Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-05-06

prOStrated MN with the acuteSt suffering,
and which shortly would lay him low. 1t
admonshed him that every word he spoke
might be his last. He found himself forced
to leave the field of Il contest in which not
only his principles of right. but even his
good name, earned by so many years of
faithful effort. was at sta ke.
From Europe. Mr.. Sumner returned late
in the fall of 1872. much strengthened.
but far from being we'll At the opening
of the session, he retroduced two meas
urcs which, as he thought should complete
the record of his political life One was
his civil rights bill, which had failed in
the last Congress, and the other II resolu-
ton providing that the names of battles
won over fellow-citizens in the war of the
rebellion should be removed from the regi-
mental colors of the army, and from the
army register. 1t was indeed only repi-
tition of II resolution which he had intro
duced, ten years before, in 1862 during
the war, when the first names of victories
were put on American battle-hags This
resolution called forth IA new storm against
him. 1t was denounced rs an insult to the
heroic soldiers of the Union, and a degra-
dation Of their victories and well-earned
laurels. 1t was condemned as an unpatri-
otic act. Charles Sumner insult the sol
diers who had spilled their blood in a war
| for human rights. Charles Sumner de-
grade victories and depreciate laurels won
for the cause of universal freedom. How
strange an imputation,
Let the dead man have Il hearing. This
was his thought: No civilized nation.
from the republics of antiquity down to
our days, ever thought it wise or patri-
otic to preserve in conspicuous and dura-
bic form the mementoes of victories won
over fellow-citizens in civil war. Who not ?
Because every citizen shall feel himself with
all others as the child of a common country
| and not as a defeated foe. All civilized
governments of our DAYS have irstinctively
| followed the same dictate of wisdom and
patriotism. The 1rishman, when fighting
| for old England ut Waterloo. was not to
behold on the red cross floating above him
| the name of the Boyne. The Scotch High
lander, when standing in the trenches of
Sebastapol, was not by the colors of his
regiment to be reminded of Culloden. No
| French soldier at Austerlitz or SolferinO
| had to read upon the tricolOr any reminis-
cence of the Vendee. No Hungarian ut
Sadowa was taunted by any Austrian ban
ner with the surrender of Villages. No
| German regiment, from SaXony or Han
over, charging under the iron hail of
| Gravelotte, was made To remember by
words written on Il Prussian standard that
the black eagle had conquered them ut
koniggratz and Langensalza. Should the
son of South Carolina. when at some fI-
ture day defending the republic against
some foreign foe, be reminded by an in
scription on the colors floating over him,
that under this flag the gun was fired that
killed his father at Gettysburg? Should
this great and enlightened republic, proud
of standing in the front of human progress
be less wise, less large-hearted, than the
ancients We're, 2000 Years ago, and the
governments of Europe are, to-day? Let
| the battle-tlags of the brave volunteers
which they brought home from the wal
with the glorious record of their victories
/ be preserved intact rs a proud ornament
Of our state houses and arinOries. But
let the colors of the army, under which
| the sons of all the states are TO meet anC
mingle in common patriotism, speak o
nothing but union. not union of conquer
ors and conquered. but II union which i,
the mother of ALL equally tender to all
knowing of nothing but equality, peace
and love among her children. Do YOU
want shining mementoes of Your victories
They are written upon the dusky brow o
every freeman who was once Il slave; they
are written on the gate posts of Il restored
Union, and the most shining of all will bt
written on the faces of a cOntented people
reunited in common national pride.
Such were the sentiments which inspired
that resolution Such were the sentiments
which called forth a storm of Obloquv
Such were the sentiments for which the
| legislature of Massachusetts passed Il
solemn resolution of censure upon Charles
Sumner-MasSachus his own Mass
achusetts whom he loved so ardently will
Il filial love-of whom he was so proud
who had honored him so much in days
gone by, and whom he had so long and :,
faithfully labored to serve and to honor
Oh, those were evil days, that winter
DAYS sud and dark. when he sat there il
his lonesome chamber unable TO leave il
the world moving around him, and in it s.
much that was hostile-and he Frustrated
by the tormentng disease. which had re
turned with fresh violence unable to de
fend himself-and with this bitter arrow
in his heart, Why was not that resolution
held up to scorn and vituperation rs an in
suit to the brave and an unpatriotic act
WHY WIS It iIOI ittl'tN ht'l siiIti
for it when he first offered it, ten years be
fore, and when he was in the fulness o
manhood and power? If not then, VIII,
now? | shall never forget the melanchol,
hours | sat with him. seeking to lift hin
up with cheering words. and he,-hi
frame for hours racked with eXcruciatin!
pain, and then exhausted with suffering
cloomily brooding over the thought tina
: L., Il 70 How th, N f,1l | how
thankful every human soul in Massachu
sets, every American must be, that he di,
, not die then and. indeed, more thai
once, death seemed to be knocking at hi
door How thankful that lie was spare
to see the day, when the people by strikin:
developments were convinced that thos
. who had acted as he did, had after all nc
! been impelled by mere whims of vanit
or reckless ambition. or sinister designs
but had good and patriotic reasons fo
!, what thev did; when the heart of Mass
achusetts came back to him, he wou
, again be her chosen son for her represen
tative seat in the house of states; whe
} the lawgiverS of the Old Commonwealth
: obeving an irresistible impulse of justice
l wiped away from the records of the legs
: lature, and from the fair name of the state
, that resolution of censure which had stun
! him so deeply-and when returning vigo
lifted him up, and a new sunburst Of hop
: illumined his life. How thankful we al
are that he lived that one year longer.
And yet, have you thought of it, if he had died
those dark days when SO many clouds hung over hin
same Charles Summer, whose death but year late
afflicted millions of hearts with of bereavement
whose praise is now every lip for the purity of
e his fidelity to great principles and for the loft
ness of his patriotism? Was he not a year ago tt
same the same in principle, the same in character
What had he done then that so many who praise hin
= today, should have then disowned him? See what /
had done He had simply been true to his conviction
OF duty He had approved and urged what he though
right; he had attacked and opposed what he though
wrong To his convictions OF duty he had sacrifice
2tiea IN most dear 20 nm Fa+ s the security
OF duty he had stood up against those more powerf
than he; he had exposed himself to reproach obloeu
and persecution Had he not done So, he would ne
have been the you praise today and yet for don
So he was cried down but yesterday. He had lived U
to the great words ne spoke wnen ne the Sena
declaration greeted with applause; and when tru
to his word he refused to call party master, the
was covered with reproach. The spirit impelling hi