Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-03-19
Correspondence.
Letter from Washington.

The great event OF = week has been
the death OF Senator Sumner. the father Of
the senate in point OF continuous service,
its most learned aud most widely-k known
member, aud, In the gin ofimpre.eive and
grand oratory. unapproached by any of
u, fellows. As a ready and effective de-
bator. Sumner was sur ,asscd by several.
but many of his oraiions are destined To
survive any Of the efforts of the best ofhis
oompeers. The falling of such man. AT
any time. creates profound impr, .siou,
AID no: since the death of John Quincy
Adams, twenty-six years ago. has there
been anything approaching Il in character,
In either House OF Congress. The two
events. indeed. were strihinclv alike.
The were both from the same State.
They were at the time of death the most
learned political men of the State. They
were the intellectual leaders of the bodie.
Of which they were members. They were
the two most advanced political men OF
their day on the a:itating political aud
moral question Of slavery They were
both struck with the fatal dart while at
their posts OF duty, and both died with
suddennes.. AZ time when their lame was
al the highest point. taking the world at
large In his own party, it is true that Mr..
Sumner did not occupy SO high stand a.
formerly. but what he lost in this particu-
lar was fully made up in the respect OF
his Old opponents, who regarded his vari-
auee with the Republicans a. an assurance
that ultimately he would be found actin.
with them. They did act together IN the
support OF Mr.. Greeley. and nothing. APP
parently. hut the Civil Rights Bill stood
IN the way OF more perfect accord on
prominent measures. But when Demo
cracy asked Mr.. Sumner to abandon his
last pet scheme they asked too much. and,
O,withstanding all that had happened in
the Greeley campaign. and the deposing
him from his post of honor As Chairman OF
the Committee on Foreign Relations, aud
his stupendous prejudice against General
Grant. he saw that his lot must still be
'sN+s AaAN P.A - ~ MS ~ iOht. anu Will
the comrades OF his manhood who had
stood with and by him in the great crisis
Of his own and the life Of the country.
The return OF Mr.. Sumner TO his old
party was ack nowledged by the passage.
In the lie gislature OF Massachusetts. of the
resolutions reset nding the former resolu-
tons Of ccnsure, and, singularly enough,
these aescind ing resolutions were present-
ed 10 the Sen ate on the day and hour
when he finished hi. work. He listen
ed to his ications and laid down TO die.
Mr. Boutwell, presented the resolutions.
and in this was another coincidence:
for Boutwell, and Sumner were brought
upon the official stage together. the
first offspring of the famous coalKion
of 1850, inheritors of the political estate of
W ebster and Everett and the Whigs-bc-
ginners OF new dynasty, and standing on
the same plane at last.
As statesman. Sumner had some con-
spicuous faults. He lacked the power TO
defer TO the opinion of others. He was SO
sure that Charles Sumner must be right.
that he would not concede ANYTHING, even
in trivial matters, to his opponents. lie
wanted every measure TO have a large in
gredient of Sumner in it. and he never
knew how TO huInor the foibles. or to get
along with the adverse views, of his fell
low members. Consequently. he was not
famous as builder and organizer, but for
blowing blasts about the walls of ancient
Jerichos' he was superb, and had no su.
perior. Probably no statesman of the day
has made so deep an impress upon public |
opinion as Charles Sumner, and no speech |
es OF any member of Congress, for the /
last twenty-four years, will be SO long |
read and remembered.
The death of Mr.. Fillmore occasioned no |
he has been so long retired. that |
he was nearly forgotten. and very few |
people now living in Washington ever saw |
him, but the adjournments ofCongress on |
account of his and Summers decease so in
business, that little was accom-
plished during the week. The principal
feature OF the proceedings in the Senate
was q speech of Mr.. Ferry. OF Michigan.
in favor of further imitation of the cur
rency. in reply to Schurz. This speech
was carefully prepared. and showed a de-
gree OF ability much superior to what the
Senator had been credited with possessing.
In the House, Beck, Garfield, Burchard.
Of Illinois, and Fernando Wood, discussed
he financial situation, each giving figures
n abundance. Beck and Wood gave fig
Tres to show any amount OF extravaganza
IN the part Of the Government, and Gar
ield and Burchard as many to show the
As they all got their figures
rom the same Official statements, the look
rs-on are simply COMPOUNDED, and are
compelled to rest their opinions upon the
haracters of the men. The Republicans
'elieve in Garfield's figures, and the Dem
'crats in Beck's, and that's the end of it.
Dawes drew his lash upon the head of E.
1. Roberts, of New York, for trying to be
N organ OF the Secretary Of the Treasury.
living him to understand that he was not
tied for that function, and giving the
to understand that he musa't
ave any little organs, but must play eli
is tunes on the big one from Berkshire.
.oberts was quite astonished, not having
lspected that it was q criminal offence to
III with Mr. Riehardenn