Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1864-08-20
Charles sumner Stretched upon
shs Rack.


oho..,,. 49,. ~, -
have heard the Senator declare in this
Chamber that under the Constitution we had
no power TO interfere with slavery in the
States. To-day he tells us that It is constitu
tional to strike and crush slavery wherever we
! can find It,
The Senator swears to support the Consti.
tuition and declares in his pl ee that he would
not assist in the execution Of the fugitive
slave Law, law made in obedience to the
command Of the Constitution. The Senator
disregards the Constitution, his oath Of Office,
and everything that should bind the conscience
of a just and good man, TO carry out bis abo.
liuon schemes
! The Senator from Massachusetts talks as
/ gby about war as il he had all his life had
the harness on, as If nothing had ever de-
lighted his eyes but hacked and bruised ar
NOR and broken blades He has talked about
this war as being righteous and right; he has
advocated it throughout; be has voted all the
men and all the money they wanted, and to.
day he eulogizes war. Now, what do you
think has heretofore been the tenet Of that hon
orable Sena,or2 As have before said those
who have but Que predominant idea are not
wise counseliors The Senator has changed
the whole current OF his thoughts within the
last few years on this subject Of war Let me
read from a most elaborate oration, very hand
somely written, and replete with all the ency-
clopedia learning for which that Senator is so
eminent, made some years ago. Let us see
what the Senator then said OF peace; and II
everybody in this Chamber who has witnessed
his conduct here does not say that he has run
counter 20 the principles laid down by him
self will admit that l have not capacity TO
see the truth or TO state it Here is an eX-
tract from an oration, made by Hon. Charles
Sumner, entitled the Grandeur OF Nations, a
few pears ago.
Mr., Sumner What is the date Of it2
Mr. Powell The 4th Of July, l945, and
would rather have it dated back at that time
than now, because it expressed the Senator 8
deas when everything was cool and calm and
quiet, aud there was not the excitement of
civil war l have right to use it as n weapon
against him. He is using this war as an in
strument 10 destroy slavery That is his
whole object he has none other, and think
he will get up and avow that to be the case
am sure he will not deny it. Now, sir let
us look back to what he said on war in that
address
In our age there can be no peace that, is
not honorable; there can be no war that is
And those words are put in capital letters.
According to his own tenets, the Senator is
g now urging on dshonorable war. do not
Z say that is what the Senator is doing bat
say that if he uttered the truth when he made
the speech from which / have Just read, he is
G now advocating dishonorable war because
4 in that speech he said there can be no wal
: that is not dishonorable suppose the Sen
d ator in course of his life has had two ideas, 6
q war idea and peace idea and when he wa.
on the peace idea he thought nothing undel
u Heaven was good but peace. do not concur
d with the Senator in that sentiment. for thinI
there are times N the affairs of nations wher
it is right TO 90 to war. read it merely t.
O. show the Senators inconsistency
4 Mr.. Sumner The Senator will allow m
- to say that at the time made that remark
III had very little idea of the barbarism of sls
It. very.
ye Mr. Powell. / have no doubt Of that an
if the Senate would look into himself h
b would end that he is more barbarous than PEI
m haps any save-holder that ever lived. Th
~ Senator ia the perfect embodiment of barbal
III ism--the barbarism of tanaticism. am
a Shareholder; and il | believed that had abol
in me half the barbarism the Senator has,
!, should be disposed to hide from the civiize
gu world But, Sir, let me 90 on with the speec
ch from which / am quoting:
&c war is utterly Intellectual to secure or a.
vance the object at which il processes TO ain
m The misery which il excites eortributes TO \
end, helps TO establish no right and therefo
in no respect determines Justice between Il
u, contsndinU nations"
Wby does the Senator carry ON this wal
n Just Tor the love of blood. havoc. public plu
as der and the destruction of human life2 (
Ie- boldly and clearly and most perspcuously d
elared in ls45 that il will never effect its ali
Yet we find the Senator in that most ride