Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-03-19

action on that SupJecC. Inc Dehio-
cratic party in Massachusetts at
that time was in a minority, but not
powerless as now. 1t then had
many able leaders. including n. p.
Banks, George S. Boutwell,, Robert
Rantoul, Marcus Morton, b. f..
! Hallet, and others. Boston was
then represented in Congress by
Robert &. Winthrop, Wing, who
voted in 1916 for the declaration Of
war with Mexico. For this vote,
Mr.. Sumner denounced him in II
published letter. The Mexican War
leading to the acquisition of new
territory, there was a combination IN
Massachusetts of the Democrats and
Wings who were in favor of eXclud-
ing slavery from the new territory
and from all the Territories Of the
United States. This party, IN 1913,
nominated and supported Van Buren,
and Adams. Mr.. Sumner support
ed these candidates. In 1890, Mr..
Webster resigned his seat in the
Senate of the United States to be-
come Secretary of State under Mr..
Fillmore. The Governor of Mass
achusetts appointed Mr.. Winthrop
to fill the vacancy until the Leglsla-
ture should meet. The coalition Of
Democrats and Free-soil Wings made
a successful fight that yaer, electlng
Boutwell, as Governor, n. =. Banks
and several other Democrats as
members Of Congress, and a Free
Soil legislature. This Legislature
was occupied several weeks III try
ing to fill the vacancy in the Senate,
and at last elected Robert 5. Ram
toul to fill the meXpired term end
ing March, 1861, and Charles Sum
ner for the long term beginning
March 3, 1851.
Mr.. Summer made his appearance
in the Senate in December, 1891.
At the time, John p. Hale and Sal
mon p. Chase were III the Senate,
and these three were the sole repre-
sentatives of the Free Soil party.
Neither party recognized them and
they were assigned to no commit
tees. On bill to repeal the Fugi-
tive Slave law Of 1890, which had
been passed rs one of the comprom-
Use measures, Mr.. Sumner made an
elaborate speech, attacking the whole
institution of slavery In 1899,
upon the proposition to abrogate
the Missouri compromise line 3o:30,
he and Mr.. Chase were conspicuous
in the debates. The bill, however,
passed, and then began the war IN
kansas,-the struggle between the
! Free State men and the border
ruilians for its possession. In 1886,
he delivered his great speech, "The
Crime Against Kansas" taking two
days in its delivery. The speech
was delivered May 10 and 20, and
on May -, while sitting at his desk
in the Senate Chamber, engaged IN
writing, he was approached by
Preston S. Brooks, a representative
in Congress from South Carolina,
who proceeded to beat him over the
head and shoulders with a heavy
gutta-percha cane. Mr.. Sumner
was so seated that he could not rise,
and in a few minutes fell insenslble
to the floor, the specimen of South
ern chivalry continuing the beating
after his victim was helpless on the
floor, and therefor was fined $500.
From the injury thus received Mr..
Sumner never fully recovered. lie
was unable to resume his seat at
that or the succeeding session but
his term expiring in March, 1897,
| the Legislature of Massachusetts,, by
II nearly unanimous vote reelected
him. lie went to Europe in March,
1857, and the succeeding winter oc-
cupicd his seat in the Senate for a
brief time In May, 1898, he again
went to Europe, and placed himself
under medical treatment in Paris,
and remained there until the close
of 1859. His health was then SEEM
ingly restored. In the session OF
lS59-60 he made his celebrated
speech entitled 'Barbarism of Slav-
cry" Regarded the greatest effort
of his life. This speech, more than
any other document of the period,
embodied the conscience, the anger,
and Indignation of the North. 1t
had an immense circulation in the
campaign literature of the year
1860, and contributed powerfully to
.bn nla.tiou nf Iinrpln and Hamliu