Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-03-18

In the campaign Of 1860 Mr.. Sumner
ssot no very active part, but he was ear.
aestly il favor Of Mr.. Liucols, and urged
HE election az dsty vhish the country
,ni the North especially owed to itself, in
making first stasd sgaisst the sggras-
sioDs of slavery. The election ever and
Mr.. Lincoln elected, Nr. Sumner bstsot
himself to hts sphere Of labor at Washing
ton. Prom the beginning Of the session he
opposed anything like compromise. De
opposed the Crittenden resolutien, and on
the occas sisn Of the presentation Of me-
mortal from Massach asetts in favor of that
resolution, he said that the snly thing for
the North to do was to stand irm in its
position; and to Mr. Crittenden be said,
II have missed no opportunity, direct or
indirect, of voting against his propositions,
from beginning to end, every line and ev-
cry word of them" The well-meant cf.
forts of those who were disposed to conciI
ate came to naught, and Mr. Sumner took
earnest and decided ground for the pres
ervatou of the Union by force.
The election of 1860 and the abandon
ment of their posts by the southern sena'
tors made the senate strongly republican,
and Mr.. Sumner was, by the action Of his
political friends, placed in the position Of
chairman of the committee on foreign re.
lations, for which his taste and experience
fitted him. The history of the years of
the war is crowded with the name Of the
ssachusetts senator. He took a leading
part in the debates on every measure re-
lating to the attitude Of the government
toward the institution Of slavery. He
was interested in the treatment Of slaves
who escaped to the protection Of our lines
from their rebel masters he laborea in
ccssantly to take away the reproach OF
slavery at the national capital ho watch
ed with increasing vigilance the course OF
our generals With respect to the colOred
race, called the attention Of the senate to
violations Of what he conceived to be the
true rule concerning them, be led in the
rsjoieings over the extinction of the slave
trade; he urged emancipation as the only
efectual methsd Of conqucring the South
he early introduced and defended an
amendment to the Constitution declaring
all persons equal before the law, so that
no person could hold another to service
he took as active part in the repeal oi
fagitive slave law he even called atten
tion to the exclusion Of colored persons
from the Washington stroet-cars while al
yet slavery was not abolished.
All this was in perfect accord witt
what he had during his whole public lif,
desired to do. Standing in senate il
which he and his party had a majority
5 he carried out boldly and unAinchlngly
f the policy which he had proclaimed as th'
right policy while as yet he was in petit.
minority. But he was not wholly absorb
| ed in these questions; his was the dut,
Of representing the State Department il
/ the senate. An objection from him stop
: ped the hasty passage Of a resolution
. commenting the seiznre Of Messrs. Masol
/. and Slidcll, and when the resolution cam
9 up for action he delivered long aud ab
r speech, showing that the seizure was il
accordance with British precedents, tn
: delivery Of the captured rebels consist en-
with American demands in somewha
+. similar cases. Tho creation of mission
e to the black republics Of Haiti and Liberi
0 was also within the sphere Of his duty a
Q leader on foreign relations. But in gen
Q eral during the war the leading principl
Of our diplomacy was to avoid givin
e needless offence, and it was therefore Mr.
{ Summers part to defeat mischievous meas
g ures rather than advocate any positive ac
ton. How well he seconded the diploma
g cy of Mr.. Seward is known by all who hav
d studied the matter Of our foreign rea
tlons during the war.
!, Mr.. Summers activity in the senate di
y not prevent him from engaging in the wa
j. for the Union outside of that assembly
! As early as October, 1861, he addrcsse
9 the republican State convention at Wol
4 cester, in a long and earnest speech, prt
IS posing emancipation as the true solutio
d of our national difficulties, and again,
i New York city, in the following moutl
a he further advocated the same policy. II
y rarely participated in active politics, e,
D cept, in the Senate chamber yet h
Q speeches were always we'll considered ar
n commanded the attention of the countl
d by their force and power.
i. With the close of the war came ne
h and pressing issues. What was to be IL
'- fate Of the emancipated slaves IIO
nl were tho States whose government b'
te been left in obcyance to be reorganized
NJ Mr.. Summers views were very decide