Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-03
From ths Constitutional Union.
SUMMER. STEVENS, AND THE PREsf-

DENT.
Tie styfe of debate recently adopted
I bv Mr. Sumner in the Senate ana MI
i Stevens In the House, is not calculated,
SAYS the Philadelphia Ledger, 10 Talse
/ them in the esteem of their country
men. Perhaps, indeed, Mr.. summer
/ does not care, for we understand tlae nc
7 has no regard for 1Cliae people. ihere
( t0os time in the Congress OF tne y Oililsu
I States when the members of that bedy
/ had sufficient respect for their own
! dignity to receive ana treat with courtesy
1 a message from the President, who Is
/ their equal as a coordinate branch OF
/ the Government. But some OF our mod
ern lawgivers have changed all that.
/ The Senate sends to the President a reso-
/ luton askipg-to be informed of the con-
ditiOn of the States lately in rebellion,
I and for certain reports on the subject.
! This information IS promptly and cour-
/ teously furnished by the President, and
] thereipon the Senator from Massachu-
setts, because the message does not agree
with his ideas, stigmatizes the commun. :
cation as "whitewashing report.
I What can be expected Of Senator who
thus permits passion to cloud his judg-
ment, and personal spleen TO overcome
| proper sense of official decency?
"A
on Monday last, showing a total disre-
gard of that courtesy Ito say nothing of
good feeling) which should prevail be-
| tween a member Of Congress, who is
part of one branch OF the Government
aud the President, who is thehead OF an
other. Mr.. Stevens, pretending TO state
the positions of Mr.. Johnson, wholly
misrepresented them, giving distorted
view of his opinions and then with
perfect knowledge that the President
has officially acted on the ground that
all the States are still in the Union, Nj.
Stevens characterized those who held
such opinions as dreamy theorists
Nothing could be more offensive or in
sulting than such language used by one
officer to another, and il was only sur
passed by the savage and almost bias
phemous attack made by Mr.. Stevens, III
the same speech, on dCdd Chlel Justlce
of the United States Ii Andrew john
son We're a bad man, or "a man OF doubtful
LOYALTY, or Of weak mind, or ambitious
of power to be used for his own advance
ment. instead of being a strong, firm,
vigorous thinker, an mimpeachable
patriot, and Jealous of the one-man power,
The remarks used by Mr.. Sumner and
Mr.. Stevens might have some color OF
excuse, but rs the case stands they are
such as the people should unanimously
condemn.
AS to the matter which called out Mr..
Summers improper words, the people
have had an opportunity tojudge. They
will fail to find in the plain, dispassion-
ate and clear statement of the condition
of the Southern States, which Mr.. john
son sent into the Senate, anything which
calls for such offensive observations. IL
must be remembered that he has the
,chole case before him, and no other
member Of the Government has, either
inside oroutside of Congress, and there
fore his Judgment is entitled to respect,
as it is most likely to be correct. And
it should also he borne IN mlnd that he
had lust been strengthened in his Opin-
ion by the report of Gen. Grant, who
was fresh from an extended Southern
tour of examination on the very subject
on which the Senate asked TO be IL
formed.
Gen. Grants opinion is identical with
that Of the President. He had talked
with all kinds Of people, rs he was trav-
elliHg, with leading Southern men IN the |
principal towns, and with his own o1i1- |
GERS, high and low, and he came back
- satisfied that the mass of the thinking
men of the South accept the present sit 1
uation of affairs in good faith" and that |
they regard the decision which has been /
against them on the battle field las !
fortunate one for the tUhOke country"
IN another place in his report |
he SAYS that there lis such a
1llirersu acqltiesceace in the authority |
of the General Government y i'll the (
parts of the country he visited, that the
mere presence of small portions Of the |
b.. to
The people win be much more likely to |
put faith in the President and Gen. Grant |
than in Mr.. Sumner and Mr.. Stevens, |
and it is gratifying to find that no one in
the Senate echoed the offensive words of
the Massachusetts Senator. Such inilu-
ential Union men as 5ir. DOolittle, of
Wisconsin. and Mr.. Dixon, of Conr ecti- !
cut, and Mr.. Sherman, of Ohio, took OPP
posite ground, and two of them admin
istered TO him a strong and properrebuke.