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Gerrit Smith, June 11, he mentioned how much he missed
Horace Mann,
William Jay, and
Theodore Parker, all recently deceased, of whose sympathy he was always assured.
But the popular approval he received was all he could desire.
He wrote, September 2, to
R. Schleiden: ‘Meanwhile the good cause advances.
Massachusetts stands better, fairer, and squarer than ever before.’
Sumner was not altogether sure when the session began how much he could bear.
He wrote to
Whittier, Dec. 12, 1859:—
At last I am well again, with only the natural solicitude as to the effect of work, and the constant pressure of affairs on a system which is not yet hardened and annealed.
My physician enjoins for the present caution and a gradual resumption of my old activities.
But his speech in the Senate in the June following, and his address at Cooper Institute the next month, gave assurance of established vitality and endurance.
He wrote, August 6, 1860, to
Dr. Brown-
Sequard:—
The speech in the Senate will be evidence to you of the completeness of my convalescence.
Besides the delivery, which occupied between four and five hours, there was much labor of preparation.
All this I went through without one touch of my old perverse complaints; and then a short time afterwards I addressed three thousand people in New York for two hours without any sensation beyond that of simple fatigue.
I think you will agree that the experiment has at last been most successfully made, and my cure completely established.
Sumner spoke at the
Republican State convention in
Worcester, August 29.
1 It was his first appearance in such a body since he was present at the same place six years before, as well as his first opportunity to meet the people of the
Commonwealth since his return to his duties.
Hearty cheers greeted him as he entered Mechanics' Hall, and enthusiastic shouts, continuing for some minutes, hailed him as he took the platform.
The chief feature of his address was a description of the different parties, and an exposure of the ‘popular sovereignty dodge’ which
Douglas had espoused, without however being loyal to it when pressed by his Southern allies.
In this as in other speeches during the campaign he expressed cordial trust in
Mr. Lincoln's character.
He was happy to witness in the same convention the first nomination of
John A. Andrew for governor, with whom