The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-06-07
The Republican Press On samnsr's
Speech.

The Republican Press On samnsr's
Speech.
The republican journals of this city-the
Tribune, the Times, and the Courier and Eaq,a.
rer-all agreein opinion about Summers speech
in the United States Senate. With singular
unanimity they deprecate its tone, though they
do not repudiate its principles In this they
are hypocritical, for they believe, with Sumner,
that slavery is an evil and sin, and they be-
long to party which is organized to abolish
it. They are abolitionists as we'll as he; but
he is more honest than they are, and reasons
from their principles and his own to logical
consequences from which they shrink, not be-
cause they do not see the force Of his argument
and believe in the justness of his conclusions,
but because they think it polite not to say all
they think till after the election. They know
that two or three millions Of conservatives in
the North will not stand the revolutionary doc
trines of the party when fairly expounded by a
leader who deserves the epithet of honest far
better than Abe Lincoln.
The republican journals regard Sumner as
imprudent In letting out too much truth instead
of Co operating with them to cheat the people
till their object is accomplished. This betrays
the weakness Of their cause, and shows that
they have not confidence in their own princi-
Piles. II they believe them to be sound prin-
ciples-if negro servitude In the South be the
moral and religious evil, the social and polit
cal wrong which they describe It -why are they
scared ct the legitimate consequences which Cow
from their belief? Sumner and Wendell Phil
lips, and Garrison and Giddings, and Seward
and Lincoln, have all conducted the argument
to the abolition Of slavery In every State of the
Union. And what consequences that involves
We have all q right to Judge. Any other con-
clusion than abolition would be most lame and
impotent; for II the republican party is not
organized to abolish slavery, what is 1t organ
lied to dos There Is now no "bleeding
Kansas and not foot Of territory
owned by the United States into which
there is the slightest probability of any planter
ever emigrating with his slaves. II, then, the
object Of the republican party be not to abo-
lish slavery in the States, 1t is organized on
mere abstraction, and for no practical end II
stands selfcondemned for agitating the whole
country, and driving II to the brink Of civil
war, without an object or an aim. II Webb
and Greeley and Raymond are right, Sumner
is right. If he is wrong they are wrong, and
in condemning him they condemn themselves.
II his premises are true, his conclusions are
right
But Mr.. Sumner Is wrong both In his pre-
misses and conclusions. His foundation Is sand,
and his nperstructure must 90 to pieces. His
statistics for instance, are an false a. Helpers.
Many Of the facts which he adduces TO show
that slavery Is wrong are exceptions TO the
general rule, and thousands Of such facts might
be brought forward against the system of free
labor In the North. He refers, for Instance, TO
duelling with the pistol, or rife, or bowie knife
to show the barbarian Of the South. Are no knives
or pistols used at the North Are such pugi
listic encounters as have recently taken place
among us evidences Of q superior civilization
or higher refinement Does not duelling
prevail ~ ErQlsnd and France particularly in
the latter country, the most civilized and re.
fined In the world There Is no slavery there
to give birth 10 the duello. To say thu. duel
ling springs from slavery and barbarian, there
fore, IL the height Of absurdity. Mr.. Sumner
might a. well assert that war arises from the
same causes. The labor system Of the most re-
fined and polished nations Of antiquity Greece
and Rome-was slavery-countries whose high
civilization would In many respects compare
favorably with that Of New England, whose
poetry, Of which Mr.. Sumner talks 20 much, Ia
poor stuff when placed beside the d.
vine strains Of Homer and Sophocles
and Pindar, and Virgil and Horace. In
painting and sculpture and architecture, the
artists Of ancient Greece and Rome are our
models TO this. day. II was Greece invented
democracy and liberty, and she founded her
freedom on slave labor. SO much for Mr..
Summers position hat slavery produces bar
barism
Mr.. summer lays great stress upon the fact
that edr cation Is more widely diffused among
tne p.ssses In New England than of the South.
Ine reason Is plain. The Yankee, for the
1 most part must live by his wits, the soil being
too poor to give him employment His for
tune consists In bis limited education, and
with this he emigrstes 70 other States, and be-
comes a teacher, or clerk, or reporter, or
editor, or doctor, or lawyer The same re-
mark applies to Scotland, In ie relation
to the southern portion Of the island Of
which IL IL part But the most highly edu-
Gated men, the scholars and the statesmen who
have ruled this republic since the foundation
Of the government, bave been chiefly Of The