OCR Text |
Show The Stalwarts of '61. The Nation has a long review of "The Life and Public Service of William Pitt Fossenden. It ought to be a good book for all Americans to road, for it brings in review nearly all the old stalwart band that helped to set the stage for, and to call the acts of the mighty tragedy of the civil war. At large Fossenden is not rated at his real status, but he was a man of whom Stephen A. Douglas said: "Henry Clay was the most fascinating and Daniel Dan-iel Webster the most powerful orator. John C. Calhoun was the logician of the senate, but Wm. Pitt Fessenden is the readiest and ablest debator I have ever known." His flrst speech in the senate was made without with-out the slightest preparation and without notes. Ho had just entered the senate and following the usual rule, he did not propose to speak until he had been there a reasonable time. But when the debate on the Nebraska bill culminated, after many flery speeches, and was about to go to a final vote, the friends of Fossenden urged him so earnestly to speak that ho comonted. Ho began at one o'clock in the morning of March 4th, 1861. Of that speech Charles Sumner wrote in one of his private letters: i "Fessendon's arrival in the senate was like a reinforcement on a field of battle. He did not wait but entered into the debate with all those resources re-sources which afterwards became so famous. Douglas, Cass and Buller interrupted, only to ' be worsted by one who has just ridden into the lists. It could be found in the Globe but the Globe could not 'picture the exciting scene. The senator from Maine, erect, firm, immovable, as a jutting promontory against which the waves of the ocean tossed in a dissolving spray, there he stood, not a tossed loving freedom who did not feel that on that day a champion had come." Sumner must have been greatly stirred by the speech for Sumner was an envious man who cQuld not help but feel, as a rule, that lavish praise of any one else was taking something from himself. But all through this review the names of the old stalwarta appear, Seward, Stanton, Chase, Trumbull Trum-bull all the old band of the north and likewise the master spirits of the south, the men who were getting ready through ten years for what they believed be-lieved was Inevitable. They wore a strong array of men; there was no mistake in their selection. There wore jealousies among some of them, jealousies jeal-ousies and suspicions; some of them made Mr. Lincoln Lin-coln infinite trouble, for they at first were sure that he would so need their advice that they would be essential to his success as president. They never realized until near the close of his flrst term, when ho made his Gettysburg address, that he was born with a clearer brain and sounder sound-er judgment than the schools could over give them. This book ought to be a distinct addition to the history and literature of the republic. |