Men of Our Times; Or, Leading Patriots of the Day Being narratives of the lives and deeds of statesmen, generals, and orators. Including biographical sketches and anecdotes of Lincoln, Grant, Garrison, Sumner, Chase, Wilson, Greeley, Farragut, Andrew, Colfax, Stanton, Douglass, Buckingham, Sherman, Sheridan, Howard, Phillips and Beecher.

CHAPTER IV.--CHARLES SUMNER.

Chapter 4118 wordsPublic domain

Mr. Sumner an instance of Free State High Culture--The "Brahmin Caste" of New England--The Sumner Ancestry; a Kentish Family --Governor Increase Sumner; His Revolutionary Patriotism--His Stately Presence; "A Governor that can Walk"--Charles Sumner's Father--Mr. Sumner's Education, Legal and Literary Studies --Tendency to Ideal Perfection--Sumner and the Whigs-- Abolitionism Social Death--Sumner's Opposition to the Mexican War--His Peace Principles--Sumner Opposes Slavery Within the Constitution, as Garrison Outside of it--Anti-Slavery and the Whigs--The Political Abolitionist Platform--Webster asked in vain to Oppose Slavery--Sumner's Rebuke of Winthrop-- Joins the Free Soil Party--Succeeds Webster in the Senate-- Great Speech against the Fugitive Slave Law--The Constitution a Charter of Liberty--Slavery not in the Constitution-- First Speech after the Brooks Assault--Consistency as to Reconstruction. 214