LETTER TO THE MAYOR OF BOSTON, IN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF A RESOLUTION OF THE
BOARD OF ALDERMEN, MARCH 5, 1866.
March 2d, the Board of Aldermen of Boston adopted unanimously
the following resolution, which was communicated to Mr. Sumner
by the Mayor.
“_Resolved_, That we deem it fitting time to express
our profound sense of the eminent loyalty, patriotism,
and statesmanship of our distinguished Senator, Charles
Sumner,--to acknowledge the measureless debt of gratitude
which the Commonwealth and the nation owe him for his wise
counsels and constant and efficient services in this great
struggle to establish justice and to secure the prosperity
of the Union,--and our indignant conviction of the utter
falsehood of any accusation, no matter by whom made, which
likens him, either in theory or practice, to the traitor
chiefs of the Rebellion, or which charges him with any
lack of devotion or loyalty to that great cause of Freedom
and Nationality which he has watched with such untiring
vigilance and served with such masterly ability.
“_Resolved_, That a copy of this resolution be forwarded by
his Honor the Mayor to Mr. Sumner.”
This resolution was plainly aimed at President Johnson on
account of his speech of February 22d.[220]