The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-03-24
Memorial Services.

la Sermon on the Death of Charles Sumner,
delivered at Mountfort street church Sunday
Mar. %, by Rev. G. w. Mossell.]
Text: The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh
away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Mr.. Mossell began by remarking that the
people of the African race are of right Mr.
Summers chief mourners. He proceeded to
give sketch Of Mr.. Summers life, and then
went on to say:
There were trsits in Mr. Summers character
which we do well to covet; for they were some
of heavens best gifts. He was an industrious
man. This quality gave him standing in col
lege, enriched his mind with knowledge gath
cred from a thousand different sources, and
made him profcientin in all that pertained to the
different departments in which he was wont to
labor. Duty was his watchword. While others
slept he studied; while others prayed, he work
ed; while others wondered, he investigated.
The words of the apostle are very applicable to
him.. 81 labored more abundsntly than they
all" r
Mr.. Sumner was man of integrity. He was
truthful. He was honest. Gold had no at
traction for him: it created in his bosom no in
ordinate desire. do him no injustice when
quote the following from his pen. "They who
live only for wealth and the things of this
" orld, follow shadows, neglectng the great re-
alities which are eternal on earth and in heav-
en-. After the perturbations of life all its ac-
cumulated possessions must be resigned, except
and mankind What we 40 for ourselves per
ishes with this mortal dust; what we do for
others, lives in the grateful hearts of all who
feel or know the benefaction Worms may de-
stroy the body, but they cannot consume such a
frame. 1t is fondly cherished on earth and
never forgotten in heaven" The idea he clear
ly set forth in the above paragraph was most
beautifully illustrated in his life. If / were
asked to-day to bring forth historic fact, that
would parallel Mr.. Summers honesty, l could
only refer him to the ancient patriarch, who,
when returning from the slaughter, was met by
the King of odom, who said unto him, "Gve
me the persons and take the gooas to thyself"
But Abram said unto the king of Sodom, 'T
have lifted up my hand unto the Lord the most
high God the pOssessor of heaven and earth.
that will not take from thread even to a
shoe-latchet, and that l will not take any thing
that is thine, lest thou shouldst say L have
made Abram rich.'
There was firmness exhibited in the life of
Mr.. Sumner which perhaps never adorned the
character of any other American statesman
His times demanded firmness. 1t was essen
tial to his success. The enemies of his country
were bold; they planted themselves like great
rocks intending to oppose every effort the aim
of which was the emancipation of the country
1t would not have done for HIM to have been
anything less tEan positive in his character.
firm in the principles he advocated and the
opinions ne held. Mr; Dana, speaking of this
characteristic, says: "But we who stood about
him knoao, that he was firm and immovable as
that rock at Plymouth, surrounded by the DASH
ings of a December sea-" To such a degree
was this quality developed that he was
called the "irieproachable man. of his party
and the infexible statesman of his country.
Some called it fault but it was virtue.
Herein lay his strength deprived of this he
would have been like Samson when shorn of
his locks. He would have been an exception to
other martyrs had he not have been both i'm
practicable and infexible. His frmness was
based on three things---self experience, a deep
consciousness of the right and on an investiga-
ton which was as far-reaching as the province
of history. Whenever an idea was confirmed
by these three witnesses, it became to him q
fact and he could not surrender it though the
worldlmight stsndoip oppos tion. Standing on an
elevation above his cOtemporaries and his coun-
trymen he could not come down; but with an
Archimedean lever and the strength of his own
arm he raised them, bringing them into that
light which is the reflection of truth.
Mr.. Sumner of all men was the most con-
scious Of his weakness; / mean by this he felt
that he was insufficient for the duties devoiv-
ing upon him. -,
Some one has said: "Some men are oorn
great; some achieve greatness; some nave at eIea.
ness thrust upon them" Mr.. SamLers grea!-
ness was achieved This CONSCIOUSNESS OF MS
own insufficiency marked his wnole lie. IL
was this that led him to call to MS support the