January 15, 1863, at twelve o’clock, each branch of the Legislature proceeded, by special assignment, to vote for a Senator to represent Massachusetts for six years from March 4th next ensuing. The vote in each branch was _vivâ voce_, the roll bring called and each member pronouncing the name of the candidate he voted for. In the Senate, the vote was,-- Charles Sumner, of Boston 33 Josiah G. Abbott, of Boston 5 Charles Francis Adams, of Quincy 1 In the House of Representatives, the vote was,-- Charles Sumner 194 Josiah G. Abbott 38 Caleb Gushing 2 Charles Francis Adams 1 In the House there were slight manifestations of applause when the result was announced, but they were promptly checked by the Speaker. The result was noticed by the press throughout the country. The venerable _National Intelligencer_, at Washington, which had been opposed to the principles and policies of Mr. Sumner, employed the following generous terms. “This is the third time that this gentleman has been thus honored by the Legislature of Massachusetts. Such repeated tokens of confidence would seem sufficiently to indicate, that, whatever dissent from the views of Mr. Sumner may elsewhere exist, he is the favorite, as he is admitted by all to be the able, representative of the opinions entertained by a majority of the people of this great and influential State. And these views now predominate in the conduct of the present Administration, which may be said to have adopted, reluctantly and at a late day, the political and military policy early commended to its favor by Mr. Sumner. “If we are not able to concur with Mr. Sumner in certain of his opinions on questions of domestic politics, it gives us only the greater pleasure to bear our cheerful and candid testimony to the enlightened judgment and peculiar qualifications he brings to the discharge of the important duties devolved on him as Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations in the Senate. In this capacity he has deservedly won the confidence of the whole country.” Such testimony from a political opponent attested the change that had occurred in public policy and private feeling. The _Tribune_ exhibited the change in yet stronger light. “By a vote of nearly six to one, Massachusetts again declares her confidence in her long-tried Senator, and, on an issue defined with unmistakable clearness, for the third time returns him to his seat.