The Grange advance., 1874-11-24
THE MIRACLE OF ST. MARX. ~

Over the dining room mantel hung
Tintoretto's ''Miracle of St. Mark or
''The Miracle of the Slave,' as it is
more usually called, painted somewhere
about the middle Of the sixteenth CEN
tury. 1t was bought in Paris by Mr..
Sumner, Of W. H. Kellogg, the artist,
and is said by experts to be the study
from which Tintoretto painted his great
picture, still at Venice. This was given
in the Senator S will made in the sum-
mer of 1872, to Mr.. Joshua B. Smith,
the colored member Of the Massachu-
setts Legislature, who was so active in
procuring the resembling Of the resolu-
ton Of censure passed by the Legisla-
ture against Mr.. Sumner, and who was
the messenger from Massachusetts, to
the Senate to inform them that this
stain had been removed from she es-
cutchcon of the old Bay State. Tho
friendship between MIR. Sumner and
Mr.. Smith had been long and warm, and
had been founded on the appreciation OF
| the one for the work Of the other. And
this work is SC illustrated by the great
master that it is we'll this picture, which
| depicts the removal Of the fetters from
the limbs Of a slave, should 60 from
one IF the chief libcrators to one Of
the chief liberated. The picture l.: des-
cribed by Taine,1 in s:Italy-Florence
and Venice" PIP. Sl4-3l6. Whittier
tells the story in his "Legcnd of Saint
Mark.''
Standing before this picture the wife
Of one Of tho leading Massachusetts,
delegation said to me. ''That painting
made Charles Sumner Senator!'' The
statement-I tell the story as it was
told to me-shows the manner Of Mr..
Sumner entrance into the ranks OF
anti.slavery.
He had returned from Europe in
lS40, and resumed the practice of law.
He had made his great Fourth Of July
grafton on the ''True Grandeur Of Ma
tions,' in lS45. He had taken his
place as jurid;cal writer, and Judge
Story had said: Il shall die content, so
far as my professorship is concerned, j, if
Charles Sumner is to succeed me- .
He had achieved social distinction
abroad, as we'll as at home. He had
made himself felt in politics; he had
protested against the Mexican war, and
he had assailed with powerful strokes
the fugitive slave law. Still he was not
an abolitionist, for at that time-and
here I quote from Schurz's oratior-
''abolitionism was by no means fash.
ionable thing. An anti.slavery man
was then, even in Boston, positively the
horror of large portion tof polite So
ciety. To make anti.slavery speeches
was looked upon, not only as an incen-
diary, but a vulgar occupation; and
that the highly refined Sumner, who
was SO learned and able, who had seen
the world, and mixed with the highest
social circles in Europe, who knew the
classics by heart, and could deliver
Judgment on picture or q. statue like
veteran cennoisseur, who was favor.
ite with the wealthy and powerful, and
could, in his aspirations for an easy and
fitting. position7in life, count upon their
whole influence if he only would not do
/ anything foolish-that such man
alshould 90. among the, abolitionists,, and
1 not only sympathize with them, but
/ work with them, and expose himself t.
1.-THE chance Of being dragged through
the streets with ropS bQnd his &ce &e
like William Lloyd Garrison that Wai
3 : thing at which polite society 3of that
tdays sEoqk hich no MAJ
81 ssssss,s II ]. Il III L er*M