The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-15
sIE.

Mr.. Fessenden was AZ years old when
he entered the Senate. In person he was
5 feet 10 inches in height. slender in form.
with an intellectual ACE and a high bred
and easy bearing. He was in the prime
Of his powers. and his natural talents nae
been trained and developed by habits of
the severest' study and by controversy
with the leaders Of a very able bar. From
the beginning Of his forensic career he had
been a careful student Of constitutional
law. the law Of nations and political
economy. He spoke with fiuency n
grace and in clear and pointed language.
His dialectic powers were not surpassed
by any man OF his time. Mr.. Blaine in his
Twenty Years Of Congress" has averred
that for lucidity. accuracy of reasoning.
felicity Of expression and moderation Of
tone Mr.. Fessenden had no superior in
the Senate. j. s. Pike, also a veteran
observer, pronounced him the greatest
debater since Webster. Reading, writing
and speaking had fitted him 20 satisfy
Baoon's dictum: he was full, he was exact
and he was ready. Frederick Douglas
after Watching him in debate said he would
have made a great actor. for though his
language was parliamentary his face
eVinced a scOrn and a severity which il
would have been un~parliamentary to put
in words. Unlike most men. whose in
tellectual powers are weakened by anger,
he was when reused by indignation or
wrath imbued with greater intellectual
force. One of his critics said that Mr..
Fessenden's intellect was all feeling and
his feeling all intellect. Charles Sumner
said at the time hat Mr.. Fessenden's
arriva in the Senate, which he entered
near the close Of the debates on the Ne
braska bill. was like a reinforcement on
a field OF battle. He did not wait with
the real or affected diffidence Of a new
conner. but flung himself at once into
the discussion. Douglas. Cass and Butler
interrupted. only to be worsted by one
who had just ridden into the lists. The
Senator from Maine" said Sumner. erect,
firm. unmovable az a jutting ~promontOry
against which the waves of the ocean tossed
in a dissolVing spray, there he stood. Not
a senator loving freedom who did not feel
on that day a champion had come"
After the expiration OF the Thirty-third
Congress on March 8. 1855. Mr.. Fessenden
busted himself in preparing the newly
organized Republican party for the state
election. The Republicans failed that year
to elect their candidate for Governor. but
there was consolation in the fact that their
vote was 5000 heavie than that cast for
the Democratic nominee. while the Wing
vote was hardly a fifth as large. The
Democrats and Wings won by coalition.
In the following year the Republicans
won a great victory. thus making Maine
one OF the earliest of the previously
Democratic States to give proof Of an
immense change in public opinion In
the North. Owing TO III health Mr.. Fes-
sender was unable to take part in the
fret great debate on the admission of
Kansas, but in July. 1850, he delivered in
the Senate a memorable speech which came
to he known as his ~rebuke to Douglas"
I The condition OF his health prevented him
! from taking an active part outside OF his
own State in the Presidential campaign Of
hat yenT.
In January, 1859. Mr.. Fessenden was re-
! elected n United States Senator. The 81.
EoUis Democrat said of him at the time that
ne had won a national reputation not in
ferior to any for ability. purity and firm
ness; hat he was a v~igilant. indOmitable
advocate OF free soil and free labor; that
ne had encountered the most formidable Of
( the slave propagandists in debate. and his
manly bearing. command OF temper. dig
nthed manner and proud assertion Of prin-
ciples had wrung from them a tribute OF
respect. The same paper added that he had
/ never given a vote that required expla-
nation. and that there was no man in the
| Senate who possessed more nerve. more
M4aaa..as~