New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-03-19
CHARLES SUMNER.
Mourning in, Washington.

touched the popular heart of the capital than
event of a similar nature since the assassina-
ton of President Lincoln. Even nature
seemed to mourn, for she hung, during the
morning, dull, leaden clouds i'll the skies, ana
sent a sharp, cutting March wind, which
whstlcd around the corners and carried great
clouds of sand along the broad avenues OF this
CITY. More imposing funeral ceremonies have
been witnessed in Washington, but none
that were more appreciated or were joined
in with more earnest, sincere feeling OF
grief by the people, have ever occurred here:
REGIMENTS of soldiers with muflled drums and
reversed arms have escorted up the avenue
the remains of dead heroes, but nothing
could have more greatly shocked the sensl-
billtes of those who knew him best and loved
him most, than to have seen military pa
rade at Charles Summers funeral, for one oil
his most cherished aims in life was to do
what he could to make war unnecessary
The three hundred cOlored men who, moved
by one impulse, and without any formal ar
rancemcnt, fell into line and did what they
could to show their appreciation OF what he
had done for their race, formed lar more
appropriate and suggestive funeral procession
for the great champion of once down-trod-
den but now politically redeemed race, than
an army of soldiers, or 4 hundred civic So
cieties.
AT THE RESIDENCE.
The members of the Massachusetts, dele
CATION and the Committee of the Senate ana
House, assembled at Mr.. Sumners's residence
early in the morning to accompany the BODY
to the Capitol A few personal friends OF
the deceased Senator were also admitted
The coffin containing the body was placed IN
the little south pariOr looking out on l.atay-
cite square. n wreath of white azaleas and
%, l.iN
Tie lii. Tho face of the dead had lost its
natural color in the process OF embalinnS,
but the features wore an expression OF ma
jestic dignity and repose. The walls OF the
room and of the larger parlor beyond the
hall were lined with the paintings the Sena-
tor had collected during his foreign travels,
and with bookcases filled with the rare and
curious books, missals, and manuscripts IN
which he took such pleasure. EVERYWHERE
the eye met objects that were silently elo-
quent of that fine, scholarly, and artistic
culture which so distinguished him from all
the public men of the day, and one could not
but wonder into what strange and unsympa-
thetlc hands these precious relics, that had
been his solace in hours OF illness and his
relaxation amid the harrassing cares OF polit-
ical life, would fall. Outside the house a
large crowd of colored people waited pa
tiently in the cold March wind, talking OF
the great loss their race had suffered in the
death of their most devoted friend.
TIE PROCESSION TO TIE CAPITOL.
At $3.50 the coffin was carried ont by six
colored policemen of the Capitol force, under
direction of the Sergeant-at-Arms, and placed
in a hearsc drawn by four white horses. The
carriages of the committees of the two
Houses preceded the hearse, which was fol-
lowed by a body of about 800 colored men on
foot, headed by Frederick Douglass, Gov.
Pinchback, MIR. WOrmly, the Rev. DIR. Crum-
nell, Mr.. Cook, and other prominent men,
and afterwards by the carriages Of the Mas
sachusetts Representatives. The procession
moved past the Treasury aud down Fifteenth
street, to Pennsylvania avenue, and up the
long avenue to the Capitol. On all the pub
lie buildings and hotels there were flags
flying at hall-mast.
| MOURNING DRAPERY AND FLORAL DECORA-
TONS.
The people began to gather at the Capitol
before 9 O'Clock. Policemen stationed at
the entrance to the rotunda, kept back the
crowd, which struggled for admission, and
guarded the catalfalque, which was placed
| in the center, beneath the dome. Prepare
tons for the ceremonies, under the direction
of Scrgeant-at-Arms French, had occupied
| the entire night. Black drapery had been
hung over each entrance to the rotunda, upon
! the maj" r''-nns that support the main pOr-
t'Co 9i tic )itOl, over the entrances to the
Sanal, Cham. err, around the galleries in the
/ hail aluH. 20 corridor loading to the cast
I door Of ...o Senate wing, and upon the
columns at It's front. Mr.. Summers chair in
the Senate Chamber was hung with Grape,
and modest boquet of delicate white flowers
and viOlcts was upon his desk.
| The procession entered the east front of
| 1n rot ppI, Of oh 1Dl oto1pnl- hn Il ~
was placed upon low cataialque, the walnut
lid removed, and the floral offerings placed
upon the glass. These consisted of wreaths
crosses, pyramids, broken columns, and other
emblems, formed oftube-rOses, azaleas, Gala
lilies, gcraniums, violets, and other appro.
pirate flowers. Some were sent by the ladies
of the Massachusetts delegation, some BY
Mr.. Summers personal friends and admirers
and some of the most beautiful by Mrs
Butler, a colOred lady of this city, and b,
the colored female dOorkecper in the Senate
gallery.
VIEWING TIE REMAINS.
The colored men who had escorted the
remains to the Capitol and who, when the
procession entered had ranged themselves
around the rOtunda, were first admitted tc
view the remains and as they passed the cof
fin in single file, many of them were unable
to conceal the depth of their grief. When
the doors were thrown open to the multitude
a stream OF sad-faccd people poured in at the
western door and passed across the rOtunda
between lines of policemen and out by the
eastern portico, getting only glance of the
face of the dead Senator as they walked by
For about two hours the thrOng passed in
and out, and in that time probably 10 ,OOt
people, at least half of whom were colored
had an opportunity of seeing the calm, I'M
pres>ive, statue-like face in the flower-loadet
casket. The crowd remained upon the three
portions OF the eastern front of the Capitol
and on the broad space before the building
until the exercises were finished in the Sen
ate, and the procession moved down the hill
toward the railway station. So large an as
sembly has never been seen on any similar
occasion in Washington since the funeral O.
Lincoln. 1t was plain from the faces of th,
crowd that curiosity to witness the pageantr,
Of a public funeral had not attracted them tC
the place. All through the corridors ant
passages of the building, which were fillet
with people, and on the dcnsely packed Dor
tcos and the flights of steps leading to them
there was decorum and solemnity of dc
meanor as If the waiting crowds were i'm the
immediate presence of the dead. The dealt
of the great champion of liberty and justice
seemed to touch all hearts with sense O
personal grief as well as of public calamity
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
The house met at noon, and after a reces.
OF twenty minutes the members formed in
line by twOs and marched over to the Senate
LED by the Speaker and Clerk, and the mem
bers of the Committee appointed to attend
the funeral cortege to Boston. The latter
wore broad scarfs of white silk, fastened
| will hloo N A n ~