The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-05-05

..r-. CLAY AND Wrestler
stood in the front rank of an illustrious ar
raw of contemporaries. Clay the originator OF
measures and policies, with his inventive and
organizing mind, not rich In profound ideas
or in knowledge gathered by book study
but learning as be went; quick in the percep-
ton of existing wants and difficulties, and
of the means within reach to satisfy the one
and overcome the other. and a bern captain,
a commander OF men, who appeared as II
riding through the struggles OF these DAYS
mounted on q splendidly-s caparisoned
charger. sword in hand, and with waving
helmet-plume, leading the front; merry ana
truly magnetic soul, overawing Wild lis
| frown, enchanting with his smile. hourisn-
| ing the weapon OF eloquence like WIZARDS
wand, overwhelming opposition, ana KIND
| ling and tanning the flame Of enthusiasm;
marshaler OF parties, whose very presencs
and voice, like signal blast, created anu
welded Organization. And by his side Dan
/ iel Wet,star- with that awful vastness OF
brain, tremendous store-house OF thougnt,
and knowledge which gave forth It's treas
ures with ponderous majesty OF utteIance'
He, not an originator of measures ana poll
tics, bat q mighty advocate, the creates. 40,
| vecate this country ever knew; king IN the
nation OF intellect, and the solemn embodi
ment of authority; huge Atlas who carried
i the constitution on his shoulders. he
could have carried there the whole moral
grandeur of the nations had he never COM
promised his own. Such men filled the
stage during that period Of construction ana
conservative national organization, devot-
| ing the best efforts of their craftsmanship,
| the craftsmanship Of the political
mind. the purpose OF raising tneir
| country to greatness, and wealth, and
power; of making the people proud OF their
common nationality, and of Embedding the
| union in the contentmeut OF prosperity, in
4 enlightened patriotism, national law, and
\ constitutional principle; and, when they
near their erd, they could boast OF many Q
grand achievement, not indeed exclusively
their own, for other powerful minds had
their share in the work. The United States
stood there among the great powers OF the
/ earth, strong and respected. Inc repuDnc
had no foreign foe to tear. Its growth In
/ population and wealth, in popular intelli-
Il eence and progressive civilization was the
wonder, of the world. There was no visible
limit to its development. There seemed TO
be no danger to its integrity. One thing they
and their contemporaries had indeed accom-
n plished. Under their care the republic had
grown so great and strong. It's vitality had
become so tough that it could endure the
final struggle without falling to pieces I'M
der its shocks. Whatever their errors, their
decisions, and perhaps their misgivings,
may have been, this they had accomplished,
|, and then they left the last compromise tot
tering behind them, and turned their faces
, to the wall and died, and with them stepped
into the back ground the Craftsmanship OF
, organization. expedients and compromises,
, and TO the front came ready tor action, the
moral idea which was 10 fight out the great
|, conflict and to open new epoch of Amerl-
can history.
SUMNER IN THE SENATE.
That was the historic significance of the
remarkable scene which showed US Henry
II IN hon INa,
never to return, when Charles Sumner sal
} down there as the successor of Daniel Webs
! ter. No man could, in his whole being
have more strikingly portrayed that con-
trast, When Charles Sumner had been
elected to the Senate, Theodore Parker said
to him in a letter of congratulation: "You
told me once you were in morals, not in poll
tics Now i hope that you Will show that
you are still in morals, although still in
politics. hope you will be a senator with
a conscience" That hope was gratifed. He
always remained in morals, while in poll
tics he never was anything else but the sena-
tor with a conscience. Charles Sumner en-
tered the Senate not as q mere advocate, but
as the very embodiment of the moral idea
From this fountain flowed his highest as
pirations. There had been great anti
slavery men in the Senate before him. There
were men with him like Seward and Chase
but they had been trained in a different
school. Their minds had ranged over other
political fields. They understood politics
he did not. He knew but one political OBJ
ject to combat and overthrow-the grea.
. wrong of slavery; to serve the ideal o
liberty and equality OF men, al. to establish
the universe! reign of peace. justice and
! charity. He brought to the Senate a stu
dious mind, vast learning, great legal attain
ments, powerful eloqueEee, strong and
ardent nature and all this he vowed to one
service. With all this he was not q mere ex.
pouHder of policy; he was worshipper
, sincere and devout, at the shrine Of his ideal
In no public man had tie moral idea of the
! anti-slavery movement such overruline
strength. He made everything yield to it
! He did not possess it. 1t possessed him
That was the secret of his peculiar power.
SUMNER AND LINCOLN. zoe
The following passage occurs in his &C
count of the relation ofSumner and Lincoln
passage which, without any application
by the orator, was understood i'm the ful
significance of its contrast with the conduc
of Grant: abraham Lincoln was tru.
shild of the people. There was in his hear
an inexhaustible fountain Of tenderness
and from it sprung that longing to be true
Just and merciful to all. which made the
people love him. In the deep, large human
: ity of his soul had grown his moral and po
g liticai principles, to which he chung WITH
: the fdelity Of an honest nature, and which
; he defended with the strength of vigorous
e mind. But ha had not grown great ia any
r high school of craftsmanship. He had from
3 the humblest beginnings slowly and labori
D ously worked himself up, or rather he hac
Q gradually risen up without being aware o
q it, and suddenly he found himself In the
8 foremost rank of the distinguished men O
: the land. In his youth and early manhood
: he had achieved no striking successes tina
8 might have impaired to him that over
\ whelming selfappreoiation which so FIRE
: lQuently leads So lf-maGe men to overesti
0 mate their faculties and to ignore the limits
: of thei- strength. He was not learned
man, but he had learned and meditateC
i enough to fees how much there was still fol
: him TO learn. His marvellous success In
o. lafr ir,ta h. IL