The Portland daily press., 1880-12-03
A Notable Career.
How Anson Burlingams Worked His Way
to Fame.

office boy for Charles Tryon, disreputabls
Detroit shyster, and often went to some party
or social gathering without q shirt to his back,
his collar being pinned to his coat, which was
buttoned close up to his neck. Burlingame,
although miserably poor, had an indomitabls
will, fall-fedged ambition, and large
amount Of "cheek." He attended lyceum de-
bates and mock c, t. where, a slight and
beardless boy, he discussed knotty points OF
equity and political economy with the older
lawyers Of the town. and always came out with
credit He had room In the old Cooper
block, and used to cultivate his voice by walk
ing back and forth In his room and yelling
until midnight. This proved source Of great
annoyance to the other residents of the block
He also made his mark as q speaker in the
young mems saciety and on the rostrum OIL
school exhibition days.
Anson's first great hit was made during a
Presidential campaign, when he addressed =
meeting in one of the ward wigwams and
caused great deal OF astonishm4nt by bold
and vigorous attack on Gen. Lewis Cas-
This attracted much attention. Meanwhile
number of Detroit business men had taken
kindly interest in the lad and thought to help
him along by giving him a lot of shares in a
copper mining company. At the time when
the gift W as made the shares we're hardly worth
adollar apiece, but soon after there was a de-
cided boom in copper stock Anson's shares
ran up from 81 to $50 or $40 apiece, and he
was able to sell out and realize several hun
dred dollars. With this SUN he undertook to
go through the law school at Cambridge, Mas
sachusetts. A Presidential campaign had
arrived, and during his vacation Anson dropped
into award meeting in Boston where i'm
Promptu speeches were being made. The reg
uiar speaker, It seems, was absent, and the
chairman asked IL there were any others who
would like to speak. This was Anson's oppor-
tnnity, for he had gone there intending to
spread himself somehow with speech care
fully committed to memory. He arose in the
back part of the hal; and introduced himself
as citizen OF Detroit, Michigan. He had
listened to the remarks Of the gentlemen who
had preceded him, etc.. he assured the meet
ing that his fellow citizens of Detroit were in
sympathy with this great movement, c.; and
so he went on, hestating at first, so as to give
the impression that he was speaking extempo-
raneously, and then warming no to his subject
he unloaded the whole of his carefully pre-
pared grafton. The effect was electrical. Men
crowded around to congratulate him. The
fame of his great effort spread abroad, and he
was engaged to stump the State. After the
election he returned to Cambridge and COM
pleted his course OF study in the law school,
by TINS time young Burlingame had ex-
friend in Detroit he said Something would
have 10 be done. and he had decided to Law for
rich WIFE,. The fellow played his cards so
well that before long he was engaged to the
daughter of Isaac Livermore of Boston. Young
Burlingame did another characteristic thing.
He wrote to his friends in Detroit begging
them to help him through the matrimonial
moose. He explained that he was about to
marry into rich and arstocratic family. His
own family were not to be spoken Of. His
father was only poor cattle dIover in the
western part OF the State. But "the boys''
might make him grateful for life by sending
some present with their names attached-not
that ne cared for the present, but the influence
| OF their names would help him socially. And
| so "the boys" many of whom are now among
the prominent business and professional men
OF Del roit, clubbed together and bought an
elegant present-a tea-set or something of the
kind-which was sent TO young Burlingame a.
| bridal gilt, with the cards attached and
letter wishing him happy voyage through
| life. And that was the last ever heard of the
GIT Burlingame never sent any word OF ap-
| probation or thanks, and although most Of the
| boys married and settled down afterward, not
| Que OF them received a present or recognition
| OF any kind in return for the service rendered.
lCorr. Detroit Post.I
In the Evening News of November %, ap-
peared some "reminiscences of the late An
son Baringame," so unjust to one of the most
brilliant and successful public men of our
times that the memory of 20 years intimate
friendship will not su fer me to let it pass un-
noticed.
Mr.. Burlirgame's early life was story very
| common in America, of poor and friendess
boy, conscious OF great ability, struggling to
reach place where his tale is could find
fitting sphere. Probably in those days of hard
ships he was not remarkable for the fneness
of 10 l,,,a, stxo
broadcloth. Neither, suspect, was Abraham
Lincoln, nor Gen. Garfield, nor even that more
illustrious general, "the first citizen of the re-
public" 15-l
| Soon after leaving the law school at Cam.
bridge he found his opportunity in the political
excitement of the hour. The great anti-slav-
cry movement was At its height, and with al :.
| the ardor OF his nature he threw him self into
the contest. Graceful and easy in manner,
| quent in speech, enthusiastic in his love of
freedom, he at once became popular PoIiti-
Cal promotion was inevitable for such q man.
even though he boldly planted himself upon
| the platform Il an unpopular cause.
He was the youngest member of the Massa-
chusetts Senate, to which he wa, elected in
| 1852, and also the youngest member of tho
House an Washington, where he represented
the city of Boston from 1854 to 1850 Going to
Washin gton with only a local reputation, il
was but short time before the disgraceful
assault upon Sumner in the Senate gave him
| the occasion to win national popularity.
None OF US who have reached middle age have
| forgotten the enth usasm with which his great
| speech, "The Defense Of Massachusetts," was
received throughout the North and the al
most equal satisfaction with which the de-
| scendants of the Purtans heard that Mr. Bur
lngame had accepted the challenge OF the
Southern hre-eater, Preston Brooks. Tho
| greater events of the war have dimmed these
memories, but let it not be forgotten that Mr.
Burlingame was the first man who had the
personal courage to stand uD in Washington
aud disprove the univers L Southern belief
that all Yankees were cow~rds."
After six busy years in Congress and con-
slant labors as a favorite Campaign speaker, he
was appointed by Mr. Lincoln in 1861 as ars,-
bassador to Vienna, but tho Austrian govern
ment would not receive the friend OF KoSsuth
and Garibaldi, the man who had offered in
Congress the resolution acknowledging Italian
Independence, aud the mission was changed to
China. Even Mr.. Burlingame's warmest
friends felt now that his mission was PRACTICAL
ly closed OF what use could be brilliant
oratory, or his political enthusiasm among the
placid and conservative millions who spoke
an unknown tongue?" Eve ITS proved, how
o'of, enat tney ulu not know the Nan. He
turned his energies into a new channel; he not
only mastered the rules of international Law,
and the history and institutions OF China but
ne did far more; he overcame the barriers of
thousand years. The jealousy andI suspicion
which the alternate force aud fraud tf En-
gland could not conquer, gave way before the
fair dealing OF America aud her representative.
When he resigned his mission, to his own sur
prise and that OF the world, he was offered his
remarkable embassy from China to the great
powers pow % OF the West" rhe penniless hoy who
left Detroit in 1S43. 25 years later crossed the
Pacific at the head of an almost priucely reti-
nue. OF secretaries, mandarins, interpreters and
servants and with salary of $4,000 per an
NUN. That l may not be accused of exagger-
alton in this estimate of my friend will
quote the words of one OF Bostons ab s,t
speakers at the time of his death:
His course in that mission which placed him
among the foremost men of his time his suo-
cess not only in America. where his country
men received him with open arms, but in Erg-
land and France, and even the court of Berlin
and at st. Petersburg, where he died in the
midst OF his work, has been watched step by
step by his friends at home. Favored by for
tune he certainly was, yet it was his own char
acler which commanded SUCCESS and fa;rlv