The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-12
how many there are OF our readers who ever hears
or those gentlemen who were famous IN their dav
WELCOME K0ssuru - - >-1ye

| Mr.. Sumner made his nrst speech in the serat.
on the 10th OF December, 1851, In support of MI
Stewards resolution orering Louis Kossuth a wei
come to the United States, as the early consIstene
and lncorruptlbIe champion OF the liberal cause IN
Hungary; declaring that there was no event more
calculated 10 touch the imagination than the visit
!1nued, that Will live in history-a living Wallace.
living Teal a LIVING washington. and deserving
OF an homage" There was rich extravagancei III
we DO not find that, during his first days
debates. We notice That In 1852 tooE
ground upon what afterwards became a most
Important question-namely, The policy OF granting
lands Tor the construction OF railways. Mr.. Hun.
ter the senator from Virginia, had objected TO the
ianu grants on the ground that the West was
public lands were the public domain We find.
however that Mr.. Sumner assisted the measure.
from Massachusetts, thirty years before. Lie con-
aenaea that liberal policy demanded the encour-
enEeouraged by enabling enterprisers to build
aii"ays; for" said the Senator ''theIr golden
, ,enueu tnat by the construction or railways VII.
n tnges towns ,o counties and states would be
o oe, prohen. IL Is noticeable, however, that he
did NOT anticipate the extravagant policy that
Pacific Railroad and Credit Mobiiler schemes nv
godglng rairoaa corporations with vast and un.
necessary subsidies, but simply Justified the ma.
tional government in aiding the deveopmentot
new countries We mud. Also that he supported
the original scheme for cheap ocean nos are and
ABOUT the same time made an argument to Presi-
dent Fillmore which then attracted much atten-
Dayton and Sayers, VINO were detained in Wash
ington for aiding the escape OF slaves In response
TO this appeal President Fillmore, who had de-.
clined 10 pardon those persons consented tn
their release. Mr.. Sumner had made a speech
in the same year In nonor OF Robert Rentrui
a member from Massachusetts, who died during
the session. honoring him as "a reforming con.
the love OF family, the affection or friends and the
attachment OF fellow citizens he had been re.
Germs Of State and the wretcned ses OF ~" pa I1V
lie mas assembled 10 those mansions wnere there Ia
TO face with Him before whose throne there is per-
lect lreedom."
These speeches were simply preparations for tho
great work Mr.. sumner had to do. He came into
public lie as the champion OF anti-slavery, and ID
was IN tins championship he was afterwards to
win ms marvellous and enduring fame. Al
though ne had not associated himself as directly
T %" pn ,%e W Wa Iowa as co men ne Wen
who took the extreme ground that the existence
Of slavery made citizenship impossible as a matter
OF conscience vet his work was 90 he brilliant,
ana, IN many respects more effective than that Oi
his radical CONTEMPORARIES.
'FkELDoM NATIONAL, SLAVERY SECTIONAL"
IN 49, ne delivered his speech which was to
make ms character as a senator anu upon which
ms lame was largely " resr. He began 1t on the
10Th OF May. 1852 by offering bill to repeal the
Fugitive slave law and presenting To the senate as
the same time memorial from the society OF
Friends. When he rose an effort made by the
President senator King, TO anticipate the discus.
sion. TINS eiort was successful. The matter was
again resumed on July - by IA resolution declaring
the repeal. he was prevented RON speaking on
tins occasion by vote OF 10 III favor o, and 80
against the consideration OF his motion. among
those voting against HIM being Mr.. Fish
were Mr.. Himlln, Mr. seward and Mr.. Wade
month later, August 2d ls52, upon the con.
bill, Mr.. sumner introduced an amcndment
repeang the Fugitive slave law, and took
occasion to deliver his address. 1t is enttIed,
Freedom. Narlona; slavery, Sectionai;'' and il
an argument IN favor OF Tree speech. 1t had refer
ence 10 the relation OF the national government to
the question OF slavery and TO the degra iatcn OF
freedom by being maze sectional, anu the eleva.
ton OF slavery by making IL national. He consid.
- A NAN mi
government TO slavery, contendlng tnat 1t had no
existence IN a free constitution; that the namo
''slavery" should not pollute the charter or our
liberties; thai slavery found its only shelter IN
local laws; that the government which we at
first founded was not saveholding In its char.
acter; tnat such men as John Adams and John
Jay regarded slavery as an iniqulty and crime.
nounced slavery. He quoted, Fox, Baxter, Hopkins
and Joshua Edwards TO snow their feelings, and
mainta tanned That the colleges OF the land, It's tera-
Jure and Its early legislation were all devoted to
the encouragement" rs Franklin said ''oi this
species Of traffic IN tle persons OF our fellow men,"
After demonstrating that slavery had no existence
IN England alter the celebrated decision OF Lord
Mansfield, dischargiog the negro Somerset, as q
slave, when brought TO England under writ Of
haDeas corpus, Mr. sumner conteuded, III Offering
! the resolution on the Fugitive slave bl, that il
was compromise which could not he mentioned
without shame lie showed what the legislation
| or Congress mad been on all sucn questions. and
contenoed that 1t was an management OF the con.
sutution Oh discharging the writ OF haDeas corpus
IL had been considered that Congress had no
power over the subject. Mir. sumner argued in "a
IL.
prone, and he continued to show that slavery as a
system was Incompatible with the American
Union; 1t violated the constitution, shocked the
puolio conscience and ouendcd the divine law.
"By the supreme law" ne SAID (Which commands
me to do no injustice; by the comprehensive and
conscientious law Of brotherhood by the consti,
tuition which have sworn 10 support, am bound
to dlsobey this act and never, In any clrcuur
stances, can render voluntary aid to IT'S execu.
ton. Pains and penalties viii endure. TINS
great wrong Wl not IT, DO Better suffer Injustice
ment OF wrong" He concluded with these earnest
words -"Repeal TINS enactment and let its terror
no longer rage through the land. Mindful OF the
lOwly that IL pursues; mindful of the good men
whose principles by this enactment have been
violated, Ia the name OF charity.-in the name OF
the constitution, repeal tnls enactment totally
and without delay. be inspired by the example
OF Washington admonlsned by those words Of
oriental piety: beware OF the groans OF wounded
souls; Cypress not to utmost singie heart ior ona
solitary sign has power to overseta whole worl1.n
This famous speech Mr.. sumner was really tho
beginning OF what we may call the legislative
practically without support IN Congress, with the
exception OF the few gentlemen We have named,
Senate found no addition to their number There
were the same three Tree sollers-lIalc Chase and
Misunderstanding alone and despiscd Even Wade,
Seward and Hamlln hesltated TO avow political
sympathics with them. In 1858 the number IN the
way to Mr.. Williams. In 1854 the number had in
creased to ive Mr.. Gillette, OF Connecticut; Henry
Wilson. OF Massachusetts, and Lawrence Branard
OF Vermont, accepting this designation. While
1t had Increased III the senate it haa fallen or 10
three in the House, the leading divisions OF wing
anu uSnoCloe ictoiAipS thcu COMMANDING iuuu-
ence. In 1855 parties began to break, and we oh.
serve new men coming upon the stage-whlgs
Know N0things pro-savery men, anti-siavery men
aud the various phases OF political opinion all
massing together IN the Senate under the single
was not q large opposition to Franklin Pierce.
He mad been chosen President by
was his Secretary OF War; In the Senate the
administration had majority OF twelve, while 10
the House 1t was even larger. But it was during
this time. IN 1854, when The democrats had almost
absolute power, That under the lead OF Stephen A.
Douglas they attempted to repeal the Missouri
Compromise and interfere with the settlements OF
Kansas. lns motion for the repeal oil the Missouri
Compromise was made on the ga OF May, 1854, and
the bill was opposed. among those voting or II
in the House was William NJ Tweed, OF New York,
and among those voting against 1t were General
Banks, L. b. Morgan, OF New York; Gerritt smith
Thomas H. Benton Mr.. Fish, of New YORK; b.
Wade, John M. Clayton, of Delaware: Mr.. Hamin
and John Bell, OF tennessee. Mr.. sumner. the
Enhrlary nlndn a