SENATOR FOSTER'S SPEECH. 243 



amenities, the proprieties, which belong to the character of 

 a gentleman and a Christian more than that man. He has 

 been connected with Yale College, one of the well-heads 

 of science and learning in this country, for more than fifty 

 years, as an instructor. During the time that he has been 

 thus a member of this Institution, more than four thousand 

 young men have received instruction through him and the 

 other members of the Faculty of that Institution, and not 

 one of that large number ever received from him any other 

 than such influences as would do good the world over." 



The Diary proceeds thus : 



The week has been fruitful of attacks and reflections on 



account of the affair at the North Church I could 



have wished that it had occurred differently and with less 

 publicity, and not in a church (although we, the descend- 

 ants of the Puritans, do not hold such places to be conse- 

 crated). Still it is desirable, as far as possible, to exclude 

 secular subjects from them. The " New York Times," 

 through its correspondent here, gave a startling publicity to 

 my name by placing it at the head of the column, as if I 

 had been a leader. I was mute almost to the last moment, 

 and then yielded to an urgent appeal to present the matter 

 to the meeting, and it is said that otherwise the object 

 would not have been accomplished. 



April 20. From the most remote parts of the Union, 

 newspapers and anonymous letters continue to pour in. 

 They are, as I am informed, (for I do not read them,) scur- 

 rilous, bitter, and many of them low and vulgar. They 

 give me little concern, and will by and by die out. I have 

 done my duty, and we are cheered by news of the arrival 

 of our New-Haven colony in Kansas, I believe, without 

 molestation. I have addressed a letter to the Hon. John P. 

 Hale, in consequence of his promptly repelling an attack 

 upon me, in the Senate, by Senator Benjamin of Louisiana, 

 many years ago an unworthy member of Yale College. 





