Edward L. Pierce, Memoir and letters of Charles Sumner: volume 3

[226] Compromise measures. To his credit it should be mentioned that he voted against the Fugitive Slave bill, though putting his objections to it on too narrow grounds,—contending that it should provide a trial by jury for the alleged slave; and he set forth the unjust treatment of colored seamen in Southern ports. He voted for the Texas boundary bill when standing alone, but against it when united with a bill to establish a territorial government for New mexico. He admitted the payment to Texas to be ‘enormous,’ but hoped thereby to remove the only cloud on the peace of the country. The bill was carried by the lobbying of Texas scrip-holders,¹—an influence, however, which did not affect the action of Winthrop or his colleague, John Davis, who voted with him. Winthrop took no stand against Webster, and expressed no sympathy with the demonstrations in Massachusetts to arrest the passage of the Compromise, or to condemn it afterwards. He remained in relations of personal sympathy with Webster, supplying the motto vera pro gratis for the speech of march 7,² withdrawing his name as a rival for a seat in the Cabinet, and advising Webster's appointment in ‘the most friendly, open, and decided manner,’ and receiving the latter's commendation for the more friendly treatment he (Mr. Webster) had received from him than from ‘some New England Whig's.’³ The Whigs put Winthrop forward as their candidate for senator, and the Free Soilers accepted the issue, maintaining that his position and Webster's were in substantial identity.⁴ The Whigs outside of Boston made an effort to avoid the Compromise as an issue. The resolutions of their State convention, drawn by A. H. Bullock, of Worcester, abstained from approval and disapproval, though approving