New-York tribune., 1874-03-21
CONVERSATIONS WITH MR.. SUMNER.

COIoRED PEOPLE.
To the Editor Of The Trtbune.
SIR: Among my last opportunities Of intercourse
with Mr.. Sumner, was a call made at lis residence
on the Saturday evening previous to his death /
found HIM alone, reclining in his easy chair under
the gaslght reading his evening mail He men,
toned, in the course of conversation, that he was
confident that in opposing an international exhib-
ton in 1876 he had helped to save the nation twenty
million dollars He remarked that although he
seemed to have recovered the goodwill of Massa-
chusetts, he had, on the other hand evidently made
enemies in Pennsylvania and he was in daily re-
cetpt of anonymous letters from Philadelphia.
asked If il was possible they were threatening let
ters, and he replied that one Of them contained a
picture of cofin~ 1t reminded him, he said, of the
old times when he used to receive letters telling him
that his days were numbered and that lie must pre-
pare to die, which was all very true" he adIed.
smiling, and a very proper admonition." The SEN
ator appeared to be in his usual health although
have since learned that the afternoon of that
very day, while calling at his colleagues house to
inquire after the latters health he had felt slight
recurrence of his old pain in the region of his heart
But he showed no signs of illness in the evening,
and he must have been free from pain for he several
times laughed heartily at remarks that passed be-
tween us.
During the months of June and July last l saw
Mr. Sumner frequently. Even in that hot season he
still tarried in Washington being busily engaged in
revising his works for publication. Toiling steadily
from in the morning to five the afternoon, he
felt the need of recreation during the reman nder OF
the day, and invited me upon several occasions to
visit him at the latter hour to dine and to drive with
him after dinner, in the warm Summer evenings,
along the broad and through the suburbs of
the city, Some of his other companions in his evening
rides at that time whom heard him mention were
Caleb Cushing the Marquis de Chambrun, and Mrs.
Mary Clemmcr Ames. He enjoyed Mr.. Cushing's COM
pany exceedingly, on account OF bis extensive
Learning and his remarkable agreeableness in con
versaton the Marquis could talk with him mtell-
gently of European news, and Mrs. Ames, sympa-
thizing with him, as she did with all her wolnans
nature, on account of his still enfeebled health, was
doubtless enabled to entertain him with local news
and interesting comments upon passing events. In
conversations with at his diunertabe or rolling
along in his carriage over GEORGETOWN HIghts and
among the hills to the northwaTd of the city, he
spoke of his early days-his career at Harvard,
his studies Of literature and art in Europe and
his life as a Boston lawyer prior TO
his election TO the Senate. 1t was to him. evidently,
a pleasure to recall those well-used days of his
ambitious and active youth remember win what
animation in his narration, and with what detail he
recalled his life in Rome how he pursued his studies
faithfully twelve hours daily, mastering the Italian
language and reading the Italian historians and
poets how he cultivated bis taste for art in the
Vatican and in the palaces of the city with Crawford
for his guide and teacher; how he mOused among
the musty volumes in the libraries of the monasteres
of Northern Italy, enlghteniDg the monks by
accounts of the civilization of the United States OF
the existence of which they had barely heard, and
b,,1; iortt IA iup
of the fathers of their church how, at one time,
filed with scholars zeal, he made pilgrimage to
the birth place of Descares in Touraine and how,
at another he sought out and found, after long per-
severance the grave of Madame De Warens, the
faithful friend and patroness OF Jean jacques
Rousseau. From these conversations was not long
in discovering that Mr.. Sumner had not been mere
professional student of jurisprudence and history,
but that he was true lover OF learning for It's own
sake and felt pious reverence for the heroes OF
literature in all of its departments and In every
age He once told me that a Catholic bishop, after
endeavoring in vain to convert him TO the R0man
faith had finally assured him that, If he would but
read the works of St. Thomas Aquinas, he would
certainly be convinced when the Senator promptly
informed him that be bad already read every word
~ that esteemed father in the original Latin
and thongh he had not become a Catholic IN
religion. he was Catholic enough to admit that
the Angelic Doctor had, in his opinion, one OF the
first of nelects if not the very first that the earth
had known Mr. Sumner added, IN narrating this
incident that in speaking further of Aquinas he ex-
nressed his wonder that one who died so young
should have been able TO write so many works as he
had left behind. WhereupOn the Bishop had as
serted that he lived TO good old age Assuring
him that he was certainly mistaken, the Senator
tnrned to cyclopedia Of biography and showed the
Rshop that the father died at the early age OF A.
remember calling upon the Senator. one evening
ahout wear ago with friend who had spent some
months In Russia and who while the.e and after
ward while freauenting the British Museum, had
made stndy of the lives of the present line Of Rus
sian eu,perors with the view OF writing history OF
the RomanoH family.
IJpop nv mentioning this fact to Mr.. Sumner, he
began Immediately TO speak Of the various members
| of that family aud talked about them without hes-
tation for full half an hour, referring, among other
things to a conversation he once had with the late
| Baron Bunsen, in which the Baron expressed hls
confident belief that Peter Ill. was the last OF the
| Romanoffs, and that of the successors of the
famous Catherine H. could riphtfuy claim that the
blood Of the Romanofs flowed in their veins MY
| friend afterwaTd assured me that Mr.. Snmner had
astonshed him by his familiarity with the subject
| He himself had been making special study OF II
| for many weeks.
James Freeman Clarke of Boston once told friend
that upon occasion he reported to Mr.. Sunner a
compliment which had been paid him. and when he
| witnessed the pleasure with which the Senator re-
| ceived the compliment he realized he had never
done before what courage and strength OF viii thc