Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-06-17

lul fields and happy towns 10 Concord and Lex
ington, doubt not that the genius OF his native
land whispered to him that all knowledge and
the highest training and the purest purpose
were but the necessary equipment Of the ambi-
ton that would serve In any way country
whose cause in his own day, as in the day Of
Bunker Hill, was the cause OF human nature.
Charles Sumner was an educated man, col
lege-brod man, as all the great revolutionary
leaders Of Massachusetts, were and he knew,
as every intelligent man knows, that from the
day when Themstocles led the educated Athen-
ians at Salamls TO that when Won Moltko
marshaled the educated Germans against
France, the sure foundations of States are laid
ia knowledge not in ignorance, and that every
sncer at education, at cultivation, at book
learning which is the recorded wisdom Of the
experience OF mankind, is the demag0gu 's snoer
lat4ntcligent liberty inviting national degen-
Grafton and ruin.
A MANLY RECORD.
In speaking Of the Great Rebellion ! shall
speak plainly | hope to speak truly. To turn
to Mr.. Summers public career Is TO open
chapter Of our history written in FIRE and closed
in blood. but which we must be willing to re-
call II We would justly measure the man.
Trained IN bis own expectation for other ends,
framed for friendship, for gentleness, for pro.
iessional and social ease, and the placid renOwn
OF letters, he was suddenly caught up into the
stormy cloud, and biz life became a strife that
filled a generation. Bat during all that tre-
mendOus time, On the one hand enthusiastically
trusted on the other contemptuously scorncd
and hated, his heart was that Of little child.
lie said no unworthy word, he did no unmanly
deed dishonOr He'd bis face and to-day those
who ~ long and So naturally but so wrongtully
believed him their enemy, strew rosemary for
remembrance upon his grave.
The Wings are or ought to be, he said, in
1915, the party Of freedom. But when they
refused to recognize the real contest in the
country BY rejecting IN their National Conyen-
ti0n Of 1873, the Nilm0t ProyisO, Mr.. Sumner
went with the other Conscience Wings 10
Worcester and organized the Free-S0il party /,
and when IN the W Winter Of ls50-jl the Legs
latnre Of Massachusetts was to elect the sue
cessorO Of Daniel W ebster in the L S Senate, the
free-Sol chiefs, as upright, able and patriotic
body Of political leaders as ever Massachusetts
had, deliberately selected Mr.. Sumner as their
candidate. The contest Of the election was
long it lasted for three months, and on the
2ith Of April, 1851, he was elected. Z" ac-
cept, - he said as the servant Of Massachu-
sets, mindful Of the sentiments uttered by her
successive Legislatures, ol the genius which
inspires her history, and n the men, her per-
petual pride and ornament, who breathed into
her that breath Of liberty which early made
her an example to her sister States How
Of public corruption and ncapacity into the
air OF ideal States and public men. What a
stately summons are they to his beloved Alassa-
chusetts once more TO take the lead, and again
~ guide her sister States % greater political
purity and the ancient standards OF public
character and service.
Those days are passed That fearful conflict
IS over and the flowers just strewn all through
these sOTr0Wing States, indscriminatey upon
the graves Of the blue and the grey, show how
truly it is ended. Heaven knows | speak Of
it with no willingness; with no bitterness but
how can | show You Charles Sumner il | do
not show you the time that made him what he
was This was the political aud moral situa-
tion OF the country when he took the oath as
senator, on the lst Of December, 1851. The
famous political triunyirate Of the former gen.
Grafton was gone Mr. Calhoun, the master
will Of the three, bad died n the previous year
Mr. Webster was Secretary Of State and
, Henry Clay, with fading eye and bowed frame
, and trembling yoice-Iienry Clay, Compromise
! incarnatc-teebly tottered out OF the chamber
as Charles Sumner, Conscience incarnate, came
in. As he took the oath the new triumyrate
] was complete, for Mr. Seward and Mr., Chase
had taken their seats two years before. For
T some months Mr.. Sumner did not speak upon
the great topic, and many OF his friends at home
thought him keeping silence too long, hall
fearing that he too had been enchanted by the
! W0ful Ciree OF the South. They did not know
! how carefully slavery prevented him from find
! ing an opportunity. \ month before be could
get the floor for bis purpose, Theodore Parker
said, 10 publicspeech, | wish he had spoken
b long ago But it is iOr him 10 decide,
/ not lor us. A FOOLS bolt is soon shot, while
i a wise man often reserves his FIRE. At length,
/ on the 2Oth Of August, 1852, after many efforts
i u be heard, Mr. Sumner obtained the floor, say
Z ing as he arose, &" The subject is at last broadly
3 before the Senate, aud BY the blessing Of God
{ il shall be discussed
a coWrARisoS WITH NR. SEWARD.
This first great speech upon the repeal Of the
{ Fugitive Slave law was the most significant
/ event in the Senate since Mr. Websters reply
I TO llayne, and an epitome of Mr.. Sumner 5
whole public career Ii was one of the words
= that are events, and from which historical
, epoehs take their departure. These are strong
words. See II they are justified. The Slavery
/ debate was certainly the most momentous that
had ever occurred in the country, and brave
\ words had been already uttered for freedom.
a The subtle and sanguine and sagacious Seward
! had spoken often and wisely. The passioness
: Chase, with massive and " ebsteran logic had
pressed his solid reasoning home and the gay
A humor Of Hale had irradiated his earnest and
+ strenuous appeals But all OF these men were
known TO their colleagues as members OF par
ties, as politicians, as men Of political ambition.
With such elements and men Slavery was ac-
$ custOmed to deal. Carefully studying the
e Senator from NewYork, it saw, with the ut
most purity of character, trained ability, acute
e political instinct, and partisan habit, the intel
n ectual optimist who grasped the situation
i with his brain rather than with his heart and
!. conscience It tested him by its own terrible
!. carnestness 1t weighed him in the balance
= of its own unquailing and unc0mprOmising res
Ill. o,I
e In the midst Of a speech which logically cul
c the ground from beneath the slave interest, and
i calmly foretOld the blessing of the emancpa.
i tion that was unavoidable, Mr.. Seward would
5 sometimes turn and hold out his fingers for
!, pinch of snuff toward some Southern Senator
u who, turning away his face, offered him the
% box When the Senate adjourned, Mr.. Seward
v would perhaps join the same colleague to strOl
l. home along the avenue as { they had been coun
e try lawyers coming from a court where they
s. had been arguing dry point OF law 1t showeC
e how imperiectly he felt, or how inadequately h,
e measured the sullen intensity and relentles,
il purpose Of the spirit which dominated our pol
h itics, and would pause at nothing in its course
h In a word, that spirit was essentially reyolu
is tionary, aud Mr.. Seward had not q revolution
)f ary fiber in his being. Long afterward, wher
u the movement Of secession had begun, as b,
d walked with iellow-Senator TO the Capto
Is on the morning of Washington's birthday, b,
e saw on all sides the national flags auttering in
;, the sun, and exclaimed to his companion, with
? triumphant incredulity, Look there SO,
is those flags and yet they talk Of disunion 4"
e Up to the moment Of Mr.. Sumner appearance,
y in the Senate Mr. Seward had been the fore
e most anti-Slayery leader in public life. Blu
)fI Slavery, carefully studying him, believed as
t think, that he would compromise. That wa,
the test Ii he would compromise, he nigh
n annoy, but he was not TO be feared II b,
II would compromise, he might melodiously sing
N the glory OF the Union at his pleasure. If h.
d would compromise, he would yield. IL he wer,
is not as inyinciby resoluto as Slavery he was al
70 ready conquered, and he was the leader o
le the North There sat Seward In the Senate
rs yes, and there ebster had sat, there Clay haC
Is sat, with all their great and memorable service
O. there in its presiding chair Millard fillmor,
a had sat and over them all Slavery had stalkeC
is straight on in its remorseless imperial career
$, And ii, as MIR. Stewards most able eulogis
j. mourniuly remarks, he was permitted at las
e to leave public life with fewer marks of 70
re- cognition OF his brilliant career than he woul,
IS have had if be had been the most insignifi
ne cant Of our Presidents may it not be that
n without questioning his generous character
~ his lofty ability, aud his illustrious service
er there was general feeling that in the last ad
n ministratiOn under which he served he ha
,e seemed in some degree to justify tie instinct
Ia Slavery, that his will was not as sternly mex