The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-16
G Che 99ai1g Arsn'|s'.
Independent dp Eoerythiasg.
concluded from second mage. J

Concluded from second page
son denounced the outrage in severe terms
In the Senate the following morning.
Brooks challenged him to fight duel
Wilson declined to go to the field Not
long afterward Mr.. Burlingame denounced
it in like terms in the House whereupon
Brooks challenged him. Burlingame ac7
cepted the CALL and then Brooks refused
to meet him A tragedy and farce
| The effect upon Mr.. Sumner was very
serious He lay near deaths door for
many weeks, and was unable to reappear
in the Senate tor more than a year. In
| the mean time, his term of office had ex-
pired, and at the session of the Legisla-
ture of Massachusetts, in 1851 he was re-
elected for six years. only seven votes out
of the several hundred being cast against
him. Under the advice of physicians he
took two long tours to Europe on account
his health, and he probably never fully re-
covered from this barbarous assault.
He did not again take an active part in
the debates of the Senate until 1860. when
he delivered speech characterized by
all of his former fervor and eloquence.
and bearing the appropriate title of ''The
| u. IL
utter the boldest thoughts in the Senate
then for in the four years that had passed
since he was smitten down upon its floor a
mighty tide in favor of freedom had rolled
over the land, and made it's influence felt
in both wings of the National Capitol The
House was dominated by the Republicans,
with Gov. Pennington in the chair; and
though the slave oligarchy still ruled in
the Senate, seat after seat, long occupied
by Democrats, had been vacated to make
room for Republicans; and even Douglas
himself was under the ban of the Power
which he had sacrificed SO much to propi
tate.
Long deprived of his due share in the
management in the business of the Senate,
Mr.. Sumner in the session of 1861, after
the withdrawal of the Senators from the
seeding States, was placed at the head OF
the Committee on Foreign Relations. He
had always made international law spec
cial study, was well read in ancient and
modern history, and had an intimate ac.
quaintance with our past and present
treaties with foreign powers. Of course
therefore, he was the most competent mar
in the Senate for the Craftsmanship of this
committee and nobody dreamed of dis
turbing him until ten years later, when be
refused to promote Gen. Grants greasy
job for the acquisition of San Domingo
While at the head of the committee he
was understood to be always in accord with
: Mr.. Seward of the State Department il
matters affecting our relations with foreign
States. In an exhaustive speech in the
Senate, he maintained the position of Mr.
Seward in regard to the Trent affair, show
:, ing that according to sound principles o
international law the seizure of Slidell ant
Mason, under the peculiar circumstance
of the case was unustifable.
1t is hardly necessary to say that from
It the outbreak of the rebellion he assumes
e the very highest ground on the subject c
l. slavery, and argued in speech after speed
/ that emancipation was the only straigh
p and safe path out of the terrible convu
d sions of war. The contest ended, he wa
y among the most urgent for comforting upo
If the enfranchised class the right of sui
; frage; and the adoption of the Fifteent
Amendment is largely due to his exertion
IS in Congress. Not content with this. he &C
d vocated with characteristic persistency th
d bestowal of every conceivable privilege ur
e on his colored citizens and he may /
Il said to have died with the Civil Rights bi
in his hand.
The case presented by our council to tt
Geneva Arbitration, whether sound or e,
= travagant, was but the echo of two elab
rate speeches of Mr. Sumner on that que
ton; thus showing that his was the gui
= ing mind, his the moulding hand, whi(
arranged the facts and raised the issue +;
the American side for that tribunal
After Mr.. Summers displacement fro
the Craftsmanship of the Committee
Foreign Relations he ceased to take an a
tive part in the proceedings of the Senat
He felt that he had been deeply wound,
}, in the houseof his friends, and he turn,
his face to the wall
~ Four times Massachusetts elected hi
y to the Senate; but in frenzied nome
supple partlsans, bowling low at the footsto
of power, placed on the records of Il
O Legislature resolution calling in quests
" his patriotic devotion to his country. 1t
well for his maligners that he lived loi
enough to see this attempted stigma up
el an honored name blotted out by repenta
ne hands,
e. Mr.. Sumner widely differed with t
80 President in the last national contest, al
- could not conscientiously give him his su
- port for a second term. He may safe
he rest upon the verdict which large majC
ity of the Republican party have since pl
nv nounced upon the wisdom of his cours
sB The name of Sumner will be remember
ire when that of Grant moulders in obliv
ton The pen of the near future "
faithfully record the merits and demer
y of each.
In this hurried sketch we have enter
upon no minute or even general estimate
Mr.. Summers public character and care,
ed, Nor need we for his great life is his b
led graphy his lamented death is his obitual