The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-23


desolntion and the bioodshed OF the war" He
further wrote: An this misery has the sane
tion OF your vote. Mr.. Winthrop Every soldier
is nerved partly by you. Away beyond the
current OF the Rio Grande. on foreign soil.
your name will be invoked as supporter OF
the war. Surely this 10 no common act IL
cannot be forgotten on earth: 1t must be re-
membered In heaven. Blood Blood is on
the hands OF the representative from Boston.
Not all great Neptune's ocean can wash them
clean" On Aug II. 1S48. Mr.. Winthrop re-
Piled in letter which ended the correspond
ence. In his view. Summers articles not only
arraigned his acts. but were full OF In
situations us TO his motives and Inn
putatons on his integrity" and pro
ceeded upon the offensive assumption
that, under some influence OF ambition or
moral cowardce he had knowingly and delib.
erately committed IN unworthy and wicked
act" Without entering on q justification OF
his vote. he claimed that In the perplexity OF
tho case 1t was honestly and conscientiously
given. and he asked no man to defend him or
to agree with him In opinion. He refused to
maintain relations OF social intercourse with
ono who had grossly assailed his public moral
ity and declined oil further communications
with Sumner while matters stood as they did
between them, saying. my hand is not at tho
service Of any one who has denounced 1t with
such ferocity as being stained with blood"
This m ode OF treating Sumner was. from this
time, adopted BY Winthrop's particular friends
and supporters.
~.
Mr.. Pierce comedies that Mr.. Winthrop could
not be expected to remain on intimate and
confidential terms with political associate
who publicly c9A4apnsd his official acts as
contrary to just1ca'Apd the moral law. He
comedies. too. while demanding the substance
Of Summers COMMUNICATIONS to tho newspa-
pers. that their form was "too rhetorical. per-
haps, for good taste" But he insists that the
issue in Massachusetts, was between lenders
and bodies Of men behind Thorn who. notwith-
standing their common name OF Whig. disa-
greed radically and fundam sntally on aues-
tions OF morals, politics. and national honor
There was. therefore. he thinks. no occasion
for delicate or mincing speech on the one Side
or the other. Sumner bad. he says. right to
strike rs hard as he could. and Winthrop
had an equal right to strike back
with all his force. Sumner was against
all support OF the Mexican war by any means
whatever. and demanded the imm ediate stop
ping Of the supplies and the withdrawal OF our
army: Winthrop. though disappearing certain
proceedings which resulted in the war; was
for its vigorous prosecution. and maintained
the duty Of supplying the Administration with
the men and money needed to that end. Fig
uratively. one might see blood on the hands Of
the other. and the latter might In return point
to the former az one Of "a most Of vipers-"
Historic controversies are never without such
incidents. and Mr.. Pierce submits that It was
hard that an Internationally honest even II
excessively vehement. critic should be boy.
cotted with social discipline ard exclusion.
There Is no doubt that the controversy with
Winthrop created against Sumner much as
perity OF feeling in Boston. broke up his rela-
tons with families BY whom hitherto he had
been received most cordially. cost him friend
ships which no valued highly. and e1iled him
almost entirely from general society. 1t put
an end to his visits at Nathan Appleton's.
door was closed to him: and whom q
guest at party there inquired 1: Mr.. Sumner
was to be present, the host replied: He 10
outside Of the pale Of society" The feeling
became so rervasive that lady living on
Beacon street who had invited Sumner with
other guests to dinner received withdrawal
Of an acceptance from ono OF Thorn when he
found Sumner was to be present. although he
was not at all in politics and had no personal
grievance. Prescott, OF gentler mood than his
neighbors. though with no more sympathy
than they for Summers views. still welcomed
him at his homo on Beacon street and to
his summer retreat: but there 10 @ ira
dition that he was obliged to select
his guests with care when Sumner was in.
vted. lost the feast should be marred BY I'M
seemly behavior on their part. LonRfellow
md his wife. indeed. notwithstanding their
connection with Mr.. Appleton. were as de-
votedly attached to Sumner as ever. and kept
= chamber at his service: but even they some-
~ 20 i'm
ing from Cam bridge that some one was with
Them whom 1t was not best for him to meet
Even his subsequent triumphal career-his
election to the Senate and the fame which no
as an orator-did not soften this ami
mostly. In 1853. riding down Beacon street
toward the country with r. II. Dana. Jr.. as
his companion. he said There was q time
when was welcome at almost every house
within two miles Of US. but now hardly any
are open to me-" He was taken to the We'd
nesday Club. whore good breeding prevailed
With most but even there he WAS snubbed by
some OF tho membecA Only few kept q
higher level Of thought and sentiment-amon:
.hem the Quincys. friends Of his youth. who
we're faithful to him to the end.
Social pressure OF this kind fell moro heavily
On Summer than on others. for. bachelor as no
was. his life was not engrossed with homo In
lineage. could not be set aside or ignored: but
he. too. had some dark looks to encounter.
One evening at party he and Rufus Qnoats
we're observed to glaro on each other without
speaking. Adams. not pnnaturally. resented
speaking Of John Quincy Adams as
The last Adams" Mr.. Pierce suggests that
ater history will make 1t hazardous for any
ono to speak Of . past Adams as tho last"
one. John G. Palfrey, in letter to Q friend de-
scrbed the sights and affronts received BY
himself. the changed countenances. the rude
language. ana the refused recognitions by old
acquaintances and parishionsrs. r. H. Dana
IT,. finding one day that his salutations in the
street when addressed to one OF the ruling class
met with only the slightest return. assumed
that the cause was a recent bereavement. and.
making an apology. elected the answer. "Oh
no: 1t is your politics." Calling. as had been
his habit. with his wife. on tho Iicknors. he
got reception which was enough to prevent
any repetition Of the experiment.. An older
visitor at tho same house. Or. Henry ]. Bow
ditch. encountered the same unfrlendly dis
elimination on account OF his loyalty to the