C. Edwards Lester, Life and public services of Charles Sumner: Born Jan. 6, 1811. Died March 11, 1874.

Section Fifth: Senatorial career.

• His Senatorial career begins
-- Mrs. Stowe--condition of the country -- Sumner's Senatorial oath -- he gets the floor at last -- petition of Society of friends -- Freedom National-Slavery sectional -- he disclaims violence and discourtesy -- no compromise final -- Freedom of speech above all -- relations of the Government to Slavery -- Slavery and the National Government -- Slavery not in the Preamble -- it speaks for Freedom -- Slavery excluded from the Constitution -- the Rights of human Nature -- Freedom is National -- Washington inaugurated, April 30, 1789 -- not a Slave under the National flag -- Jefferson always denounced Slavery -- all the churches opposed to Slavery -- Literature the foe of Slavery -- Franklin's Abolition Society -- Franklin's prayer to Congress -- prerogatives of the Constitution -- persons are not property -- the Constitution cannot support Slavery -- surrender of Fugitive slaves -- the first hateful compromise -- first--National Convention -- no proposition for property in slaves -- at last the Fugitive Slave Bill -- the Writ of Habeas Corpus overthrown -- Congressional Usurpation -- Madison--Morse--Franklin--Sherman -- Trial by Jury denied -- Elbridge Gerry's suggestion adopted -- judicial decisions for Freedom -- under the common law -- Unconstitutionality of the Slave Act -- the Inflexible Samuel Adams -- Boston's opposition to the Stamp Act -- Virginia Responds to Boston -- the Stamp Act is repealed -- Washington opposed to Forcible rendition -- Washington leaves his slaves Free -- who could sing for Slavery -- Arago redeemed from Slavery -- Review of the argument -- Slave--that Litany of wrong and Woe -- the final conclusion -- injustice cannot command obedience -- duty of Disobeying the Slave law -- Senator Hale's praises -- Senator Chase's Eulogium -- Seward, Wilson, and the Phillips unite -- European opinions of the speech -- Downing, the Landscape Gardener -- addresses the Free-soil Convention -- old parties Pro-Slavery -- New parties always triumph -- the rising party of Freedom -- courses of Free-soil lectures -- Sumner at the Metropolitan Theatre -- change wrought in twenty years -- special duties of the North -- necessity of the Anti-Slavery Enterprise -- the law of Slavery -- an outrage on man and God -- alleged distinction of race -- one great human family -- a human being not property -- Practicability of Anti-Slavery Enterprise -- the question to be openly Confronted -- right cannot be founded on wrong -- Emancipation not dangerous -- instant Freedom safe for the Slave -- good of the Enterprise already -- Inherent dignity of the Enterprise -- Freedom the Darling of history -- hard words-personal disparagement -- at last there is a North -- the God Thor, and his cup -- why Slavery concerns the North -- Masterdom of Slave Oligarchy -- giant strength used heartlessly -- the great duty of the North -- Mr. Hayes' noble Resignation -- this Enterprise must go on -- Inscriptions on Achilles' shield -- the Press on the lecture -- Count Gurowski--Mr. Seward -- reasons against secrecy in the Senate -- speech in Faneuil Hall -- he addresses only Republicans -- the question National and local -- old Abolitionism in Massachusetts -- the Constitution ordained for Freedom -- Horace Mann in Congress -- what the Slave Oligarchy Appropriates -- inferiority of Slave States -- usurpations of Slavery -- every demand of Slavery conceded -- the Missouri compromise abolished -- outrages in Kansas -- to build another Slave State -- prostration of the Slave Oligarchy -- wedded to Freedom -- the Rip Van Winkle Whigs -- the great Phalanx now rallying -- no check on Emigration -- what foreigners have done for us -- Franklin the Apostle of Freedom -- principles of the New party -- Adams--Otis--Patrick Henry -- corner-stone of the New party -- repeal of the Fugitive Slave Act asked -- Sumner Enforces the petition -- Boston--Stamp Act--Tea Act -- Boston led the column of Freedom -- Pitt demanded repeal -- reply to Assailants -- Answers Mason and Butler -- Jackson's words in 1832 -- duties under the oath -- far-famed Resolutions of 1798 -- a tribute to Massachusetts -- no Slave born in Massachusetts -- Massachusetts Exterminates Slavery -- no injustice to South Carolina -- Quota of Revolutionary troops -- the South always behind -- General Greene's testimony -- Ramsay's history of the Revolution -- Military weakness of Southern States -- the Rights of human Nature -- the Crime against Kansas -- Vice-President Wilson's account -- analysis of the speech -- assault on Sumner -- meeting at Seward's House -- a Committee of inquiry -- behavior of Senators -- Toombs Justifies brooks -- brooks Challenges Wilson -- brooks Expelled--Keitt Resigns -- the South Endorses brooks -- Buchanan Approves the assault -- Burlingame Denounces the assault -- brooks' challenge accepted -- voice of Faneuil Hall -- fate of Keitt and brooks -- Europe with the Union -- the approaching Conflict -- the Crime against Kansas -- a tyrannical Usurpation -- Fratricidal, Patricidal war -- the Woe and shame of the Crime -- its origin and extent -- forced on a Reluctant North -- how the Crime was engendered -- the Nebraska Act a Swindle -- its offensive provisions -- it Cleared the way for Slavery -- a picture of direful Truth -- how the Territory was overrun -- grand invasion of the Territory -- the bursting of the storm -- the Governor's Servility to Slavery -- five Invasions of Kansas -- civilization Averts her face -- bowie-knives and Revolvers -- how the Crime was done -- foreigners impose a Constitution -- Squatter Sovereignty -- Irrefragable testimony -- Slavery erected in Kansas -- Apologies for the Crime -- the Apology tyrannical -- Apology Imbecile -- Apology absurd -- remedies proposed -- Remedy of tyranny--of Folly -- Remedy of Civil war -- Usurpation must be overthrown -- reaching the Goal -- the American President guilty

I.

The scene and its surroundings Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe has so finely sketched, it were a pity not to let the reader carry it on his fancy as he goes with the champions into the heat of the conflict: [111]

And now came the great battle of the Fugitive Slave Law. The sorceress slavery meditated a grand coup daetat that should found a Southern slave empire, and shake off the troublesome North, and to that intent her agents concocted a statute so insulting to Northern honor, so needlessly offensive in its provisions, so derisive of what were understood to be its religious convictions and humane sentiments, that it was thought verily, ‘The North never will submit to this, and we shall make here the breaking point.’ Then arose Daniel Webster, that lost Archangel of New England—he who had won her confidence by his knowledge of and reverence for all that was most sacred in her, and moved over to the side of evil! It was as if a great constellation had changed sides in the heavens, drawing after it a third part of the stars.

The North, perplexed, silenced, troubled, yielded for a moment. For a brief space all seemed to go down before that mighty influence, and all listened, as if spell-bound, to the serpent voice with which he scoffed at the idea that there was a law of God higher than any law or constitution of the United States.

But that moment of degradation was the last. Back came the healthy blood, the re-awakened pulse of moral feeling in New England, and there were found voices on all sides to speak for the right, and hearts to respond, and on this side of re-awakened moral feeling Sumner was carried into the United States Senate, to take the seat vacated by Webster. The right was not yet victorious, but the battle had turned so far that its champion had a place to stand on in the midst of the fray.

And what a battle was that! What an ordeal! What a gauntlet to run was that of the man in Washington who in those days set himself against the will of the great sorceress! Plied with temptation on the right hand and on the left, studied, mapped out like a fortress to be attacked and taken, was every Northern man who entered the arena. Could he be bought, bribed, cajoled, flattered, terrified? Which, or all? So planned the conspirators in their secret conclaves.

The gigantic Giddings——he who brought to the strife nerves toughened by backwoods toil and frontier fights with Indians—once said of [112] this warfare: ‘I've seen hard fighting with clubs and bullets; I've seen men falling all around me; but I tell you it takes more courage to stand up in one's seat in Congress and say the right thing, than to walk up to the cannon's mouth. There's no such courage as that of the anti-slavery men there.’

Now,