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C. Edwards Lester, Life and public services of Charles Sumner: Born Jan. 6, 1811. Died March 11, 1874., Xx. (search)
Xx. Nearly ten years before, when Mr. Sumner first entered the Senate, he had presented a Resolution for a Revision and Consolidation of the National Statutes, and on many occasions at succeeding Sessions, he brought it forward, all without avail. At last, in his message, December 3, 1861, Mr. Lincoln having recommended the measure, Mr. Sumner again brought forward the old resolution, on which he said:—Something in earnest, sir, must be done. The ancient Roman laws, when first codified, were so cumbersome that they made a load for several camels. Ours swell to twelve heavy volumes, too expensive to be afforded by any except the few, while they should be in every public library and law office throughout the country. He advocated the reducing them to a single volume, as the cumbersome laws of Massachusetts had been, and of which the people of that State had purchased upwards of ten thousand copies. I hope, sir, there will be no objection founded on the condition of the country
C. Edwards Lester, Life and public services of Charles Sumner: Born Jan. 6, 1811. Died March 11, 1874., Xxv. (search)
lly of the South, she would tear with her own hands her principal titles to the respect of the civilized world; for from the moment that England becomes only the ally of Slave-traders, she has abdicated. But the wisest council prevailed in Mr. Lincoln's Cabinet. A very brief examination of the case showed that the act of Captain Wilkes could, under no circumstances, be sustained; and that the surrender of the prisoners, with or without a demand from the British Government, would be only in strict conformity with the precedents which had been established by our own government. Consequently, without any regard to popular clamor, Mr. Lincoln peremptorily ordered a release of the Rebel Commissioners, who had been confined in Fort Warren, in Boston harbor; and that portion of the precious freight of which the steamer Trent had been relieved, was handed over to the British Government, much to the regret of the war party of Great Britain. Before this had taken place, however, Mr. S
C. Edwards Lester, Life and public services of Charles Sumner: Born Jan. 6, 1811. Died March 11, 1874., XXIX. (search)
lied in the act. The bill had been introduced into the Senate by Mr. Wilson, to provide for a commission to appraise the claims on account of the slaves liberated, limiting their allowance, in the aggregate, to an amount equal to three hundred dollars a slave, and appropriating one million dollars to pay loyal owners; to which Mr. Doo-little added the amendment, appropriating one hundred thousand dollars for the colonization of slaves who desired to emigrate to Hayti or Liberia. For, as Mr. Lincoln said of himself, I am so far behind the Sumner lighthouse, that I still stick to my old colonization hobby. But Mr. Sumner, who preferred half a loaf to no bread, was willing to vote money for emancipation, as a ransom. While he disclaimed the title of the master to any remuneration whatever, he regarded it as a good beginning, of which he prophetically saw a better end. It was a blow levelled at Slavery outside of the District, as well as in it, and unmistakably proclaimed the power and
C. Edwards Lester, Life and public services of Charles Sumner: Born Jan. 6, 1811. Died March 11, 1874., Xxx. (search)
successfully achieved their independence in our neighborhood, striking for the same holy cause of Liberty which our fathers struck for; and although they had both vainly looked for official recognition by our Republic, yet the taint of color was on them —the curse of caste shut them out from the pale of our political charity, although they had encountered no such difficulty with any of the other nations of the globe. Feeling that this disgrace had rested long enough on our government, Mr. Lincoln, in his first Annual Message, had proposed the recognition of the independence and sovereignty of Hayti and Liberia. Of course, it encountered the bitter opposition of every Pro-Slavery Senator, and every hater of the colored race. A resolution had been introduced into the Senate as long ago as July 1st, 1836; and again in January and March of the following year. But with the exception of that venerable Sage and apostle of Liberty, John Quincy Adams, scarcely a voice was heard in eithe
C. Edwards Lester, Life and public services of Charles Sumner: Born Jan. 6, 1811. Died March 11, 1874., Xxxi. (search)
yet feel quite as much at home with our language as he soon hoped to, and so we dropped into Italian. He told me more about his native Island than I had ever learned from all other sources; and as I desired it, he spoke freely about himself. His ancestors had been slaves. He had been early sent to Europe for his education, and entering the public service on his return, he was gratified with the appointment to Washington on the recognition of his Republic. He spoke with veneration of Mr. Lincoln, and the hearty reception he had given him—but of Mr. Sumner he spoke with the deepest affection. The name of no American, he said, is so dear to the Haytien people as Charles Sumner—I cannot even except Washington himself. He left us only his grand example. But Signor Carlo Il Senatore! why, his picture is in every cottage in Hayti. He has done everything for us. Two hours flew by before I knew it. We talked of what the Italians were doing—of the progress of the Democratic principl<
C. Edwards Lester, Life and public services of Charles Sumner: Born Jan. 6, 1811. Died March 11, 1874., Xxxvii. (search)
sident's. After hearing what had been done, Mr. Lincoln excitedly exclaimed, Do you take me for a Sve, might add to his renown. In an instant Mr. Lincoln's tone changed, and he heard the case patierrespondent asked me to give him an idea of Mr. Lincoln's character. I sent the following reply: You ask me about Mr. Lincoln:—what kind of a man—what kind of a President —he is. When Mr. LinMr. Lincoln entered the Presidential mansion, he could not have answered either of these questions himself But it was no pillow of down on which Abraham Lincoln was invited to lay his head. He thought an astounding and unforeseen significance. Lincoln's Presidency has been a heritage of trouble. t. Nor is there any ground to suppose that Mr. Lincoln did. On the contrary, his inaugural addresse laws of affinity in moral chemistry, with Mr. Lincoln's executive acts,— humor, bonhommie, good nes of an empire. It is fully believed that Mr. Lincoln's cheerfulness has dissipated many a cloud
C. Edwards Lester, Life and public services of Charles Sumner: Born Jan. 6, 1811. Died March 11, 1874., XXXVIII. (search)
tless expressed the prevailing sentiment of the Senate, and of the country, so far as the intervention of France and our sympathy with Mexico were concerned. But it was in violation of all prudential considerations, under the circumstances. In the affairs of nations, sometimes those things that are right in themselves, are altogether wrong, all things considered. Mr. McDOUGALL did not make this distinction. But statesmanship could not afford to overlook it. In speaking on this subject, Mr. Lincoln expressed the same words that he did to me when the Trent matter came up, which were exactly these, as he afterwards wrote them to me himself: At that time, we were not prepared to shoulder fresh troubles, having all we could carry, of our own. So thought Mr. Sumner, who, in reply to Senator McDougall, said: Mr. President,—At the present moment there is one touchstone to which I am disposed to bring every question, especially in our foreign relations; and this touchstone is its inf
C. Edwards Lester, Life and public services of Charles Sumner: Born Jan. 6, 1811. Died March 11, 1874., Xliv. (search)
Xliv. When the policy of the employment of African troops was first being agitated, I prepared by request, the following historic statement on the subject which Mr. Lincoln made use of in his discussions with his friends and advisers, and which, by the advice of Mr. Sumner, was anonymously printed after it had passed his thorough revision. He believed it would fortify his position in the Senate, and Mr. Lincoln with his Cabinet. The result justified those convictions. Those who have dMr. Lincoln with his Cabinet. The result justified those convictions. Those who have declaimed loudest against the employment of negro troops have shown a lamentable amount of ignorance, and an equally lamentable lack of common sense. They know as little of the military history and martial qualities of the African race as they do of their own duties as commanders. All distinguished generals of modern times who have had opportunities to use negro soldiers, have uniformly applauded their subordination, bravery, and powers of endurance. Washington solicited the military servic
C. Edwards Lester, Life and public services of Charles Sumner: Born Jan. 6, 1811. Died March 11, 1874., Xlv. (search)
Xlv. The secret journals of Congress (vol. i., pp. 107, 110), March 29, 1779, show that the States of South Carolina and Georgia were recommended to raise immediately three thousand able-bodied negroes. That every negro who shall well and faithfully serve as a soldier to the end of the present war, and shall then return his arms, be emancipated and receive the sum of fifty dollars. Washington, Hamilton, Greene, Lincoln, and Lawrence, warmly approved of the measure. In 1783 the General Assembly of Virginia passed An act directing the emancipation of certain slaves who have served as soldiers in this war. We next give an extract from an act of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, in General Assembly, February session, 1778:— Whereas, for the preservation of the rights and liberties of the United States, it is necessary that the whole powers of Government should be exerted in recruiting the Continental battalions; and whereas his Excellency General Wa
C. Edwards Lester, Life and public services of Charles Sumner: Born Jan. 6, 1811. Died March 11, 1874., Section Eighth: the war of the Rebellion. (search)
nformation Sumner's confidence in Lincoln Mr. Lincoln's character drawn Mr. Lincoln's written opMr. Lincoln's written opinion Sumner on our Foreign relations how Europe felt toward us friendship of Russia Bayard Taye time, that the Anti-Slavery tendencies of Mr. Lincoln and his Cabinet were far from being of a raoldly lead the way in the enunciation. But Mr. Lincoln could not see it in that light; and on the monopoly in that line— That reminds me, Mr. Lincoln, of a neighbor of ours in Connecticut, to w to apologize. Xix. On this occasion Mr. Lincoln was present. He entered the Senate Chamber At last, in his message, December 3, 1861, Mr. Lincoln having recommended the measure, Mr. Sumner sident's. After hearing what had been done, Mr. Lincoln excitedly exclaimed, Do you take me for a So overlook it. In speaking on this subject, Mr. Lincoln expressed the same words that he did to me ing historic statement on the subject which Mr. Lincoln made use of in his discussions with his fri[24 more...]
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