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seem to solicit their favor by announcing himself, uninvited, as of their number.1
Immediately after the prayer on the first day, Sumner put on the calendar a list of eight measures, all but one of which he had brought forward before, some of then several times: (1) The civil-rights bill; (2) Equal rights in the schools of the District of Columbia; (3) Compound-interest notes as a substitute for legal-tender notes in the national currency, with the view to restore specie payments, which he explained and defended at some length a few days later;2 (4) Payment for French spoliations; (5) Election of President by direct vote of the people;3 (6) Limitation of the office of President to a single term;4 (7) International arbitration;5 (8) The protection of children kidnapped in Italy and brought to the United States.
This starting of a series of favorite measures showed the zest with which he returned to activity in the Senate, and his confidence in his ability to maintain them during the session.6
In the evening of that day he responded from the steps of his house to a serenade by the colored people.7 On the first day of the session, and again after the holiday recess, Sumner made an earnest effort to have his civil-rights bill, now number one on the calendar, taken up;8 but Edmunds, who was in favor of some measure of the kind, as well as Morrill of Maine and Ferry of Connecticut, both of whom believed such legislation unconstitutional, insisted, against Sumner's protest, on a reference to the judiciary committee,—a reference which they thought all the more desirable by reason of a recent decision of the Supreme Court in
1 Washington gossip, which often has no basis of truth, reported Sumner as saying that he had changed his views about General Grant, and that he was back again in the Republican party to remain. But he wrote nothing of the kind, and indulged in no such expressions when conversing with his confidential friends.
2 Dec. 11, 1873, Congressional Globe, pp. 142, 143. He voted on the finance bill, Feb. 18 and 19, 1874.
3 Proposed Feb. 11, 1869. Works, vol. XI. p. 98.
4 Ante, p. 498.
5 A series of resolutions, the same, with one omitted, as offered May 31, 1872. Works, vol. XV. pp. 80-82.
6 Later in the session he gave attention to private bills for relief. His bill for a bust of the late Chief-Justice Chase is elsewhere noted. He spoke briefly, Feb. 9, 1874 (Congressional Globe, p. 1322), against changes in the Bankruptcy Act calculated to impair its efficiency. He received, February 6, a delegation of the city council of Boston, charged with the errand of promoting an appropriation for the post-office in that city, and his cordiality was referred to in their commemorative meeting, March 12, 1874.
7 Boston Journal, Dec. 2, 1873.
8 Dec. 2, 1873, Works, vol. XV. pp. 286-290; Jan. 27, 1874, Ibid., pp. 301-313. He presented at this session a large number of petitions for the bill.
Cambridge, MA. Press of John Wilson and Son. 1877.
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