Sumner with a bribo, or over
with proposition tlat had Il faint Of dishonesty.
No nlan could aay tlat ho over sncriiced principle
for the sake of gaiu. or to escape couauro. No
man could eyor point to sentence OF his that
was Impure, or unbecoming the lips Of truth.
l nAall not oven Seem to strengthen this eulo-
giu'n by comparing hin. With other namos that
by eoquonco, patriotism, aud craftsmanship, arc
nobly eminent iu tho recorlb OF our country
But. without dotraoting III tho loa8t from tho
falno OF thoBo whom wo Justly admire mud vono-
rnto, can ask, without any doubt concerning
tue reply i thote haa been among our public
tlia that Of this groat Tribune Of human rights
II there has boon All orator whoso oloQuonce,