Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-11-29
ALitne CInh Gossip.

A Little Club Gossip.
\ Roston Correspondence ("warrington') Of the
Springfield Republican,
At the Union-and-W Club, in Park
street. on the night of the election, a slight
disagreement occurred between these gen.
tlemen on the reconstruction question.
Beecher, you know, having got Young
Hopeful promoted by the President, has
been showing up Gov. Parsons to the Bos-
t%onians, and trying to get them to take the
million dollars worth of Alabama bonds.
| So they went to the club room with the
Governor, and Mr.. Sumner was also there.
Gov. Parsons-I see he has been turned
out neck and heels by one Potter, who was
a more intense rebel than himself@Gov.
Parsons made a speech. And then Beech
er took up the wendrous tale, and talked,
nonsense of course, for he talks nothing
else nowadays. He closed by asking
whether it would not be a good invest
ment and a clever thing to take some If
Brother Alabama's bonds. Whereupon
Mr.. Sumner rose and said he thought not,
giving his reasons therefor, which were,
1 have no doubt, though his speech has not
been reported, that Alabama was a very
bogus State, not more han half converted
from disloyalty, and though perhaps not
intending to take up arms again, yet fully
intending to re-establish institutions as
nearly as possible on the old basis of in
justice and slavery to the black race.
Beecher had not sense enough to hold his
tongue, after this, but tried to reply, and
in the course of his remarks, repeated the
idiotic argument that the North had no
right to insist upon negro suffrage be-
cause certain Northern States were not yet
ready to grant it. Having thus lin the
language of the P. r. got Beecher's mob
into chancery, Mr.. Sumner proceeded to
punish him to his hearts content, exposing
briefly his ~absurdities, and disposing of
him finally, for that occasion at least. But
now came Governor Andrew to the rescue.
After rebuking Mr.. Sumner for introduce
ing the forbidden topic of politics TO the
Union-and- Waterites (which he didn'tdO,
for Beecher introduced it, and no blame if
he did, for Parsons errand was necessarily
POLITICAL he proceeded in a very personal
strain to reply TO Mr.. Sumner, One who
did not take part in the debate reports
him to me as saying, " Until this moment
he had hoped Governor Parsons would be
treated by gentlemen as a gentleman"
lllS - Duu chOuBh, bub L UCiNO thN
Union-and- Waterites applauded it. The
Governor proceeded to elucidate his views
further, probably following the text of the
circular of his American land company,
which declared that the day of necessary
antagonism is past. That of cooperation
has come" which means, boiled down,
=" Let us forget politics and proceed to
make money" Well, the day of "neceS-
sary a~ntagonism :" never came. The cop
perheads were right-if we had let slavery
there would have been no war, and
antagonism to bring on a war. But
we couldn't let slavery alone, no matter
who wants to make money. The work of
the politician isn't half done yet, and Con-
gress and Cabinet and people will have
considerable to do before it will be safe to
turn ali the public attention into the chan
nels of business. To return. Mr.. Sumner
in gentlemanly terms, and was
congratulated afterwards upon speaking
aloud what a considerable number of the
audience had been only whispering.