The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-19
"REMINISCENCES OF SUMNER.
TIE HON r. T.. PyERCF"S LECTURE ON
THE GREAT STATESMAN.
Summers Early Dnys-His Strong Attach
ments and Influential Friends-Ifis Intel
lcctuai Training, Travels md Pursuits.


lectuai Training, Travels md Pursuits.
The Hon. Edward L. Pierce Of Milton.
Mass. delivered lecture last evening before
the Long Island Historical Society. on the social
life and character of tho Hon. Charles sumner
In the centre OF st. Paul's Churchyard. New
York. said he. lie two stones. placed there by
the Society Of the Cincinnati in commcmoration
oftwo glorious soldiers Of the Revolution. 0ac
was u Georgia officer, the other Major Job
Sumner OF Massachusetts,. the grandfather of
Charles Sumner a patriot and scholar who closed
his books at the first drum beat OF the Rcvolu-
ton. and entered the service of his country.
His son. Charles Sumner. the Sheriff OF Suffolk
county Mass. was n man Of the sternest in
tegrity and though not n pronounced abolition
ist had n strong sympathy with the anti slavery
cause His wife was true daughter Of the old
\ Plymouth colony. n brave and noble woman 10
bury whom. in Mount Auburn Cemetery. her
son. Charles Sumner. the statesman loft his
post in the councils OF the nation for the only
time he ever nbscntcd himself from his duty
there except after the Brooks assault.
OF this stock Charles Sumner. the subject Of
this address. was born In 1911. At the age of 10
years ho entered tho Latin school in Boston.
At ii he wrote n compendium Of English his
tory. He was close student. cleaning knOwl-
edge both from books and men. and he cvlnccd.
even in his earHest years. n thoushtiulness and
studious carnestncss that characterized him
throughout life. Singuarly enough. in Wow Of
his attitude on the peace question in later years
his youthful tastes were military. and his father
sought to obtain cadetship at West Point for
him. The endeavor was unsueccssiul. how
ever. and IN. 1926 Charles sumner became
student in Harvard College. His great ENJOY
ment was then in intellectual EXERCISES or DO
bate. in which he took su N pleasure as other
youths Mt similar age take in physical excrcises
He had greet nsrtinacity q purpose. little IL
In n long pedestrian tour he in company with
some others. undertook TO bennington. Lake
Champlnin. and Saratoga. The others weariod
OF the long, monotonous tramp. and kept drop
ping out. ridin; on stage coaches and wagons,
nut he ,plodde on every foot Of tho way. and
lie took the s'cond Bolton prize and invested
the money IN standard books. some of which he
kepi ougEout his life. Upon leaving college
he devoted year to general study and reading.
ana then. WIN some inisgivlng, chose the law
r5on nj nr25irss.en 5 qMd vent Psfs e. Cambridse.
the admiration Of the famous mon who were
then the teachers in the Harvard Law School.
Judge story there formed his acquaintance. az
gured warm friendship for him. and doubt
less had much influence upon the moulding Of
his character nud aims IN iifr He theu ftaukly
confessed To- his most intimaie friends what was
his real ambition in life. He Inspired to know
the law rs q science and not merely to follow It
AZ n III 'rative occupation. and looked forward TO
the bench or the professors chair as the high
est reward 10 his tolls.
height thin and gaunt ~ face and form, weigh
inS only 100 pounds. his visase sharp. his eyes
no, at all like himself as he appeared in the
noble port OF later life. His step was very swift:
his voice was strong. clear. s2norous; he had Il
genial smilr, and his great charms were his per-
kindness 70, HI; follow students. his ccnsidera, i
all. William Story then going to college AMI
orous and indciatisnbe student. He allowed
ii H. al fhi4 rut.
,fic,,atipn 9f his admiration for Frances A. Kim
ball, the then famous actress. whom he used TO
panied by Wendell Phillips ana William KusseiI
,,tpon finishing his legal studies he visited
Washington. but hnd little idea that that was To
be the field OF his future greatness. From there
he wrote homo 20 his father tina, the moro
them. He returned to b ston and established
hims"li there IN lazy ofce: There were not
now are. and LAWYERS then were Ike one family,
haylns much friendly and social intercourse
among thrm. sgmn'r's 4 9iIiee became a place
drufgery. but had not much uractre. His oc-
cuVhtions in reporting cases for the judges.
wr.in. upo n law quisiions, &c., interfercd with
the routine ~ practice, and he had few clients
formed many OF his most valued. lifelong
friendships AMONG tho eminent iurists an II
lut his so'iai circle was liniitel. During thisi
DR.. Licbcr. whosc earu.stucss. cn:huaiasm.
high nrinrip,es AMI lofty thought bcyonl qu"s-
qualities ~ Charles sumner. IN whom they
were already CONSPICUOUS.
In isJ7 he formed one u group Of famous
young mon, n" i've ~ clUl =. IL they ca.lct
lhensolys. The other four wcrc Clcyelnnd.
Frton. Hillari .nl lQnE,4llow. sumner. then
They mot almost weekly gen. rally on Saturday
afternoons. 10 talk oi society, their week = ex-
periences. nsw books their individual plans
q rrll ot Literature which one or another ~
them hai not udy'rsed. each took an interest
tIAA f b. : ~ fNfat T.
of tho others on his work hciore ii was giyen t.
tho public and thoy revealed their inliyidual-
t.s To rnch 9th as men seldom do.
dreums of his life that Of visiting Europe.
Among the many friends he made abroad tho
famous American sculptor Thomas Crawford
Romo, VIZ one. @ini sGmneT WIEN upon ii'' his
stalun of Orpheus-s,ill to be seen IN The Buston
Art NGseumTIsave the lifst imretas to his
his dearcst friends. and thoir friendship was
scaled by long services together in the cuusc II
elueatign, prison discipline, and human frec-
dom. Prescott, the historian, WAS also his
friend, AMI when Beacon street Shut IL doors
AGAINST Sumner because he ospousci the anti
opened gladly 10 receive him. DIR. Claiming
Ionsfcllow and Ak ss2 were anon. his M II
lows house lie was a welcome guest Tor thirty
.. .. In NV York he hoi circle Of a,tachci
end lwGr. ,hi7 son, William Kent; Theodore
SglsYlck j; Harvey. u. Jays h,thor and son
Hosacks of Hyde Park and 70 his latest days.
whom he came to New York. he never failed to
Gp"ll upon his old and dear. friends I.icber,
were not bound to him ny any hopruf patron
agn or ofllce: he had no retHinors 10 provide
Tor, no ! arHoual obligations to discharge.
His su.n@th lay in the confidence, The aler-
tions, and the moral sentiments ~ the peoplr
the surest foundations Of Il statesman 5 power
His personal habits were worry simple. While
his mother liyel his home WIS with her. After
her death he l!vod at tho Coolidge House. when
In Boston and never owned a house Of hi. own
until six years before his death. in Washington
Then his home was illled with rare books en-
cravings. objects Of art nni NeTtu, aud there he
dispensed the most liberal hospitality 10 ALL
sp'riH!iy 10 foreigners with whom he always
liked 10 cOnN RS.
Bauer and neanier's Bears.
BurElnrs cntarnA Athlotic Unll AZ lnl prlnnn