New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-03-26

legislature left tho school laws in such bad
shape that no State school fund has been
drawn in two yaars. AS general thing our
schools in all cities and towns have been
good most of the teachers from the north !;
but our country schools hare not generally
been a success, although there has been a
large expenditure of money!. Time will inn
prove this; and with such a school law as
we may have and must have, Arkansas will
rise rapidly in general education. Our State
University is being managed with ability,
and already counts its students of all grades
by the hundreds. 2
NV. MARTIN.
Address OF ID. a. Sfraker, Esq,
AT the Memorial Meeting Of the late Sem
ator Charles Sumner, held in Sumner School
Building March lG, 1874:
MR.. CHAIRMAN-MY FELLOw-C CITIZENS:
When aflliction takes hold Of man through
the loss of one of his brethren whose life and
character render the loss a national calamity,
an individual bereavement, Il source of grief
and profound sorrow to people, it leaves
lIlC ltCulllCS pONCllCSS, IiiC ttiUuSutS StCIlIc,
the Imagination fruitless, the tongue impo-
tent, and nothing remains but the deep
seated affection which swells within us, and
may better be conceived than expressed. In
what eye, then, does not tile tear gather?
Who can avoid being touchedwth sensations
awful? When we contemplate the close of
life-a life of integrity, virtue, and incXpres-
siblc usefulness to humanity; language is
powerlcss, the human ear too narrow in
which to breathe the tones of our sorrow,
the entire globe too small to receive our
outpourings Of emotion nothing but eternity
can fill the space for our mourning. This is
the condition o. Our country to-day. Such
is my condition in attempting to utter Il few
words of recollection, veneration, graft
tude and esteem for the Hon. Charles Sum-
ner, whom it hath pleased God, in His
inscrutablc providence, to remove from our
midst by death, on the lth day of the present
month. Charles Sumner as our most es-
teemed, invaluable, and devoted friend,
bencfactOr, and advocate. In his death the
nation has lost most eminent citizen,
excellent statesman, n patriot. a philanthropy
list, hero. The world has lost a scholar of
transcendcnt abilities, and we .cOlored citi-
zens, our veritable friend; whose untring
efforts, inccssant labor, unc@nsing DEVOTION,
and answering advocaeS. Il dclyt.ing ns
from human slavery, and clevating us to the
plane of manhood and liberty, and his con-
tinued efforts, unparalleled in ability, incOm-
parable in earncstness to establish and pro-
tect by law our civil rights and the exercise
of them, makes our grief inexpressiblc, our
sorrow profound, and our anliction great.
His patriotic services in the council of the
nation in behalf of peace and prosperity and
the honor Of his country, of which he was
ever jealous his successful labors in behalf
of liberty to the slave, his answering advo-
cacy Of the principle of equality before the
law" and his unrivalled craftsmanship in
the prosecution Of great public measures, the
last of which was the supplementary Civil
Rights Bill, purporting to enable the colored
citizen by law to enjoy complete protection
in the pursuit of his happiness in the exercise
of his civil and social rights, and thus wipe
out the stain and curse of prescription Oh
acco,l; Of color or race, have created an
affection for his name which is co-eXistcnt
with our lives, and will be cherished in our
memories to the latest generations. The
recollection OF, and affection for, such great
and good man "shall resist the empire of
decay" Early in the year 1871, by intro
duction through letter from Judge Ballard,
of the District Court of Louisville, Kentucky,
1 became acquainted with Mr.. Sumner.
had heard of the name and fame of America
greatest orator, scholar, and statesman. l
had read of him in the pages of history, but
it had only to become my good fortune to
look upon the stalwart frame, the uEdaunted
spirit, the eye of courage of the advocate of
my race, who had faithfully labored, with
many others, to deliver my people from an
accursed bondage in human slavery. He
talked with me kindly, and urged me to the
prosecution of my intended study of the
law-adverting in every sentence to the
welfare of the colored citizen-his elevation
in all respects. l gazed upon his pictures
executed by the great masters every one
suggestive Of some great event or illustra-
tive of some noble, heroic, and patriotic
deed. His statues, all of which furnished
thought of past great men and good deeds
a store of knowledge comprised these col
lections. Hooked into his bookcases, which
filled every nook and corner of the room,
and on the top of one l saw statuctte bear
ing this inscription on its base: "Le Bon
Pasteur aime ses breJis de totes cOuleurs.''
at once read the character of this great
man, who made such n sentiment his guide
| i'm life, and have ever since observed how
| faithfully he acted out the phrase. l have
sought to be near him not only because he
was scholar of rare merit rarely seen
among men, and in whom there was an in.
exhaustible source of knowledge and infOr.
nation, but because believed, as do now
affirm, that SIN him saw combination ant
form indeed where every god did seem t
set his seal to give the world assurance of {
man."
| How devoted Mr.. Sumner was to our cause
our welfare, and the welfare of mankind, al
we'll as his deep sense of duty, may be seen ii
the following: A short time before leaving
for Europe last fall 1 pressed him not t.
hasten his return if it would endanger hi
health, but to stay and fully recuperate hi
strength. He answered: "What shall be
come of the Civil Rights Bill" l said Mr.
Sumner your health is of paramount import
ance. He replied: "When man cannot d.
his duty to his fellow-man, and thus to hi
God, it were well that he die" How l fel
when those words of devotion were uttered
in behalf of the cause of my race leave yo'
to imagine-I cannot adequately describe
I PRAYED that such noble man may live t.
perform his duty. Mr.. Summers life ant
character constitute the most glorious his
tory which, in my opinion, the historian shall
be called upon to describe. He came int
public life at time when, however exter
nally prosperous this country seemed; within
the deem recesses of the minds of the advo
Gates of human slavery, there fingered dis
turbing element which was to burst forth
shaking the Republic from center to circum
ference, to the end of the destruction OF tn
Union to be saved only by baptizing tn
country with human blood. AS these fea
| tures then. no bigger than q mans hand