The combinations or agreements between the Free-Soilers and Democrats
throughout Massachusetts in the election of members of the State
Legislature were successful. The election was more than usually
interesting, because the Legislature was to choose a United States
Senator for the term of six years from the ensuing fourth of March,
in the place of Mr. Webster, who had become Secretary of State.
Nothing had been said before the election with regard to candidates
for this place, but there was a general understanding, at least among
Free-Soilers, that it should be claimed for one of their party. Mr.
Sumner had never regarded himself as a candidate, and the first
intimation he had that he was so regarded by others came to him early
in the morning after the election in a note written in pencil at his
door by Seth Webb, Jr., Esq., afterwards the excellent Consul at Hayti,
as follows.
"MY DEAR MR. SUMNER,--
"I called to tell you _such_ good news. We have carried everything
in the State. Senate sure; House nearly certain; Governor,
_Senator_, all. You are bound for Washington this winter.
"Yours truly,
"SETH WEBB, JR."
Similar intimations came from various quarters. Under date of December
18th, the Rev. Joshua Leavitt, the constant Abolitionist, wrote: "I
confidently hope and trust that in a month from this time you will
take your seat in the Senate of the United States, as the successor
of Daniel Webster. I need not say how greatly I shall be gratified at
such an event, both for your sake and that of the cause. It will be a
worthy rebuke of cotton arrogance, pronounced in earnest and sealed by
action in the name of the good old Commonwealth." An active Free-Soiler
in Vermont wrote: "I think you are nearer my ideal of a Free-Soiler
of this time than anybody else; so does the whole Free-Soil heart of
New England. And you may depend that the actual triumph of just such
a man as you are will give a heavier blow to the conspirators against
Freedom, and do more to fortify the general trust in the ultimate
ascendency of uncompromising right, than that of any other living
being. You cannot escape from your position." Mr. Giddings and Mr.
Chase both wrote from Washington, insisting that Mr. Sumner could not
refuse to be a candidate. Hon. John Mills wrote from Springfield:
"C.S., I am satisfied, must be the man. He stands better with the
Democrats than others, and so he does with the Free-Soilers in this
section of the State." Hon. C.F. Adams "saw difficulties in alliance
with the Democracy"; but he added, "If our friends decide to risk
themselves in that ship, I trust we may get a full consideration for
the risk, and the only full consideration that we can receive is in
securing your services in the Senate. If anything can be done with that
iron and marble body, you may do it. You know how hopeless I think the
task."
Under the unamended Constitution of Massachusetts popular elections
were determined by a majority of the votes cast, and not by a
plurality. In the event of a failure to secure a majority, the election
of Governor and Lieutenant-Governor was transferred to the Legislature,
which made a selection from the three highest candidates. This duty
was now devolved upon the Legislature. At the opening of the session
there were separate caucuses of the Free-Soilers and Democrats, with
committees of conference, which resulted in the understanding that
the Democrats should have the Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, five of
the nine Councillors, the Treasurer, and the Senator for the short
term, being the few weeks till the 4th of March following, while the
Free-Soilers should have the Senator for the long term, being for six
years from the 4th of March. The two parties united on Mr. Sumner as
their candidate for Senator. The nomination by the Free-Soilers was
communicated in the following letter.
"CAUCUS ROOM, STATE HOUSE, 1/2 past 10, A.M. [Jan. 7th, 1851.]
"We have just taken the vote by ballot for Senator, and you are the
man.
"Whole number
"For Charles Sumner 82
"Others 00
"We have sworn to stand by you, to sink or swim with you, AT ALL
HAZARDS.
"If you shall fail us in any respect, may God forgive you!--we
never shall.
"Yours truly,
"E.L. KEYES.
"CHARLES SUMNER."
The nomination thus unanimously conferred was welcomed beyond the
caucus that made it. A letter of Richard H. Dana, Jr., written the
next day, congratulates Mr. Sumner. "I have just learned that you have
received the unanimous nomination of the Free-Soil caucus, as their
first choice for the Senate. Whether the state of parties permits
your election or not, this voluntary and unanimous tribute from our
party must be a deep gratification to you through life, and I heartily
congratulate you upon it."
Why Mr. Sumner was selected appears from the _Commonwealth_, which was
at the time the organ of the Free-Soil party, and edited by Richard
Hildreth, the historian. "Mr. Sumner was selected as the candidate for
the Senate, because, while true as the truest to Free-Soil principles,
he was supposed to be less obnoxious than any prominent Free-Soiler in
the State to the Democratic party. He was never identified with any of
the measures of the Whig party, except those relating to Slavery. He
never entered a Whig State Convention, except to sustain the sentiment,
not of the Whig party alone, but of Massachusetts, against the
annexation of Texas and the Mexican War."[61]
[61] Daily Commonwealth. April 2, 1851.
The Democrats in caucus were less prompt than the Free-Soilers. They
began by a resolution to abide by the decision of two thirds of those
present and voting, being the rule of the Baltimore Convention in 1844.
This was adopted almost unanimously. Mr. Sumner then received the two
thirds required, when one of those who voted against him, after stating
his adverse vote, moved that he be unanimously declared the candidate
of the Democratic caucus, and six only voted in the negative.
On the completion of these arrangements, the Legislature proceeded
to the elections, choosing George S. Boutwell Governor, and Henry W.
Cushman Lieutenant-Governor, both Democrats, and, at a later day,
Robert Rantoul, Jr., a Democrat, Senator for the short term. The other
Democrats were chosen according to the understanding. In the Senate,
Henry Wilson, Free-Soiler, had been chosen President, and in the House
of Representatives Nathaniel P. Banks, Jr., Democrat, Speaker.
On the 14th of January the House of Representatives proceeded to ballot
for Senator, with the following result: Whole number, 381; necessary to
a choice, 191; Charles Sumner, 186; R.C. Winthrop, 167; scattering, 28;
blanks, 3. There was a second ballot on the same day, when Mr. Sumner
had the same number of votes as before. The entire Free-Soil vote was
110, which he received, with 76 Democratic votes.
The _Commonwealth_ announced at once the determination of the
Free-Soil party as follows. "This entire unanimity of the Free-Soil
members indicates a purpose, not to be changed, to stand by their
candidate, come what may. They have taken the candidates presented
by the Democratic party without pledges, without questions. They have
selected for their candidate a man who stands first in the respect and
affections of every true Free-Soiler in the State. Their constituents
would repudiate them, if they should desert him now. We are assured
_they never will_."[62]
[62] Daily Commonwealth, January 15, 1851.
The failure in the House did not prevent the Senate from proceeding
with the election, on January 22d, when the whole number of votes was
38: for Charles Sumner, 23; for R.C. Winthrop, 14; and for Henry W.
Bishop, 1; and Mr. Sumner was accordingly chosen on the part of the
Senate.
During the long contest which ensued, Mr. Sumner was constant to the
end, without doing or saying anything to change or modify his position.
Extracts from his speeches, printed in capitals, with hostile comments,
appeared daily in the Whig and Democratic papers, and were often
characterized as _treasonable_, while he was called a _disunionist_.
In reply to a personal and political friend, who sought some mode of
meeting these attacks, he wrote the following private letter, which was
never published.
BOSTON, January 21, 1851.