M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-06-19
The Attack ON Sumner----What
Caused itl

Although we condemn the personal as
sault upon Mr.. Sumner, we cannot sympa-
thine with the hyPOcitical agitators who are
getting up indignation meetings upon the
strength Of that assault, and making them a
means for the dissemination Of Black Repub'
lican principles. No man inclined to do JUS
tice between the parties will believe for mo-
ment that the assault was perpetrOted with
out some grounds Of justification. We give
below portion Of Summers speech in which
come OF the Objectionable passages occur,
and leave the reader to judge which Of The
parties were to blame in the first instance
The remarks that follow the quotations are
copied from the Hartford Times:
Senator Sumner said in his lutte speech on
Kansas atfairs:-
"With regret | come again upon the SEN
ator from South Carolina, (Mr. Butler. )'''
There was no extravagance OF the ancient
parliamentary debate which he did not re-
peat; nor was there any possible deviation
from truth which he die not make, with SO
much Of passion, | am glad TO add, as to
save him from the suspicion Of intentional
alteration.
But the Senator touches nothing which he
does not disfgue-with error, sometimes Of
principle, sometimes Of fact. He shows an
incapacity Of accuracy, whether in stating
The Constitution OF in stating the law,
whether in the details Of statistics or the di-
versions OF scholarship. He cannot open
his mouth, but out there flies blunder."
Mr.. Sumner then compared Mr.. Butler
to "foal moiIthsd speaker" who once de =
nounced franklin. Then suspending his
personal attacks, he turned to the State which
Mr.. Butler represents in part, and applied
severe epithets to it, calling it Republican
only in name, denouncing its conduct as
shameful" and added;
"Wee the whole history Of South Carolina
blotted out Of eristcncs from its very begin.
ming, down to the day Of the last election Of
the Senator to his present seat on this floor,
civilization might lose-I do not say how
little; but surely less than 1t has already
gained by the example Of Kansas, in its val
iant struggle against oppression, and in the
development Of new scheme OF emigra-
tion."
He then exultingly "told the Senator, -
that Kansas would be welcomed as free
State and ministering angel, "when South
Carolina, in the cloak of darkness which
she hugs, lies hOIcIiag."
Thisi only small part OF his PERSONAL.
ties and his denuciations. He compared
Senator Douglas to skunk, and exhausted
his vocabulary Of blackguard upon him also.
But Mr.. Douglas is younger man than Mr..
Butler, and any remarks that MIR. Sumner
would have made in reference to him,
would probaly never have brought down
upon him personal assault.
But who is Senator Butler-the gentle
man who is denounced by Senator Sumner
as the man who had "made every possible
deviation from truth" who was SO passion
ate that he did not know what he said;
who INDUCED In extravagances; who "touch-
ed nothing that he did not dis6gure with
error of principle and Of fact; who was so
full Of blunders that he could not open his
mouth without letting blunder fly out;
and who represents State the whole history
of which, from its very beginning to the
day tnat Sne elcleu MI. DutleI W tue pend6j
might be blotted out without much loss to
civilization" What is the real character
of this Senator, who was so shamefully
abused by Senator Sumner, tUhen he tuas ab-
ssnt7
He is an old man ofnearly 10 years.
His hair is nearly as white as snow
He was formerly a Judge ola high Court in
South Carolina, and is distinguished for his
clear constitutional views and sound states.
manship, as we'll as high attainments as
LAWYER. His character is spotless-his dis.
position generous-his manner courteous
and gentlemanly. Such is the man selected
among others by Senator Sumner as q sub
iect for his personal abuse. He is distin-
guished for his fairness and frankness, and
still Mr. Sumner held him up as falsifier,
there being "no possible deviation from
truth, which he did not make!" And this
gross abuse OF an aged and esteemed Sena'
tor, whose character is as pure as that Of
any other man, Is only part Of the system
attic plan of the Abolitionists in the PIesi-
dental campaign of 1856.
NJ