Evening journal., 1913-09-24
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Famous Mems Opinion of
ChaS. Sumner as an Orator
BY Holland.

One of the ablcst representatives in
Congress in the early eighties was Am.
brose A Ranncy who represented one
OF the Boston districts in the lower
house He went to Washington with an
established reputation as a brilliant and
very successful lawyer. Some of those
who had intimate acQuaintances with
him reported that in addition TO his
legal knowlcdgc. which was profound.
he had made through all his mature life
thorough study of the great American
orators. 80 that he was familiar not
only with their personalities and ca
recrs. but also with the methods adopt
ed by them in order to attain perfection
as speakers.
I asked Mr. Rsnney how he rated
Charles sumner
Sumner would have been greater
orator it he had not been always too
serious" he replied, "Hc was tremcn-
dously serious. utterly without sense of
humor. In my view. no man can attain
tho highest rank ss an orator unless hc
has some sense OF humor. although he
must be careful always To keep that un-
der perfect control"
Again I WAS chatting with one of my
Massachusetts friends. some years ago.
about his experience when he was in
Washngton during Lincoln's admin
stration He told me that Lincoln. who
had an almost Shakcspcarian power OF
reading into the inner nature Of men.
confessed that he never was able fully
10 understand Charles Sumner He
said that he never saw Charles Sumner
or heard him speak without thinking
that he had made mistake in his vo
cation and tha hc ought 10 have been
bishop He sometimes spoke Of sum
ner as the "Bishop" in the Senate On
the other hand Sumner was never able
TO rid himself Of the impression that
Lincoln was utterly without the power
of approaching polished manners and
highly cultivated intellect
Years afterward the late Senator
George T. Hoar. who took great mental
pleasure IN studying the careers. the in.
tellcctual powers and the methods OF
the men who had gained permanent rep
utation as orators. confirmed in a meas
urc what Mr. Ranncy had said TO me in
the early eighties.
Charles Sumner was, 10 my think
ing, cminently an orator because OF
his intense seriousness he said "In
tins respect he rcscmhlcd Gladstone.
Therefore his speeches produced as
strong an impression ON the reader as
tho delivery Of them did upon the hear
crs. AZ the same time. this very seri-
business. which was intensely absorbing
and which excluded even the most or
dinsry sense of humor prevented Sum
ner's speeches from becoming popular
in the ordinary meaning of the term.
- think. too, that Sumner made q
mistake. VI his ambition was to be rec
oenizcd as one OF the great orators of
the nitcd States. in so closely follow
ing the models Of the orators OF past
ages lie was the most learned man in
tho classics am safe in saving. who
ever sat in tho Senate Chamber. He
bad no sympathy with he meteorc
brillianey of tho language and the ora.
tory which distinguished Rufus Choatc
] think he sometimes felt that Choate's
cccentricities came very near being bril-.
liant intellectual clowning. Lincoln
would never have spoken of Rufus
Choatc rs lie Is said 10 have done oi
Charles sumner. namely. that Sumner
always made him think of . bishop.
have sometimes thought that ii Lin
colin and Choatc could have been thrown
into association after Lincoln bccam,
President. each would have discoyerc,
that the other was intellectually an,
temperamentsllv congcnial 10 him"
copyright, 1913, by r.. j. Edwards.