We should be deaf and blind to all the lessons of history, if we were to declare it to be safe that men trusted with Executive or even with Legislative power should act on that principle.

Unfortunately, humanity is so constituted that the benevolent despot is likely to work more mischief even than a malevolent despot.

His example of absolute disregard of constitutional restraints will be followed by men of very different motives.

Yet the influence of one such man pressing and urging his companions forward in a Legislative body like the Senate of the United States, keeping ever before the people the highest ideals, inspired by the love of liberty, and ever speaking and working in the fear of God, is inestimable.
Charles Sumner lacked that quality which enables the practical statesman to adjust the mechanism of complicated statutes.
He had no genius for detail.

It would not have been safe to trust him with Appropriation Bills, or Bills for raising revenue.