In the winter of 1856, the American party having the control of
the Legislature of Massachusetts, members of this party were
reported as entering into a plan to choose a Senator in place
of Mr. Sumner at the expiration of his term, March 4, 1857,
thus anticipating the action of the Legislature to be chosen in
the autumn following. The plan was discussed in newspapers and
in contemporary letters. It excited the anxiety of Mr. Sumner’s
political friends so far, that, at their request, he was
induced to obtain from the Secretary of the Senate the adverse
precedents, which were published at the time in the newspapers.
The discussion of the question was arrested by the event which
soon followed, turning all eyes to him, and making him more
than ever the representative of Massachusetts.
The new Legislature seemed to have been constituted for the
reëlection of Mr. Sumner. It came together January 7, 1857,
when, even before the message of the Governor, it was insisted
that the election should be proceeded with, and January 9th was
fixed upon for this purpose. On that day, in pursuance of an
order of the House, the Clerk called the roll of members, when
each responded _viva voce_ with the name of the person for whom
he voted, as follows.
Charles Sumner, of Boston, 333
Robert C. Winthrop, of Boston, 3
Nathaniel J. Lord, of Salem, 2
George W. Gordon, of Boston, 1
Erasmus D. Beach, of Springfield, 1
Charles B. Goodrich, of Boston, 1
Otis P. Lord, of Salem, 1
Edward Everett, of Boston, 1
William Appleton, of Boston, 1
Rufus Choate, of Boston, 1
----
Total vote, 345
Members absent or not voting, 10
----
Whole number of members, 355
The announcement of the vote was received with applause.
In the Senate the vote was taken in the same way, January 13th,
and every member responded with the name of “Charles Sumner, of
Boston,” the vote being unanimous, when the President announced
that “Hon. CHARLES SUMNER, of Boston, having received the
entire vote of the Senate, in concurrence with the House, is
elected United States Senator from this State for the term of
six years from the fourth of March next.”
The _Boston Daily Advertiser_ noticed this event as follows.
“It is impossible to refrain from comparing the election
of yesterday with Mr. Sumner’s previous election in the
same place six years ago. _Now_ he receives nearly all the
votes, on the first ballot, taken on the third day of the
session, every member speaking aloud his vote. _Then_ he
received only the exact number necessary for a choice,--one
more than half the whole number; and the election was not
effected until the twenty-sixth ballot, taken on the one
hundred and fourteenth day of the session (April 24, 1851),
and the votes were thrown in sealed envelopes. _Then_ he
was the candidate of a party which threw 27,636 votes in
the State, at the preceding popular election, or about one
fifth of the whole number. _Now_ he is the candidate of a
party which threw 108,190 votes in the State, at the last
popular election, or about two thirds of the whole number.
_Then_ he was chosen to a body where he could expect to
find but two or three associates sympathizing with his
sentiments. _Now_ he is a member of a party which has a
majority in the lower House of Congress, and numbers a
quarter of the members even of the Senate of the United
States. Truly, _tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis_.”
The _New York Tribune_ had the following comment.
“We need not, in view of recent events, point out the
change which has taken place in the public sentiment of
Massachusetts. It is not too much to say that Mr. Sumner
is at this moment the most popular man in the State, the
opinions of which he so truly represents. Nor will it
do to attribute this general love, honor, and sympathy
entirely to the felonious assault made upon Mr. Sumner. Had
he been less true to the cause committed to his keeping,
had he trimmed and temporized, and spoken softly when he
should have spoken sharply, he would have been safe from
the bludgeon of the bully, and might have won the smiles
instead of the expectorations of a certain servile Senator.
The people of Massachusetts have estimated Mr. Sumner’s
service in all its length and breadth; they have duly
weighed all its incidents and indignities,--what he has
suffered, what he has accomplished, and what he has failed
to accomplish; and their verdict, expressed in yesterday’s
almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives,
bestows upon him a crown of honor which may well assuage
the hope deferred of a tardy convalescence. Few public men
have had such large opportunities, few public men have so
nobly improved them.”
On the 23d of January, 1857, Hon. Charles A. Phelps, Speaker
of the House of Representatives, laid before the House the
following letter, which was read, and, on motion of Hon.
Charles Hale, of Boston, entered at large upon the Journal.