The Portland daily press., 1877-12-08
Recent Publications.


The will of Charles Sumner bequeathed to
Henry W. Longfeliow, Francis V. Balch and
Edward L. Pierce, as trustees, all his papers,
manuscripts and letter-books, with permission
to make extracts for publication. From these
papers Edward L. Pierce has prepared "Me-
moir and Letters Of Charles Sumner" In the
two volumes now published Boston: Roberts
Brothers; Portland: Loring, Short & Harmony
we have Summers whole course of life from
his birth in Boston in 1911 to the delivery in
1S45 Of his Grafton on "The True Grandeur of
Nstions''-an oration which marks the begin
ming of his public career. In the life of man
like Sumner nothing is too trivial to record,
aud in the voluminous details of Mr.. Pierce s
work is its greatest charm. From the time he
learned his pot-hooks Sumner anticipated his
biographers. His pen was always in his hand,
and that lofty pride and self-esteem which in a
lesser man would have been egotism led him
to record all the doings of bis daily life, to
note (as foreseeing they would be of public in
terest in times to Gomez his impressions of the
men and things about him. Mr.. Pierces task
is confined to genealogical sketch of the
Sumner family and to the editing of the jour-
mails and correspondence of its illustrious men,
ber. The labor is not one tof ease, for Charles
Sumner had an almost superstitious reverence
for manuscript and kept every scrap of writing
he ever received. 1t is done with rare good
Judgment, delicacy and taste, and the result is
a memoir fit to be placed by the side of Tick
nor's.
The description of Summers boyhood and of
his college days is of value as showing the de-
velopment of those shining qualities which in
after life gave him his great repute as phil
anthropist and statesman. From the first he
exhibited the taste for classical and rhetorical
culture afterwards so characteristic of him;
but his mental growth, as is so frequently the
case in men OF great staying power, was slow,
and there was little in his youth which fore
shadowed bis future greatness. In one partic-
ular-the lack Of hnmor-ths boy was the
image Of the man. Story, speaking of him
at Harvard, says: "Though be was an inter
esting talker he had no lightness of hand. he
was never ready at retort, tackled slewly,
like frigate when assaulted by singing fell
uccas, and was at this time almost impervious
to joke" Holmes describes him as san smia-
BILE, singe-hsarted, blameless young man;
pleasant, affable, cheerful, with little imagna-
tion, wit, or sense of humor L remember
Park Benjamin said of him, in bis rather ex-
travagalt way, that il one told Charles Sum-
ner that the Union was m ade of green cheese he
would controvert the alleged fact in all sincerity,
and give good reason why it could not be sc"
Bat for all this want of brilliancy he attracted
the attention and won the friendship of super
ior men. who perceived his nobility Of soul,
his fidelity to duty, his courage of conviction
which in the troublous times to come led him
to forsake his lettered ease and take up the
ministry of pain.
Europe was the dream of Summers youth
aud after the eomplesitn of his law studies he
undertook the long.contenp plated voyage. His
letters from the old world and his Journal while
abroad take up more than half these volumes
and are to the general reader the most inter-
estng portions, for they describe the famous
people whom he met. In England he enjoyed
exceptional social advantages, and the cordial
ity of his reception astonished Abraham Hay
ward, who said: "Sunner's social success at
this early period, before his reputation
was established, was most remarkable. He
was a welcome guest Sat most of the best
houses in town ard country, and the impress
ion he uniformly left was that of an amiabe,
sensible, high-mindsd, well-informed gentle
man. But his powers of conversation were
not striking; and when you ask me to recall
the qualities which account for his success. L
most frankly own that it was and is to me os
much puzzle as the eminent and widespread
success of your oountrymen land townsman
/. George Ticknor. At the same time feel salts
fed that in each instance the successes was in-
disputable and we'll deserved"
Summers recorded impressions of the celeb
rites he met make very entertaining reading
Peel impressed him By his graceful, polished,
self-possessed and candid speech. Lord John
Russell rose in his mind the more Sumner list
ened to him, though with his diminutiye and
rickety persoa he recalled pettifogging attor
ney who lived near Lsohmere Point. Carlyle
seemed to Sumner ''like an Inspired boy; truth
and thoughts that made one move on the
benches came from his apparently unconscious
mind, couched in the most grotesque style and
yet condensed TO degree Of intensity. if may
SO write. He is the zerah Colburn of thought;
childlike in manner and feeling. aud yet reach
Ing by Intuition points and extremes of ratio
cnation which others would not SO we'll accom-
lish after days of labor Landor told Sumner
that he considered Shakespeare and Washing
ton the two greatest men that ever lised, and
Cromwell one of tbs greatest sovereigng, while
he criticised his visitors use of the word ashes,
instead of remains, of the sage of Mount Yer
non. Macaulay is described as now nearly or
about forty, rather short, and with belly of
unclassical proportions. Later. Sumner says
Macaulay was truly oppressive in conversation
and his wonderful attainments poured out &c
will only made his lack of grace 10 body, face
and voice mora noticeable. Lord Brougham s
abilities, which Sumner rated very high, hardly
impressed him more than his profanity. His
Lordship swore more than any person he met
in England, and this in conversation with an
aged clergyman. OF Clay aud Webster
Brousham seemed to know or care little, and,
though he professed an Interest 10 America,
did not seem to care to speak about it, Jeffrey 8
talent, fertility Of expression and unlimited in
formation greatly impressed Sumner. Bulwer
is depreciatingly referred to with his "hash,
falsetto dress" Summers first experience in
fox hunting was unsuccessful ''My horse" he
says, "cleared fence and brook and cleared
him, going directly over his head" Interest,
ing descriptions of Leading English lawyers and
judges ara given in letters to Judge Story.
Hallam, Leigh Hunt, Wordsworth, Campbell
and others are described. OF the latter it is
said, "Hs takes brandy and water instead Of
wine. He did not get to throwing decanters OF
their shoppers; though when he left (Which was
sufficiently early) his steps did not appear very
steady He enforces most all that he says by
an OATH" On Summers complaining to Hook
of the horrid fogs Of London winters, he said.
"You are right; our atmosphere ia nothing but
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