cast
more than one vote; and an order was offered by Sidney Bartlett,
an eminent Whig member from Boston, requiring the members
to bring in their votes in sealed envelopes. This resulted
in the choice of Sumner.

Another contribution to Mr. Sumner's election ought not to
be forgotten. The town of Fall River was represented by Whigs;
but it was a community where there was a strong anti-slavery
feeling. A town-meeting was called by the friends of Mr.
Sumner, and a motion made to instruct their representatives,
according to the right of the people declared in the constitution
of Massachusetts, to vote for Sumner. An earnest and eloquent
speech in favor of the resolution was made by Robert T. Davis,
a young Quaker, since a distinguished member of Congress.
The resolution was carried, which Mr. Borden, one of the
Representatives from Fall River, obeyed. The result was Sumner's
election by a single vote.

As stated in the preceding chapter, I was a member in 1852
of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, then consisting
of about four hundred and twenty members. It was, I think,
as admirable a body of men for the training of a public speaker
as I ever knew. The members were honest. The large majority
was made up of sensible, strong-headed country farmers, rather
slow in making up their minds, but making them up always on
considerations of what was best for the Commonwealth. There
was a time, when the opinion of the House seemed to be precipitating
or crystallizing, not too early in the debate and not too
late, when a vigorous and effective speech had great influence.
I was made Chairman of the Committee of Probate and Chancery,
the second law committee in the House; and I suppose it is
not presumptuous to say that I did as much of the hard work
of the body and had as much influence in leading its action
and shaping its legislation as anybody.

In the year 1856 I was, with Eli Thayer, sent from Worcester
as a delegate to a Convention held at Buffalo to concert measures
to help the settlers from the Free States in their contest
with slave owners led by Atchison and Stringfellow, of Missouri,
for the possession of Kansas. Atchison had been President
pro tempore of the Senate of the United States. The slave
holders had organized a formidable body of men to drive out
the Free State settlers from the Territories, which had just
been opened after the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. We
met at Buffalo some