The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-12-31
HISTORY BUILDERS.
Why Senator Sumner Was Up
All Night.
BY DIR. L. J. EDWARDS.

The Senate OF the United States was
| sitting at a special session in March,
/ 1861 and nothing OF Importance was In
progress in the morning hour. II was
noticed, however. that Charles Sumner,
Senator from Massachusetts and chair
man OF the Foreign Relations Committee
| OF the Senate, appeared to be unusually
alert. This was regarded as all the more
strange in view OF the fact that Senator
Sumner confessed TO a colleague that he
| had been up almost all the night before.
Senator Sumner did not give the rea-
| son for this nocturnal vigilance. although
those who knew him well could have sur
! missed that he was busily occupied in pre-
pairing a speech. That. however. was
not the occupation OF Senator Sumner
the night previous. He was, in fact,
about TO go TO bed, having entertained
a few friends at dinner that evening and
the last guest having just departed. when
visitor was announced who asked that
Senator Summer be told that he had an
important message which demanded i'm
mediate attention and that he was sent
by the Secretary of State, Mr.. Seward.
That was a summons which Senator
Summer was sure to heed, for at that
time he was on excellent terms with Mr..
Seward. When the Senator appeared, the
messenger-who was presumably the As
sistant Secretary of State. Frederick W.
Seward-delivered the important message.
Years afterward. when Assistant Secre-
tary Seward wa asked IL II were not
he who carried the message from the
State Department to Senator Sumner he
merely smiled. No verbal answer could
be obtained from him.
The message was substantially as fol-
lows: MIR. Seward has been informed
by the Russian minister that Russia Is
willing TO sell the Alaskan peninsula to
the United States for $4,000. The min
lister is with the Secretary at the State
Department now. The treaty is being
drafted. Mr.. Seward regards 1t Of the
utmost Importance that you be present
so that you. as chairman OF the Foreign
Relations Committee. can explain the
treaty to the Senate"
Senator sumner needed no further urE-
ing and in a few moments he was at the
state Department. The treaty. as 1t was
finally drafted. embodied some of the
senator's suggestions. This was the rea-
until dawn the night before and why he
nevertheless seemed very alert. At last
a messenger from the White House an
nOunced a message from the President.
Senators looked Queerly at one another.
for the presumption was that the mes
sage was another Of the many vetOes
written by the President. Instead Of that.
however. tho President pro tempore.
Senator Wade. Of Ohio. announced that
the President had submitted a treaty
TO the Senate for it's consideration. In
stantly Senator Sumner was upon his
feet and his manner as we'll as his words
Indicated that he knew what the treaty
contained and that II had his cordial
approval. In great measure due to his
influence and argument. the treaty was
ratified a few days later, the money paid
to Russia and Alaska became the posses
sion OF the United States. at a cost con-
side-Hbly less than the aggregate value
OF the gold taken from the Alaskan mines
in a single year.
Copyright 1915. by z. ] Edwards. An rights
EerTed.)
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell How
Secretary Seward Made the Alaska Pur-
chase"