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



Su-ner and Winthrop.
The third volume Of the Memoir and letter.
oJ Charles 9pnner by EDwAnD /. PIERCE tRob-
erts Brothers. covers the period from 1S4o to
1850. or. in other words the interval between
the Mexican and the civil war. 1t was at this
epoch OF his life that Sumner abandoned the
whtx party. advocated free soil principles by
voice and pen. became the most conspicuous
representative OF ant-slavery ideas In Massa-
chusettn. and eventually. in 1851. through q
coalition Of Froe Sellers with Democrats.
was chosen q United States Senator. The
POLITICAL position which Sumner took brought
him into active conflict and rivalry with Rob-
ert c. Winthrop. and the price which he
paid for his success was o kind OF social
ostracism In Boston. The contest between
these two men. which lasted for some
six years. and ended in Mr.. Winthrop's retire.
mont nom public life. constitutes phase OF
Summers career. interesting not only from
biographical viewpoint, but from the light 1t
throws ON tho social condition and intellectual
.tmosphero OF Boston during and preceding
the outbreak Of the rebellion. 1t is tho part OF
the book before US that deals with this crisis
in Summers Inc to which We would now invite
attention. reservinR tho part played By him In
the Senate for rovlew In connection with the
fourth and concluding volumes OF MIR. Pierco's
narrative. What was tho state OF society in
Boston between 1S45 and 1880. and how were
Summers relations to It affected By the atti-
tuds which no gradually assumed Of antaRo-
nism 10 Mr.. Winthrop
I.
tn, population Of Boston was. in 1885,
about 116yoO0 and in 1855 it exceeded 16o.-
600. Its territory was still confined to the
ma RpohaetAr- and ROY.
bury being. IS yet, suburban towns Man
nions surrounded by gardens had disappeared.
and had giyen place to blocks. Tho Back Bay
vss still waste. lying for the most part under
tho 500. Beacon street ended In front OF tho
sita Of the Public Garden. What was called
<ho hast society lived on streets looking on tho
Common. or on those lying close at hand. all
within ten minutes walk OF the State House.
For its numbers no American city had so
much wealth. Its riches during the
period beginning just before and end
ing just after the BEGINNING OF the
century had been derived from foreign
commerce; subsequently they had come
from mills established on the Merrimac. Its
prosporous citizens were. in q considerable pro-
portion. natives OF the city. but many had como
from the centre of tho State. from Cape Cod.
and from New Hampshire. Some had pedi-
xree in which they took pride. while others.
who could not boast OF that distinction. speed
fly sssimilatsd tho notions OF tho place with
respect to lineage and tradition. All who could
afford Il educated their children In academies
and colleges. and. when conspicuous abil-
fly and ambition were united in their sons
they were sent to foreign universities. Thor
daughters we're carefully trained, many Of
Thorn being placed In the classical school con-
Quoted for some thirty years by George B.
Emerson. Before steam navigation had been
we'll developed. and even before 1t existed.
they sought the advantages Of foreign travel
for their families At all times Har-
ward College diffused the academic spirit
throughout the city and it's suburbs. and
raised up Q succession OF scholars and intel
lectual Ruides, thanks to whom humanizing
influence pervadod the whole community. The
style Of living in Boston society was sober. but
generous: the furniture was often imported
from France: examp pies OF art in original work
or in copies had begun to como from foreign
studios; the cellars were stocked with Madeira
Of various vintagos whose age and quality
were the theme OF much dinner tai bio talk. |
People in society dined at two. and took at
seven or eight bountiful supper. to which
friends came without ceremony. Many had
country seats in Nahant. Brooklne Jamaica
Plain. Dorchester. Waltham. and Medford. to
which they drove in private carriages or 1t
might be in one-horse chaises. AS q class, they |
we're both In private and in business life mon OF
high integrity: they were honorable mer-
chants: dealt fairly with customers: kept ac-
curate accounts and saw to 1t that their trade
marks should be certificates of good work.
and honest wares. They were inter- |
osted In public works. In popular and scien- !
tho education and In libraries. hospitals. |
charities and churches They were highly |
conservative; took pride in their social stand
ing: received consideration from the masses |
almost equivalent to that given in England to |
. lord or squire: were accustomed to have |
their own way. and resented Interference from |
those who had not by family and wealth |
reached the same position as themselves. They |
were English in thought and habit, as in blood. |
They were not wanting in patriotism. but. |
as class. tho leading citizens OF Boston
had come to have but little faith In
. democratic form Of government and |
small confidence In the good sense and steadi- |
ness Of the common people, They reveronced
Alexander Hamilton, detested Jefferson. dis
trusted tn . Adamses. md were more or less In
sympathy with the views which had been pro-
pounded In the Hartford Convention. As soon
- Daniel Webster showed his power and dis
position to serve them. they rallied round him
a. the conservative leader. and followed as he |
led 70 the end OF his career. The typical Bos-
tonian was Harrison Gray Otis. who bore a
name honored In tho colony. and who was a |
popular iavorIte. elected often to State and
national Offices. beginning life as q Federalist
and ending It with protest against tho anti
slavery cause. Otis sighed in his old age for n
moro aristocratic polity than ours. and
Axed thirty years as the limit OF our republi-
can system. Tho predictions Of other mon
of his class were equally dismal George
Tioknor took responding view Of the future.
UAnht taN0 -.
as he grew older. said that. II
things went on as they had been going. in
eighty years there would not DO q gentleman
left In the country" To foreigners even moro
than 10 their fellow citizens the leaders OF Bos-
ton society revealed their inner prejudices and
In 1S41. at a dinner where
cid lawyers and Ticknor were present, Lord