Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-03-20

we find him addressing the Whig State
Convention of Massachusetts on "The Anti
| Slavery Duties of the Wing Party" To
the question, What has the North to do
with slavery2 he says: at might almost
be answered, that, politically, it had little
to do with anything else, so are all the acts
Of our Government connected, directly ,or
Indirectly, with this institution" II Is Oh
servable that in this address Mr.. Sum-
ner Sketched a practical limo ofpolitical
resistance TO slavery upon which men
could stand and vote who agreed with Gar
rison, Parker and Phillips in abominating
the institution, but who wished for some
ofIectual course at the polls, which these
men did not point out. The views which
he now enforced were entirely in accord
with the doctrines OF the old Wing party,
but then Mr.. Sumner meant what he said
Unhappily, a large section of his fellow
partisans, particularly of tho leaders, were
too conservative in their instincts 10 relish
the earuestness he evinced. He had, in
fact, come 10 the parting OF the ways, and,
of course, he had no hesitation in making
his choice.
It is little wonder, therefore, that we find
Mr. Sumner thenceforward acting with the
Free Soil Party, as it was then called. On
the 80 of October, 1850, he delivered one Of
his most eloquent aud impassioned speech
es before the Free Soil State Convention in
Boston, on "Our present AntiSavery
Duties" His denunciation of tho new fu-
gitive slave law signed by President Fill
more was particularly severe. Then came
the famous coalition in MIssachu sets p
itics, and, after memorable contest, the
election of Mr.. Sumner to the United States
Senate oa the 9th April, 1851. His first ef-
forts on the floor related to railroad bills,
and it was not till August 20, 1852, that he
made his mark upon the country in his
great speech entitled Freedom National,
Slavery Sectional" 1t was at a period
when the slave power seemed 10 be tri
umphant at all points, and its champions
at the height of their insolence. And yet 1t
was at such a time that NJ. -Suaiuei used
this remarkable language:
"The movement against Slavery is from
the Everlasting arm. Even now it is gath
ering its forces, soon 10 be confessed every
where. II may not yet be felt in the high
places OF Office and power; but all who can
put cars W tue EIOuuh, VIII
hear and comprehend its incessant and ad-
vancing tread"
Such utterances were not lost, although
they seemed 10 be utterly thrown away in
the United States Senate ofthat day. The
Kansas-Nebraska bill, involving The repeal
OF the Missouri Com promise, followed, and
drew out another powerful protest from
Mr.. Sumner, May 25, 1854. He declared It
"lhe worst aud the best bill on which Con-
gress ever acted;'' the worst. for obvious
reasons the best because, he said ait annuls
past compromises with slavery, and makes
all future compromises impossible. Thus
1t puts Freedom and Slavery face to face,
and bids them grappe. Who can doubt
The result" At the close of his speech he
rises 10 the following prophetic height:
Thus, sir, now standing at The very
grave OF Freedom in Nebraska and Kansas,
lin myself to the vision OF that happy res
direction, Dy which freedom wIIi bv
cured, not only in these Territories, but
everywhere under The National Government.
More clearly than ever before, l now pene.
trate that All Hail Hereafter when slrr-
cry must disappear
During this and the following year he
made several speeches of note, both in Con-
| gross and in various places before the pee
pie, denGn ,iatory of the fugitive slave bill,
ofsluatler sovereignty and OF the general
conspiracy Of the slavery propagandists, as
shown particularly in Kansas. These are
now mostly lost sight of in the memory of
The great speech Of The 10th and 10th of May,
1856, on "The Crime Against Kansas"
| This was the speech which was made the
| L,
ator Snmner perpetrated by Preston S.
Brooks, ON the 22d of May. All the cir
cumstances of the atrocity are still fresh in
the public mind, aud the lapse Of time has
done nothing TO relieve their hldeousness.
It was an act strictly characteristic Of the
slave power, and premonitory OF the terri
BILE drama in which 1t was so shortly TO
pass away. Tho effect on the public stand
ing of Mr.. Sumner was TO invest him not
only with the chivalrous regard which be-
longed 10 the champion OF the free masses
of the North, but with the tender sympa-
thies due to one who had well nigh passed
through the gate of martyrdom. His phys
ical sufIerings were extreme and long con-
tinued, and the greater part Of his time for
the next three or four years was spent
abroad, under the care OF the best physi-
clans of Paris. He did not feel warranted
In returning TO his duties ill the autumn
OF 1859. In the meantime he had been re-
elected 10 the Senate by the unanimous
vote of the Massachusetts Senate aud with
only seven dissenting votes in the House
On resuming his seat he found that his as
sailant and he for whose sake the assault
had been committed, had both passed away
but the bad cause they had served still re
mained. Mr.. Sumner met II with un
diminished boldness and power in th'
speech entitled 1.-THE Barbarism OF Slav
ery." His opening remarks, were singular
ly appropriate aud magnanimous, but th
tenor of the speech was most intrepid an'
infiexible.
In fact. it was the most thorough, com
plete and terrible arraignment of SLAYER.
ever made in one production. II ever on
posterity wish to know what the inslitu
ton was which dominated the Republi
, for seventy years and fed upon its life
blood, they will find ii in this speech. Ant
yet the public sentiment had become s
corrupted that Mr.. Sumner was rewarde
with quite as much blame as prsise. Th
best elements of the country, however
. were unanimous In the heartest commen
3 datiOn.
In the campaign of 1860 Mr.. Sumner CAV
his cordial support TO Abraham Lincolr
in series of speeches delivered in Bosto
/, and elsewhere. In his speech in New Yorl
T July IL, he referred to Lincoln "as on
r whose character no breath has touched
r and whose heart is large enough to embrac
:, the broad Republic and all its people.
It Like nearly all at that time he gave lit