Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-03-18

| CHARLES SUMNER was born in Boston
Mass. on the 9th of January, 1911. HI
was the son of Charles Pinckney Sumner
and the grandson of job Sumner. Il Ma jor
General in the Revolutionary army. Ht
may thus be said to have inherited the
patriotic instincts and the love of freedom
which were his notable characteristics
As his father was Harvard graduate ant
afterward high sheriff of Suffolk, and :
man of considerable literary and OratOrica
ability, it is natural that Charles Sumner
should also have been educated ut that
university and engaged in literary rs well
as legal pursuits.
He was fitted for college at the Boston
Latin School. and after graduating from
Harvard in 1880, continued his miscella-
neous studies in private for Il year, and
then entered the Law School at Cambridge.
where Joseph Story was then unfolding to
admiring and attached pupils the rich
stores of his genius and learning. He was
admitted to the bar in 1884. nd soon after
edited the Amer can Jurist and lectured
before the Law School, showing even then
IA special interest in the broader phases OF
international and constitutional law.
He was made Reporter of the United
States Circuit Court. and published three
volumes of Judge Story's deci5ions, at the
same time editing the law journal men
toned above From 1887 to 1910 he was
in Europe visiting, England, Italy, Ger
many and France. In 1916 he began to
take an active interest in politics, and on
the 4th of July of that year attracted much
attention by an Grafton in which he de-
nOunced the entire war system, though at
that time the country was strongly excited
in favor Of war with Mexico This
Grafton won the plaudits of the friends of
the peace policy in all parts of the world
The question of the admission of Texas
brought Mr.. Sumner to the front us an OPP
ponent Of slavery; and his first anti-slavery
address was delivered at Faneuil Hall in
November, 1915 When Daniel Webster
left the Senate to take seat in the cabl-
net of President Fillmore, Mr.. Sumner
WAS Gin 18j4) elected to the Senate in his
place by a coalition of democrats and free
soilers. He promptly took ground against
the Ubiquitous Fugitive Slave bill, in one
of his speeches on this subject laying down
the formula that freedom is national and
slavery is SECTIONAL From that tine I'M
til the overt ow Of the whole slavery
system Mr.. Sumner was the consistent and
unvarying champion of freedom to the
slave He bore for many years the once
unpopular title of abolitionist."
In 1856 Mr.. Sumner delivered Il two
days speech on - The Crime against Kan
sas." On the day aftcr-May 22-while
writing ut his desk in the Senate chamber.
he was attacked by Preston 5. Brooks, who
hit him on the head with Il gutta-pcrcha
cane, continuing his blows until his victim
was insensibe. For a long time Mr.. sum-
ner's life trembled in the balance. In 1897
and 1858 he was in Paris. under the treat
ment of Brown-Scquard and other eminent
surgeons. The case was considered one of
the most int esti - in the az Is of mcdi
cal science Mr. Sumner submitted with
splendid heroism to painful operations
which had to be often repeated. The
treatment, however. was successful. and
to the United States in 1899. Mr.
Sumner, by his magnificent speech in 1860
on The Barbarism of Slavery" proved
that physical suffering had not impaired
his intellectual and oratorical powers. He
took part in the first Lincoln Presidential
contest In 1861 he was appointed Chair
iIan of the Committee on Foreign Rela-
tons. Among his later efforts may be
mentioned his eulogy of President Lincoln
in 1868, and his proposition to remove
from public buildings the war flags cap
.ured from the Confederate States during
he rebellion.