Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-02-14
RADICAL. DIFFERENCES AMONGST THE
RADICALS.

Wendell Phillips has been attempting to act
the part of ''whipper in" for The Nation
a paper which was supposed in the past to be
ultra enough to suit even the most radical of
those who pin their faith to the sleeve of Sen
ator Sumner and leaders of that stamp. The
Nation resents the attempt to coerce it; and
turns upon these mischief makers and die
tators, telling them that the consideration of
the condition of the negro at the South is not
so much ''negro question" now, as "na-
tionaI question" and that in that view it must
be discussed. The Nation says:
'iThe freedmen of the South are not to us
"simply freedmen. They are part of the
"Amercan commonwealth; and we seek their
education, elevation, and happiness, not
''simply from pity but because we believe
1.-THE continued degradation of any portion of
''its people to be dangerous to the State, and
"a scandal to free government. =
''H < The negro has been for gen.
''erations robbed, and murdered mentally, as
''well as physically. We have all stepped
''in to deliver him from the hands of his as
''sailants. He is weak, bewildered, demoral-
''ized We are debating the question of res
''toratives. We think some nursing, some
education, and above all, the protection of
1.-The police are amongst the first things he
requires. Mr.. Phillips wants to send him
tout into the street again armed with pistol
''to protect himself and accuses everybody
''whO doubts the efficacy of this style of
remedy, of being in a league with the rob
"bers, maintains that the question of medical
treatment is a moral question, and that any
'body who says tonics are of any use is a
''traitor and blasphemer''
This will do pretty WELL as betwixt The
Nation and the Phillips and Sumner school,
per SC, when it was understood by the public
that that paper was established because the
old organs of the radicals were not radical
enough. But who can expect to please, when
every day some new difference discloses itself
going to show that amongst those who act
with Mr.. Sumner, there are growing signs of
reyolR The Nation continues:
'lf there be one duty more than another
(which an upright and Independent journal is
''called upon at the present crisis to discharge
''zealously. it is the duty of opposing by every
''means in its power the growing tendency to
''raise party leaders above the criticism of
'those who happen to agree with them as to
general ends. X
"F We are now called upon nearly
''every week to swallow some new article of
faith, Or stake all our hopes on some new
''expedient devised by this Senator or that
representative. in order to avoid being de,
''nounced as traitors or time-servers.
Let The Nation take comfort unto itself
for the world is advancing; and if the great
revolution which has just swept over the
country has accomplished nothing else, it has
set men to thinking and acting INDEPENDENTS
IN the multiplicity of opinions it has neces-
sarlly sprung upon the country. With new
developments constantly occurring, and the
need of an independent expression of opinion
as constantly occurring along with these. il is
quite too late to place men in leading-strings
TO compel them to defer to this or that mag,
nate, who fancies himself for the time being.
The dictator of public sentiment. OVERRIDING
The matter utterly, who does not see that such
lntolerants as Thaddeus Stevens, Sumner and
Philips are at last losing their influence, their
power to annie; and should not their fate
be warning TO all who adopt similar methods
OF compelling opinions? A great national
party-cOmposed of all the true friends of
restored Union-is the only remedy.