The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-21
MR.. BLAINE'S PEN-PICTURES.
Estimates of Sumner, Stevens, Gems Sher-
man, Grant, and Abraham Lincoln.
From "rwenty Years of Congress.
SUMNER AND STEVENS.

Mr.. Sumner though t1ve years the Junior, was
senior in senatorial service to Mr. Fessenden,
and had attained wide celebrity. Mr.. Summers
labor was given almost exclusively to questions
involving our foreign relations and to issues
. growing out of the slavery agitation. To the
latter he devoted himself, not merely with I'M
swerving fidelity, but with all the power and
ardor Of his nature. Upon general questions OF
business in the Senate he was not an authority,
and rarely participated in the debates which set
tied them; but he did more than any other man
to promote the anti-slavery cause and to uprear
its standard in the Republican party He had
earned, in an llnexampled degree, the hatred Of
the South and this fact had increased the zeal
for him among anti slavery men throughout the
= North The assault made upon him by Preston
S, Brooks, a South Carolina representative for
his famous speech on Kansas, had strengthened
his hold upon his constituency, which was not
! merely the State of Massachusetts. but the rad
ical and progressive Republicans of the entire
country.
Mr.. Sumner was studious, learned and am
bilious He prepared his discussions of public
questions with care, but was not ready as de
batter. He presented his arguments with power,
but they were laborious essays. He had no fac
ulty for extempore speech. Like Addison, he
could draw his draft for thousand pounds, but
might not have shilling of change This did
not hinder his progress or lessen his prestige in
the Senate. His written arguments were the
anti-slavery classics of the day and they
were read more eagerly than speeches which
: produced greater effect on the nearer. Colonel
Benton said that the eminent William Inckney,
of Maryland, was always thinking of the few
hundred who came to hear him in the Senate
Chamber, apparently forgetting the million who
might read him outside Mr.. Sumner never
made that mistake. His arguments went to the
millions. They produced a widespread and pro
digious effect public opinion and left an in
delible impression on the history of the country.
The House was filed with able men, many of
whom had parliamentary experience The nat
ural leader, who assumed his place by common
consent, was Thaddeus Stevens, man of strong
pecuiarities of character, able, trained and fear
less Born in Vermont, and educated at Dart
mouth, he had passed This adult years in Penn
ssyivania, and was thoroughly identified with the
State, which he had served with distinction, both
IN her own Legislature and in Congress. He had
che reputation of being somewhat INSCRIPTIONS
as to political methods, somewhat careless in
personal conduct somewhat lax in personal NOR
ais but to the one great object of his life the
destruction of slavery and the elevation of the
slave, he was supremacy devoted. From
the pursuit of that object nothing could defect
him. Upon no phase of it would he listen to
compromise. Any man who was truly anti
slavery was his friend. Whoever espoused the
cause and proved faithless in never so small
degree, became his enemy, inevitably and irrec-
onciably. Toward his own race he seemed of
ten to be misanthropic. He was learned in the
law, and for third of a century had held high
rank at the bar of a State distinguished for great
lawyers. He was disposed to be taciturn. A
brilliant talller, he did not relish idle and aim
less conversation. He was much given to read
ing, study and reflection, and to the retirement
which enabled him to crafty his tastes. AS was
said of Mr.. Emerson, Mr.. Stevens loved solitude
and understood its uses.
Upon all political questions Mr.. Stevens was
an authority. He spoke with ease and readiness
using a style somewhat resembling the crisp
clear sententiousness of Dean Swift. Seldom
even in the most careless moment, did a sen
tence escape his lips that would not bear the test
of grammatical and rhetorical criticism He pos
.sessed the keenest wit, and was unmerciful in
its use toward those whom he did not like. He
illustrated in concrete form the difference be-
tween wit and humor. He did rot indulge in
the latter He did not enjoy a laugh. When
his sharp Sallies would set the House in uproar
he was as impressive, his visage as solemn, as
If he were pronouneIug a funeral Grafton
His memory of facts dates and figures was
exact and i'll argument he knew the book and
chapter and page for reference He was fond of
young men, invited their society encouraged
and generously aided them. He was easily
moved by the distress Of others. He was kind,
charitable, lavish of his money in the relief of
poverty. He had characteristics which seemed
contradictory, but which combined to make one
of the memorable figures IN the parliamentary
history of the United States-a man who had
the courage to meet any opponent, and who
was never overmatched in intellectual conflict.
SHERMAN AND GRANT
The character and ability of General Sherman
were not fully appreciated until the second
year of the war. He had not aimed to startle
the country at the outset of his military career
with any of the brilliant performances attempted
by many officers who We're heard of for day
and never afterward With the true instinct
and discipline of soldier he faithfully and skill
fully did the work assigned to him, and he gained
steadily, rapidly, and enduringly on the conf
dence and admiration Of the people He shared
in the successful campaigns of General Grant in
the Southwest, and earned his way to the great
command with which he was intrusted-a
command which in one sense involved the
prompt success Of all the military operations of
the government. Disaster to his army did not,
of course, mean the triumph of the rebellion
but it meant fresh levies of troops the prolonga-
ton of the struggle and serious increase to the
heavy task that General Grant had assumed in
Virginia
General Sherman was a graduate of West
Point, and, while still young man, had served
with marked credit for some twelve years in the
army But he had more than q military edGea-
ton Through cheekered career in civil life,
he had enlarged his knowledge of the country,
his acquaintance with men, his experience in
affairs. He had been banker in California.
lawyer in Kansas president of college in Louis
lana, and when the war began he was about to
take charge of railroad in Missouri.
1t would be difficult if not impossible,
to find a man who has so thorough, so
minute knowledge of every State and Terri
tory of the Union. He has made special study
of the geography and products of the country.
Some one has said of him that if we should sud
denly lose all the maps Of the United States, we
need not wait for fresh surveys to make new
ones because General Sherman could reproduce
perfect map in twenty four hours. That this
is pardonable exaggeration would be admitted
by any who had conversed with General
Sherman in regard to the topography and re-
sources of the country from Maine TO Arizona.
General Sherman's appearance is strongly in
dicative of his descent Born in the West. he is
altogether of Puritan stock, his father and