New-York tribune., 1880-02-29
THE RECORD OF FIFTY YEARS.
"REMINISCENCES OF A JOURNALIST
BY CHARLES 7. CONGDoN.
STATESMEN, POLITICIANS AND ORATORS.

STATESMEN. POLITICIANS AND ORATORS
CHARLES SUMNER - WILLIAM II. SEWARD - THE
BOSTON CoNsERvATlvEs-GEoRGE S. HliLAkD-
FREDERICK DOUGLASS AND TIE GARRlsoNIANs
In the present number of this series snail con-
tinue to speak mainly CT men. Events are usually
better remembered than those who were actors IN
them; and even of characters whose RECORD Is
prominent in history. the memory soon becomes
mythical and dim. The recollections OF contem-
porary, however unmportant they may otherwise
be. NAV have some value and some nterest-if
nothing be extenuated and nothing set down III
malice-as the impressions of one who had some
opportnnity O! personally studying those whom he
attempts to portray.
The Republican party was predeshnate-the Mas
sachuset;s Coalition but an episode III the
steady and ceaseless march of the inevitable. From
any abstract moral standpoint, it was lndetenSibc'
md il was particularly open to attack, because IL
madelarge pretensions TO superior conscientious
ness and talked with peculiar voiubility OF the
shame of doing evil that good might come. AFTER
all these changes in the body polite, many OF whch
regard not merely with appreciation but profound
gratitude my opinion of the Massachusetts Coali-
ton of 1851 which afterwards opposed to the best
OF my humble ability, is not changed III sent MI
Sumner TO the Senate, but he would have gone there
soon enough without recourse to dubious methods.
Young men OF the State did the same. But he was
from the start man of dissent. l do not believe
that there was any selfish method in what was de-
nounced as his radical madness by the snug con-
seryatism of Boston but do think that he had
native lave of attracting attention, ana that
be gravitated naturally to startling opposl-
ton He irst made noise as peace
man; and his grafton given IN Boston on
the 4th of July, 1S45 on The True Grandeur
of Nations" in which he denounced not only war
but preparations for war, gave great offence 10 the
young Boston gentlemen who held commissions or
marched as privates in the crack volunteer COM
panies OF that city" the Tigers" 1.-THE Cadets"
''the Ancient and Honorable Artillery" The ora
ton made a great deal Of fuss. and helped TO en-
bitter the hard feeling with which Mr.. Sumner was
afterwards regarded in certain circles Naturally he
became one of the Conscience WhiGs-thOse honest
folk who made the State Conventions OF the
party uncomfortable. The lines were soon and
straightly drawn, MIR. Sumner, the pet of Judge
Story the Lecturer at the Harvard Law School, the
Editor of Tie AmeicaR JUrSt, went over to the Free
Soil party in 1S4S, and spoke and voted for Dlr an
Buren,. Beacon-st. was aghast, as 1t bad reason 10
be- IL was still painfully astOnished when
three years after, the Democrats and Free Soiiers
sent this boiling. higher law man to occupy the old
chair OF Daniel Webster. The political history OF
the Senator from that time forward is too well
known to require q narrative here. After
the brutal assault which be sustained in
1856 at the murderous hands of Preston s. Brooks.
he was never the same man. Something of his
Youthful. salient force was gone, and he was con-
stantly laborng under the disadvantages OF Ill
health He had not originally that practical capacity
for public affairs which distinguished his colleague,
Mr. Wilson; and the tendency of lis oratorical
efforts was rather toward the judicial than the
tf,a1 oct nFtah nf q nad
In his speeches and just suspicion of arrogance in
their delivery He was himself greatly self-sus-
tanned with such feeling that he was right, that
il mounted TO self-complacency. He was scholar,
and he put too much scholarship into his Senatorial
addresses Great orator as he was he neither
possessed nor claimed anv remarkable ability
debaier. lie moved slowly, and did his fine
things with careful elaboration. 1t was no credit
to the Republican party of Massachusetts that a
faction of il would have been glad TO remove him
from the Senate; If be was in any danger OF that
indignity, after his noble support OF Dir. Greeley
for the Presidency In 1872 as l suppose that he
was. death kindly saved him from the modification.
His last years were variously and cruelty embit-
tered il was all tragic ending of a career so
brilliantly begun The last time saw him was IN
THE TRIBUNE Office during the canvass of 1872. AS
be sat waiting for the Editor whom he wished to see,
glanced at him from my desk with feeling OF pain
such as have seldom experienced respecting pub
lie man. The day was warm, and he had evidently
been exhausted by the toll of mounting the stairs
"Eheu quantum mutatus alb illo! SAID 10 my
self as l saw how hard fortune had broken that
noble FORM and bitter experiences. public and pri-
yate stolen its muscular elasticity. L remem-
bered him. standing sturdy upon urold platforms,
almost arrogant in the consciousness of intellectual
and physical strength full OF early vigor, and di-
lating with the courage of opinion-the AJAX about
whom the young men of Massachusetts, rallied for
MANY moral contest, and followed In the onset OF
many forlorn political hope. This. then, was
what they had brought him to-the murderous,
man-steang oligarchy this was the martyr made
so by "the institution" " in that last death-throe,
when it could argue no longer but could only
wildly and ferociously strike All criticism of the
man and OF his methods, however much
might be disposed to indulge in it. was
silenced by that spectacle / might doubt
much else; 1 might question whether Mr.
Sumner had always been wise in debate; whether
his passion for Justice had not led him TO say things
better left unsaid whether he had not Just trace
of the diletante in his great nature whether he was
not somewhat predsposed to personal complaint ;
but should as soon question the sunrise or eb6
and flow of the tide the Coperncan system. as his
entire and perfect integrity. There never was a
man upon whom the harness of party sat so loosely.
He began by boiling; he went on bolting; as a
bolter he ended. The Republicans of Massachusetts
who would never have been party at all If be and
few other men had not dared to act and speak fol
themselves. are now little shocked when any OF
their great associates show signs of rcstve dsloy
altv but they found long before he died that Mr.
Simmer was not to be managed. nor coaxed noi
driven into saying or doing anything which his un
impaired conscience did not approve. when Nir
Eliot offered resolution for the repeal o.
the Fugitive Slave law IN the House OF hep
re,entatiyes having the misfortune to be
Wbip the Free Soers and Democrats