Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1888-01-25
REn1NlscESCEs Or PUBtIC nEv.
BY BEN: rERLEY q

& EH AE - ~ gHqEE
81 BEN: PERLEY POon8
Charles Sumner possessed that root
Of statesmanship, the power Of fore
thought Stepping boldly in advance
of the Republican forces, he would plant
a banner bearing as an inscription some
movement toward emancipation, and
then urge others, the President, Con.
gress, the Cabinet, to come forward
and sustain ii. He was the only direct
ing mind in the Senate which deliber-
ately fixed a distinct end Of action, Sc
lected tho means for arriving at that
end and pursued it steadily with q cour-
age which shrank befose no opposition
and suffered no abatement in defeat.
"Why, Mr.. Sumner" said Mr.. Lincoln
n day to the Massachusetts, Senator,
II am only six weeks behind you" Mr..
Sumner was always in the advance,
and his place on the service roll of the
Great Rebellion will be Leader of the
Vanguard of Freedom"
Mr. Sumner as q Senator was q man
OF more imposing presence than was
Mr. Sumner when o student, and it
might be said OF him in his latter days,
as Dr. johnson once said Of Edmund
Burke, "Sir, if you should meet him
under q bridge during q shower, and
had never seen him before. you would
know him to be a great man." He was
six feet two inches high, his average
weight was 20S pounds, and he meas
ured forty inches around the chest.
After his infelicitous marriage, his
thought-worn face was serious, even to
sadness. and his long, waving hair be-
came silvered. His were gen.
tlemanly and cordial; he was an indus
trious collector of paintings, engrav-
ings, rare books, autographs and his
torical curiosities; he was hospitable
and generous, and those who served
him loved him. He possessed no ele-
ment of humor or romance, and his
modesty was so we'll known at Washing
ton that the most famous teller Of ribald
stories there lever uttered one in his
presence.
MIR. Summers share in the diplomatic
success OF the North during the great
Rebellion should not be lost sight of.
He ~endeavored to have the President
select for appointment to diplomatic
positions men of experience in public
affairs and Of known integrity, rather
than bestow those places as rewards
for political services or asylum retreats
for defeated candidates for Office. Mr..
Lincoln and Mr.. Seward both enter
tanned the highest regard for him, and
by humoring some of his weaknesses,
made him q valuable coadjutor in con-
Quoting foreign affairs during the diff
ficult and delicate period OF the Rebel
lion. Mr.. Sumner had always been ac-
cused OF "Anglo-mania," but in 1869 he
blew such o Earring blast" concerning
the responsibilities Of Great Britain for
the damages committed on American
commerce by Confederate privateers
fitted out in the British ports, s to
awaken the ire Of her gracious maiesty's
subjects, especially those of them SON
nected with the public press. Indeed.
he rarely made a speech of any length
in which the well-balanced periods, the
terse expressions, and the purity of the
language were not married by violent
and audacious phrases.
The closing years of MI. Sumner in
the Senate were not happy ones for
him. He found himself at wal with
some of those with whom he had stood
shoulder to shoulder in the great battle
for equality before the war, while cor
rupt men were wearing the uniform of
the Republican party that they might
plumber the military chest.
An Albany %reconteur is responsible
for the following anecdote of the "Great
Expounder": "How do you like that
Daniel Webster" said Caterer John
Keller to one of the guests at his res
taurant on State street, the other day.
The guest was eating a fish ball aeli, |
egg oh top of IL. "Why do you call
these Daniel Websters7'" was the re-
ply. "Why," said MI. Keller, because
MIR. Webster got them up He was the
first man who ever prepared them, and
/ make them from his recipe, and, by
the way, i am having u copy made Of
Webster's clam-chowder recipe, the reg |
ular old New England chowder. I will
.astonish you with that some day" As
the conversation progressed, a gentle
man with long hair and with a carpet
bag between his feet, who had been
eating q plate of oyster soup, turned
around, caught Mr.. Keller by the
sleeve, and inquired: "Say, mister,
who got up them fish balls and eggs?"
"Why, Daniel Webster" said Mr.. Kee-
Ter. daniel Webster" repeated the
stranger, where did he keep his eatin'
house?" The opportunity for a lecture
on American history suddenly devel-
oped itself to Mr.. Keller, of which the
rural visitor obtained full benefit free
of charge.