Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-12-25
Senator Summers views on Disfran.
chisement; impeachment and Gen
Grant

Three delegates to the late council of the
Loyal League-Messrs. Moss, Mackey and
Pillsbury-called On Senator Sumner to-day
to learn his views about matters pertaining to
the government of the South. In reply to the
question whether it would be better to adhere
to the Congressional plan of disfranchisement
or 60 further and disfranchise. still more, the
Senator replied that the safest policy, and the
one calculated to secure loyal interests and
loyal governments, would be more extern
sive scheme of disfranchisement, embracing,
besides those who formerly held Offices in the
federal service, all who took an active part in
furthering the secession movement and all
who were in any sphere leaders of the people
and carried the crowd with them. He felt
outraged in reading, few days ago, the pro-
ceedings of the Conservative Convention as
sembed in Richmond, in which such men as
Hunter, Rives, Lctcher and others Of that class
appeared and dared to dictate policy to the
American people.
Such men should never again obtrude them.
selves on public notice, and should especially
refrain from attempting to offer advice or de-
liver opinions on the affaira of the nation.
He felt particularly incensed against the OBJ
structionists in Congress-the so,called con-
servative republicans;-whose timid time serv'
ing action had already proved the bane of the
psrty. He and Ben Wade had done their
utmost to carry out the true principles of the
pnrty, but they invari; ly found themselves
thwarted ty the progressive and less sincere
men on their own side. The two great mis-
takes of the republican party were the failure
to impeach the President and the failure to
pass Political Rights Bill. In avoiding the
execution of these two measures, they placed
the spoon in the hands of the democracy with
which to stir up the prejudices of the masses
and misrepresent the motives Of republican
ism. He contended that when Congress pas
sed the Civil Rights Bill, the same arguments
used to enfore it could have been just as well
employed in the passage of Political Rights
Bill, which would have given suffrage to oil
the colored people throughout the country
He believed that the constitutional amend
m'snt abolishing slavery gives Congress the
right to pass this Political Rights Bill, and
had they done so the colored people could
have voted in the recent elections, thereby
taxing away from the democracy the argu--
ment they used with such effect in different
States of the North by holding up the bugbc.r
of negro supremacy. Speaking of General
Grant, he said he considered Kim good SOL
-'dier, and no more. There was no record of
hia ever having expressed political axiom or
an idea which could afford the people an in
sight of his capacity for craftsmanship, or of
t6s course he would be likely to pursue if he
were elected President. BE was therefore op
posed to endorsing him as candidate for
highest office in the gift of the people. Re
erring to impeachment, he expressed himself
,anguine that if the House had passed the
EBill, the Senate would have done its duty in
upporting them. One of the deputatiou
aid they felt apprehens:ve in South Carolina
hat if they framed too Radical Cons tu-
ion it might be rejected by Congress, to
rlich Mr. Sumner replied that they should
utertain no fears or that head, as Congress
,as aware that the members Of the Conven-
ion living in the State knew what was
leeded better than they did, and would not,
terefore, reject any Constitution on account
is being too Radical.-Special Dispatch
Il New York Herald.