Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-12-29
TRAITS OF SUMNER.

[E. Ererett Hole. in Boston Book Bulletin !
No man could have more loyal following"
than Mr.. Sumner had in Massachusetts, out
side the city of Boston. The puritaniSm of
Massachusetts, which is, thank God. as strong
as it ever waS,-if one give To the word puri-
tanism its true meaning,-found in him just
the idealiSt that II liked and Loyalty il sustain
ed him. PuritaniSm means the devotion to an
idea, and the carrying that idea out, pure and
simple, in the practical affairs Of men. At a
certain time the thoughtful people of Mas
sachusetts persuaded themselves that
the institution of slavery corrupted and de-
bauched all political combinations which it
touched. They found in Boston this bold pub
lie speaker, of great learning, Of absolutely
pure morals. without any political ambition at
that time who believed what they believed
and dared say it sufficiently we'll Because of
this, they made him Senator. Because of this
they Kept him i'm the Senate,
All this time great number of the people
who knew him personally could hardly abide
him. They called him arrogant, which he was
not. They called him awkward, which he
was. He had none of the elegances of social
life. He would put thorn into the sensitive
on lady's dress, and he would never guess
that he had wounded either. He would talk
about himself. if it happened to be necessary
to illuminate his object, as readily as he
would talk about julius Cesar. Perhaps he
borrowed this habit from the French. There
was no real cOnceit i'm this but critics thought
there was. The truth was, that he Was always
absorbed so profoundly in his object, that ne
thought very little of himself, or other people,
who were pursuing it together. So the great
aim was gained. what matter who stumbled
or even fell on the way? All this has been
perfectly well known by the men of his
own time; and il comes out all the more ex-
quisitively in the biography, because Mr.
Pierce. his blographer, who Is OF younger
generation. does not seem to understand il
himself, and seems TO think that all people
who diSliked Mr.. Sumner, or who laughed at
him, disiked the cause which he sustained.
Mr.. Sumner never had the slightest sense of
humOr. He would tell stories of his converse
President was making fun of him all along
and he never once guessed it. Il talked to the
President for hours he said once. land after
all, he got up and said something which seemed
as IL had not said Il word to him." The truth
was, he hardly knew what fun was. Nothing
is more droll than Mr.. Pierces picture of his
hrst plea He was defending man for send
ing a challenge. So, with his characteristic
fullneSs," he had to review the celebrated
English and French duels, lucky was the
court, indeed. il he did not go back into tour
namentS and the history of chivalry. One has
only To reproduce i'm memory the municipal
court of those days, with Judge Thatcher on
the bench and Mr.. Parker for the common
wealth, To see why such men did not, at the
blush. form a very high conception of the
judgment of the young attorney, who at %
years of age favored them with such plea
Fortunately for the world, i'm times of crisis
men do not ask whether their leaders are men
of tact or not. but whether they are men of
courage and principle In Charles Sumner.
Massachusetts had man who was not afraid.