Charles Sumner: his complete works, volume 15 (of 20)

The collection gathers speeches, letters, resolutions, and a monograph delivered in 1867 that address diplomatic, legislative, and civil-rights issues. It documents negotiations over the transfer of Russian North American territories and debates concerning fisheries and fur-trade franchises. Much of the material advocates federal enforcement of equal political and civil rights for freed people—suffrage, access to public office, naturalization without racial restriction, homesteads, and public schooling—while also examining Senate procedure, executive oversight under the Tenure-of-Office questions, and foreign-policy initiatives including mediation in Mexico and sympathy for Crete. A closing essay reflects on prophetic voices concerning the nation’s future.