Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/86

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SUMMEY


SUMNER


the author of: Comvicntarics 07i the Gospels, a)id on the Acts of the Ajyostlcs, uiid the Epistle to the Romans (lSTO-7.")); Cotumentari/ <m the liitmtl of the M. E. Church, South: Talks, Pleasant and Profitable; The Golden Censer, ami Refutation of Tliomas Jhiine's Theological Writings, not an- sicered in Bishojy Watson's ' Apology'. His lec- tures on Systematic Theology (2 vols., 1888), were edited and publislied after his death which oc- curred at Nashville, Tenn., May 6, 1882, during the session of the General convention of 1882.

SUMMEY, George, eilucatur, was born in Asheville, N.C., Jan. 3. 18.53; son of A. T. and Rosa (Morrison) Sununey; grandson of George Suramey and of Wasiiington Morrison, and a de- scendant of James Patton, of county Derry, Ire- land. He attended the University of Georgia, 1867-68, and was graduated at Davidson college, A.B., 1870, A.M., 1873, and at Union Theological seminary, Virginia. 1873. He was licensed to preach, Aug. 17, 1872. by the presbytery of Meck- lenburg and was ordained. Oct. 4, 1873, by the presbytery of Memphis. He was pastor at Boli- var, Tenn., 1873-75; of Madison Avenue church, at Covington, Ky., 187.5-80; Graham and Burling- ton. N.C., 1881-84; Chester, S.C, 1884-92, and in 1893 he became chancellor of Southwestern uni- versity, Clark.sville, Tenn., also occupj'ing the chair of Biblical history and English Bible. He was founder and for eleven years (1876-87) man- aging editor of the Presbyterian Qiteirterly, and founder, and for three years (1889-92) manager, of the Presbyterian and Reformed Review, He received the honorary degree of D.D., Southwest- ern Presbyterian university, 1891, and of LL.D., Davidson college, 1901.

SUMNER, Charles, statesman, was born in Boston, Mass., Jan. 6, 1811; son of Charles Pinck- ney and Relief (Jacob) Sumner; grandson of Job Sumner, an officer in the patriot army, who served at Bunker Hill, the siege of Bos- ton, and was second in command of the forces that defended New York upon the evacuation of the city by the British; great-grandson of Setli Sumner; great-- grandson of AVill- iam Sumner; great^- ' ' ' grandson of Roger

C^Xuk^j2i^ o/2c-A*^^iy and Mary (Josselyn) Sumner, and great-- grandson of "William Sumner, who came to Amerira in 163.5. an<l .settled in Dorchester, Mas.s- achusetts B.iy colony. Charles Piiickiiey Sum-



ner was graduated from Harvard in 1706; studied law with Josiah Quincy; was clerk in the Massa- cluisetts house of representatives, 1800-07 and 1810-11; was sheriff of Suffolk county, and was prominent in the temperance anti-slavery and anti-Masonic movement. Cliarles Sumner at- tended the public schools of Boston, failed to ob- tain an appointment in the U.S. Military academy, and in September, 1826, entered Harvard college. He excelled in history, literature and the classics, and won a second Bowdoin prize by an essay on " The Present Character of the Inliabitants of New England." He was graduated in 1830, and returned to his father's house in Boston. He studied and taught school, and was graduated from the Harvard Law school, LL.B., 1834. He attracted the attention of Judge Story and Simon Greenleaf, and in 1834 entered the law office of Benjamin Rand, of Boston. In May, 1834. lie be- came an editor oiihe Jurist; visited Washington, Philadelpliia and New York, and through the in- troduction of Juilge Story he met the distin- guished men of the day. On his return to Boston he declined the appointment of instructor at the Harvard Law school; was admitted to the bar in September, 1834, and formed a partnership with George S. Hillard of Boston. He was instructor in the law school during Judge Story's absence in 1835, and in 1836-37; was selected to report Story's Decisions in the circuit court, which he published in three volumes; assisted Greenleaf in his "Maine Digest," and prepared the index ^for Story's "Equity Jurisprudence." His con- nection with the Jurist brought him into contact with the leading lawyers and scliolars, including Cornelius C. Felton, Henry AV. Longfellow, Henry R. Cleveland, Dr. "William E. Chauning, and Wendell Phillips. In December, 1837, he sailed for Europe, where he was cordially re- ceived in Paris, London, "Vienna and Berlin, and met the distinguished barristers, literary cele- brities, and political and social leaders. Return- ing to Boston, May 3, 1840, he resumed his practice; and was retained b}'^ the British consul, in actions against Britisli officers who had searched American ships suspected of being slavers. He supported Dr. Ciianning in his at- tack on Daniel Webster, who held that the slaves of the brig Creole, who had mutinied and carried the vessel into Nassau, should be given up bj- the British government. On July 4, 1845, he was invited to deliver the oration in Boston, and took for his .subject an argument against war, which showed both courage and marked eloquence. In the autumn of 1845, he was made a member of the Whig state committee appointed to organize the opposition to the ad- mission of Texas with a slave con.stitution, and he drew up the resolutions pfesentedat a meeting