Edward L. Pierce, Memoir and letters of Charles Sumner: volume 2

[241] had such an elucidator. It frequently happens that the commentary is of more value than the text; and I feel very glad that my letter should have given rise to so much discussion,—to draw out and stimulate which I consider to be the chief use of any thing which could be written on the subject. It seems to me that a large portion of your national conscience is now fairly aroused on the subject; and, this being the case, I cannot but hope that fruit may speedily follow.

In 1843, Sumner began to contribute to the ‘Law Reporter,’— a magazine founded and then conducted by Peleg W. Chandler. The following articles, or notices, were written by him,—most of them brief: ‘Story on Bills of Exchange;’¹ ‘Reynolds's Inaugural Dissertation in Latin at the University of Heidelberg;’² ‘The Eightieth Birthday of Chancellor Kent;’³ ‘Hillard's Phi Beta Kappa Discourse on the Relation of the Poet to his Age;’⁴ ‘L. S. Cushing's Pamphlet on a Parliamentary Controversy in Massachusetts;’⁵ ‘Sir James Mackintosh's Discourse on the Law of Nature and Nations;’⁶ and ‘The University of Heidelberg.’⁷

In 1844, he contributed the following: ‘Wallace's Reporters;’⁸ ‘Reports of the State of Maine;’⁹ ‘Ray's Report on Insanity;’¹⁰ ‘The Number Seven;’¹¹ ‘The Reports of the State of New Hampshire;’¹² ‘Perkins's Edition of Brown's Chancery Reports;’¹³ ‘American Law Journals;’¹⁴ ‘Diversions in Philology.’¹⁵ And, at a later period, the following: ‘Wedgewood's Revised Statutes of the United States;’¹⁶ ‘Mackeldey's Compendium of Modern Civil Law;’¹⁷ ‘Punishments and Prisons;’¹⁸ and ‘O'Brien on Military Law.’¹⁹

His topics, it will be seen, like those of his early contributions to the ‘American Jurist,’²⁰ were books, authors, and jurists, instead of questions of law which were then vexing the profession.

A few extracts will illustrate his style and tone of thought at this period. Of Chancellor Kent's eightieth birthday he wrote: