Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 07 (of 20)Sumner, Charles
History
Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 07 (of 20)
Sumner, Charles
Slavery -- United States; Speeches, addresses, etc., American
“I fully intended to address you as soon as the overflow
of my heart became somewhat proportionate to the capacity
of the pen, and to repeat that quotation from Tully which
Junius aptly uses, though less aptly than it applied then:
‘Quod si quis existimat me aut voluntate esse mutata,
aut debilitata virtute, aut _animo_ fracto, vehementer
errat.’[202] But my dear wife wrote you our joint offering
of admiration and gratitude better than I could do it for
myself.”
Hon. S. E. Sewall, the able lawyer and devoted Abolitionist,
whose sympathy with Mr. Sumner had been constant, wrote from
Boston:--
“As I have not time to call on you just now, I cannot
forbear writing, merely to say how delighted I am with
your speech at Worcester. I see it has roused a good deal
of howling among our wretched editors. But this does not
convince me that your position is wrong, or that it will
not be sustained by the country. Almost every one whom I
see thinks as I do about your speech, and regards it as
eloquent, statesmanlike, and timely. I trust Congress will
think as you do, and act accordingly.”
George Livermore, who so often wrote to Mr. Sumner with entire
sympathy, and soon afterwards contributed an invaluable service
to the African race,[203] expressed his present anxiety.
“I did hope that in this terrible day of our country’s
trial there would be found sufficient patriotism with those
sent to Worcester to cast aside _all party_ considerations
and all disturbing differences, and unite, _before it is
too late_, in trying to save the Government and the Union.…
I trembled when I heard that you had been invited to speak,
and I wept when I read your speech.
“Unless there is a united North, united on the basis of the
Constitution as it is, we are doomed to defeat.”
Hon. Joshua R. Giddings, at the time Consul General at
Montreal, wrote from that city:--
“Thanks for your speech at Worcester. I want you to place
the same question before the Senate.”
Hon. Carl Schurz, at the time Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary in Spain, wrote from Madrid:--
“First let me thank you for the glorious speech you have
delivered before the Massachusetts Convention. I agree with
you on every point, and expect shortly to fight by your
side.”
William S. Thayer, a writer of admirable sense, and Consul
General at Alexandria in Egypt, wrote:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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