Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-05-07
GEORGE II. EDHUNDS.


The United States Senate to-day contains
many able and brilliant minds, but if it be ask
cd what senator of all the ~ who represent
the states in. that great chamber has in the
course Of his senatorship served the public IN
terest, as distinguished from personal and
private interests, most faithfully and well,
what senator to-day stands foremost as the
guardian of the laws and the interests of the
whole people, l fancy the question would
give rise to no dispute in any well-informed
circle of journalists or politicians. Neither
partisanship nor personal prejudice or pref
erence would prevent them from agreeing
that George +. Edmuuds, Senator from Yer
mont is the man who deserves this high need
of praise. Others may rise higher III the
public admiration and esteem, but surely no
man deserves better of the American people
than the man who represents the people, not
of his own State alone but of all the States,
with iuvincibe courage and unremitting care
in the United States Senate. II is this high
quality of serving the public and the govern
ment rs a whole, and never letting local or
individual interest come uppermost, which
distinguishes Mr.. Edmunds above other Sena-
tors There are to be found in the Senate
men who are mere adventurers and speculat-
ors, men who represent States, but labor
wholly for personal ends. Happily they are
far from being in the majority. Most Sena-
tors do undoubtedly try to do their duty, but
always with Il sharp eye to what viii chiefly
benefit their own state or section. Mr.. Ed
munds more fortunate than others in his
constituency as well as in his statesmanlike
instincts is the man who is freest to serve,
and serves most ably the nation in the Senate.
II is not necessary to ascribe to him patriot
ism or desire for the public welfare above
Others who, like Bayard, are able and faithful
servitors Of the public. Mr.. Edmunds shares
with Mr.. Bayard the advantage which comes
from representing small and homogeneous
commonwealth advantage which many
Senator from larger States would gladly give
all his legislative hOnors in exchange for
But Edmund, has a genius for the details Of
legislation, and to him the smallest question
seems a, worthy Of careful study aud careful
settlement as the largest.
The truth is that it has almost gone out OF
the fashion for men to be senators and moth
ing more. The kind Of devotion to the pub.
lie service shown in the career Of Mr. sum
ner. for instance who never permitted him
self to be called out of the chamber while the
Senate was in session, and who was never
ASSOCIATED from his office for day in his
own thought and actiyity-such devotion to
public interests is becoming scarcer every
day 1t seems to be less aud less easy for
men to be satisfied with a senatOrship. 1t is
more and more the fashion to regard an cleo
tion to the United States Senate much as dec
orutous are regarded in other countries by
the successful men who obtain then-some-
thing to be worn on the person, looked Rt
and enjoyed But there are a few Senators,
of whom Mr.. Edmunds is the most note
worthy, who are still satisfied to be Senators
and nothing more. He is the only Senator,
so far as | know, who makes the whole bust
ness of the Senate u matter of study and per
a,pu1 Oft. M I'LL that
body which has not received his careful study
and criticism. If hc does not know the mer-
its of "a measure he objects to Its consdera-
tion when il comes up and II goes over to an
other day. He forces the friends of every
private scheme that comes before the Senate
to explain and Justify it. lie studies the Ian
guage of all bills, and whenever he detects
fault he seeks to remedy it, He never alb
sents himself from the Senate chamber, ex-
cept when some long speech is being made or
when ho has obtained the assurance that 10
important step will be taken in his absence.
In short, he treats all public business exactly
as if be were retained by the public rs an
attorney to care for their interests. He has
saved millions on millions Of dollars to the
public treasury, aud he never grows weary in
well. doing. He never has any private meas
ures Of his own to advance, and his critic SIN
of measures is SO impartial that he makes no
enemies among his fellow-senators. He is
perfectly satisfied with the Office Of Senator,
and the only other position in public life
which has any attraction for him at all is that
of justice of the supreme court. II he could
be chief justice of that august tribunal he
would probably think himself at the summit
Of human dignity and honor. No man lives
who is better fitted for the place.
Mr.. Edmunds entered the Senate in April,
1866. He was appointed the successor OF the
venerable Solomon Foot, and his first public
remarks were made on the occasion Of the de-
livery of the culogies on that yenerated and
popular man. He began immediately TO take
part in the discussions of the Senate in which
Sumner Fessenden, Trumbull and Wade
were then the Republican leaders, Chandler,
Sherman, Sprague, Wilson, Grimes, Dixon,
| PomerOy, Ramsey and DOolittle were chair
men of committees Reverdy johnson, Hen
bricks, Buckalew and Salisbury were the
leading Democrats in the chamber. At the
time when Mr Edmunds took the oath of Of
fee the principal measure before the Senate
was the bill for the protection of United
States officers in the South. 1t was bill de-
! signed to save from prosecution under the
state laws men who had committed acts
while under military authority, which might
| be actionable under civil laws. 1t aimed to
| extend the mantle of the federal authority
and protection over all the military agents Of
| the government in the rebellious States Mr.
| Edmuuds thought that the provisions Of the
| bill should extend only TO those States in
| which the habeas corpus had been suspended,
| and he moved an amendment to that effect,
which he defended with ability against the
vigorous opposition of the trainers of the bill.
His remarks on the bill seem to ME to be the
| keynote of his course in the Senate, and l
wish l could give an extract from them to
show with what conservatism and care the
| Senator from Vermont addressed himself at
| the outset of his senatorial career to the bust
ness of law-making. Mr.. Edmunds voted
alone with the Democrats for his amendment.
| Sumner, Trumbull and all the others went
soidly against him. But in the light of the
| political history of 10 years Mr., Edmunds
| can safely appeal TO this record as more cred
| liable than that of his then more distinguish
| ed compeers.
Mr.. Edmunds from the beginning mingled
| freely in the debates and always with keen
eye for defects in legislation and a careful re-
| gard for public rights There was one other
notable debate at this session which it is high
| ly interesting now to recall in the light of sub
sequent events. There was a bill before the
| Senate to admit the State of Colorado to the
| Union Its constitution, like all the new
State constitutions up to that time, recogniz-
| ed only white men as citizens. The bill was
defeated once and then a motion was made to
reconsider The constitution which had been
adopted by the State provided that it should
be changed ouly by a two-thirds vote. Pend
ing the motion to reconsider Mr., Edmunds
made the longest speech made by him at this
session, in which he advocated sending the
constitution back for amendment. In the
course of the debate he said -
'For myself, l am Democrat in the
thorough sense of the term as understand it,.
believe in the political equality of all men.
believe in the sacredness of the private
rights of all men. And yet l am asked, as
the political friend of these gentlemen, as one
having an ardent political desire that my par
ty, rs il represents, as we suppose, the hopes
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