Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-03-20
sketch EX-SENATOR Sumner.

Mr.. Sumner was born in Boston January
6, 1911. He was the son Of Charles Pink I
hey sumner. He received bis early edGca-
ton al the Boston Latin school, and gradu .
ated al Harvard college at Cambridge, then .
taught by Judge Story. He was admitted f.
TO the bar in 1884, aud soon obtained a
large practice. During the first three /
winters after his admission TO the bar, .
while Judge Story was absent in Washing
ton, he was appointed lecturer to the law
students. His favoritc tonics were those (,
relating to constitutional law and the law
of nations. In 1887, he visited Europe, (.
whcle he remained till 1910, anG resided
nearly year in England. On his return
10 Boston lac resumed Law practice. lie
voted with the whig party, but took no
active part in politics till 1915, when lac
delivered q Fourth Of July Grafton before
the municinal authorities Of Boston on
The True Grandeur OF Nations" in
which. prompted by the menacing aspect
Of affairs 5ctwcen the United States and
Mexico, he denounced the war system, and
insisted that j: ought 30 give way - peace
full arbitration for the adjudication oi in
ternal questions. Mr.. Sumner earnestly
engaged in the opposition the annexation
Of Taxes on the ground ofslaverY. in 1916
he made an address 30 the wing State Con-
vention of Massachusetts on "Thc Anti
Slavery Duliro e The Wbig Party" and
shortly afterwards published letter Of re-
bukc 10 Mr.. Robert G. Winthrop, who then
, represented Boston IN Congress. for Lis
vote in favor Of the war with Mexico.
Those steps led eventually 10 Mr. Summers
separation from the whig party, and asso-
citation with the iree-soilers ne lent elf
cieut support To the irce-soil candidates,
Van Buren, and Adams. in the presidential
contcs; of 1S4S. In 1850 Mr.. Webster
withdrew from the United States Senate TO
enter the cabinet Of Mr.. Filmnrr, and Mr..
Sumner was nominated for the vacancy by
a coalition Of frce-soi!ers and democrats in
the Massachusetts Legislature. He was
elected after an earnest and most protract-
ed contest, and has ever since served in
that body. His first important speech in
the Scnatc was against the fugitive slave
act, and when President Fillmore signed
that act be pronounced against him a Bit
ter condemnation. lie took prominent
part in the debate on the repeal OF the Mis-
souri, compromise and on the contest in
, Kansas. Sonc passages in one of these
/ spccchs led to the assault OF Preston :.
( Brooks, South Carolina member of the
/ House, who, while Mr.. Sumner was writ
I ing at his desk in the Senate chamber
struck him on the head with gutta percha
cane till he fell 10 tie floor insensible His
injury was followed by long disability, from
} which his recovery was not complete Till
! three or four years latter Whether this
was really the result Of the assault has been
a disputed question however. His ncXt
reelection to the Senate was by Il unani-
NOUS vote Of the Massachusetts, Senate,
and all bnt seven votes in the House, which
consisted OF several hundred members.
/ He went abroad again in May, 1858, and
! employed incdica! treatment in Paris. re-
! turning in 1879. lie took an active part
/ in support Of Lincoln and Iiamiin. in the
/ presidential contest Of 1860 During the
/ discussion in the Senate, resulting from S.
/ cessicn, he earnestly opposed al! compro-
mise with slavery, and early proposed
emancipation as the speedicst mode Of
! bringing the war 10 Il close On March !,
! 1861. he became chairman Of the Senate
/ committee OF foreign relations, and on
! January 9, lS62 delivered an elaborate
speech, arguing that the seizure of Messrs.
/ Mason aud Slidell on board the steamer
/ Trent was uniustifabIc on the principles
/ Of International law, which had always
( been maintained by the United States.
Since the war Mr.. Sumner mas been con-
spicuou5 for his advocacy of the civil rights
/ bill. Ills PERSONAL difference with the adj
ministration lei To- his displacement from
the chairmarshIr oi the committee oi for
eign affairs in iLc forty-soconh Congress,
in which he was succeeded by senator
/ Cameron. In The lat presdentia! election
+ he favored the nomination of Mr.. Greeley.
His resolutions 10 yxpuuge tIcm the battle
I nags the pamc- of victories brought down
upon him the ccusure of The Massachusetts
Legislature, but that action has lately re-
f! him ftw days before his death. The tri-
umph of Gen. Butler over Mr.. sumner in
the nomination of Simmons for the Boston
collectorship does not seem 10 have az al
affected Mr.. Summers popularity ut home.
On the contrary, the expressions OF regard
for the Massachusetts, Senator from his own
State were never more spoken and atcc-
tioDate. 1t is only tew days since Mr..
Fillmore passed away, and now Mr.. sum
beT. much younger man, but equally CON
spicuous il public affairs, has passed away.
In the year 1861, Mr. SUMNER then fifty
six years old, was married 10 Alrs. Alice
Mason Hooper, widow Of Sturgis Hooper,
ESD. By whom she had one child. She
was lady of fine intellect and many ac-
cOmplishments. But she soon found it i'm
possible 10 live with Mr.. Sumner, and she
left him fcB months after her marriage,
going abroad with her c*ild and residing
chiefly in Italy. The cause OF the separa-
SION was never made public. After lapse
of five years Mr.. sumner Attained decree
of divorce irom Massachusetts court on
the 10th Of May, 1873 on the ground of de-
sertion. Mr.. Summer was represented by
counsel, but no opposition was made to the
decree. Under it Mr.. Sumner had the
right to mary again, but the lady bad not
aga very recent proceeding, however, this
right vas also granted to her