, 1874-03-22

'' saw at the first glance" said RurItngnne
that there was no disposition to naka an at
tack" Brooks walked with Mr. Jamas in th'
East Capitol Park on another occasion. and en-
WAS not amlable, and they parted in some Bullea
ness. The Southerners had advised ngains
tho duel, because, as Frank Blair said
they could not. attend it in mob
Brooks reis friand'ess, and thore il
drinking crowd he had como to associate With
and that they had helped to break down Iii
health By encouraging excesses. In his last sick
ness he left some peculiar and amoable state
1nents for Burlingame'a ears, aud than died &c
suddenly that somo doubt whether his death wa:
| natural. By ell accounts, he was \ auper-senRi
tive man, whom tho falso codes of the da,
forced into brutal Positions which loft q gnaw
ing uahappiness and safety, Such are tne
anomalous conditions worked in human charac
| ter by abnormal general movements. Tie
blow struck by Brooks conferred kuigbthood OF
| sumner. The victory Of Brooks Was fatal to hi
| health aud peace OF mind. It was moral de.
| feat like the victory Of Cain over Abel, and o1
| Plate over Jesus. Whe:o is South Carolina to-
day, then 30 gratu}ated? Is Massachusetts the
I worse in history7
! Whom quite q little boy, I re.nambor seeing the
| train shoot past railwav-statiou with the body
Of Henry Clay upon it. That Is I'll recollect OF
the Impression, and vat it always seemed to nc
I that
|
] had nearer points OF resemblance than Suu7er
| and his predecessor, Webster The impetious
| spirit, the overriding will and momentum, the
dead earnestness, of Clay, in big little things,
! were the same in sumner. Behind beth stood a
loyal State aud party, granliy in the minority,
but not faltering for thnt. In the matter OF
| brendth OF mind aud sYmnatl1y everybody willset
down Sumner as the narrower, but nobody can
"copper" history on that subject by saying SO.
| If Freedom Is narrower uubject Of pursuit than
Nationa} Road, Sumner vas on the narrow- galSe-
We live too near the fireplace to compute the
warmth Of relative character, Times we're less
skepticai in Mr: Ciny's period. He gave one
half his life to ha Manners and was the political
father Of tho Coliax and Henry Wilson school !;
and therefore his magnetism has become a
tradition,-his tenderness aud love are taken tor
granted.
He WAS 4 man. no doubt, ct religious love of
country and great Legislative powers, distributed
on great number OF secondary Objects and
often wasted on too obstinate support OF thiugs
not vital When his National Bank WAS dead,
where were his interminable speeches upon it.
When three times the country said No to his
pretensions, he gathered mp the pieces OF him
self, and again began to roll tho stone up the
hill Finally he came snperuumesary to the
Sonata. with Lie unwilling consent Of his State,
ITO, get eren." And he died getting even,
leaving juInblcd fame,-the brightest apostle
OF disappointment that ever wont to battle since
Charles the Bold. It would seem hard to call
thus kind of 1ustrous political leader greater
nan than ole Of duller parts and more learning.
who pressed conclusions upon Slavery, saw it
spring to the encounter. saw it retreat and cry
shall follow the bloody monster to its der" fol-
lowed it, and like Samson lived to see "a swarm
of bees and honey in its carcasB."
Nr. Clay could not have been Mr. Sumner
nor hare done his work, as he lived in from,
tier, saveholaiug. material community: but the
Opportunity is part of the man. Public Ca
reer is salad, and all that goes into it is part
OF its eKco1!cucs- Mr, Webster did not live in
Kentucky, but lle made no use Of l1is oppor-
tunity- He lived down past the point wnero
Sumner began the battle. lie heard in the Sen-
ate Mr.. Summers frat speech, when he said. in
the face OF Mr.. King:
~ Mr. President, at length I have the floor.
What Parliamentary courtesy has so long re-
fused Parliamentary right has obtained" .
And, in few minutes, Mr. Sumner saw ;
OLD WEBSTER,
then 70 years old, listening III neighhoTing seat
bei1iudwarsi; and ho aayB thht three times
Webster changed his position, US it unwilling to
appear curious or illtarestad, or be notod by the
speaker. There the weak moral nature, carry
ing the great intellect, heaTd perhaps the yoica
Of Time moaning in the shell, yet only llaif-ar-
ticulate: "Out. out, brief candle! Iifes been
IN thee but poor: player, to strut his hour upon
the stage!''
sUMyEn'B DEATH
marks an epoch. II probably terminates the
Slayery-contcst in every PARTICULAR, aud leaves
the Supplementary Civil Rights bill suapendsd
FOR seyeral years or until the colurcd paoule In
bulk matrlcuiate more in citizenship. That race
will continne to prrHs for equality, through
Congress, with dininishing chances :; but finally
the prolonged anomnly OF : distinction with |
ecual citizenship will compel rcayake,,i,z o.,
the subject But no man, not negro eau |
r,ake any more reputation on. Of the Sla7ory !
question. THIS nation Of white men has paid q |
fearful price per capita for Ihe frcctloru Of the
Biayo. It has paid for, saw 1000 600 slaves. tho
SUN in money Of 81 GOO, 600. 900. or about $3.50 /
per head, in debt alone, bearing j1.torest,-the I
same the d1lsly race would hare cost bought IN
by the Nation without losing LIFE
Such pieca Of protIigacy is war! 4 great !
war represents the 5yasta over and above SET |
tle1uent uf its issues. 1t is the cost Of the Oh
duracy and the pass1on. the t}amarocery. and |
the living. and tia cbeatiur. of tho suffering
sida. What man in our history VAS over so or /
pensiyo to lis race "a Cslhouua That super-
aoryiccablo and fl1sheartenod t1iatecticiau mn1e
into a rrand theology tho mercantile creod and !
social sons;tiyenoss Of shareholders. and afflicted
= whole ago, Miserable mani He CONSTRUED !
the courtesy OF a human charter to be, first an |
mmenorial privilege; next an eternal right;
next Divine law; finally, a superb economy:
md, at last, a. reason for secession and civil war.
It was this bei.,g who filed great space in Re-