The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-24
sPrRrr o. EzER RRnss.
x dItorinI Opinions Of the Leading Journals
TInop Current Topics Compiled Every
nav for the Evonfng Telegraph.
SENATOR SUMNER ON THE POLITICAL
ISSUES OF THE DAY.

SENATOR bUmNbN YIN AlII a OIA AAOEAh
ISSUES OF THE DAY.
From the NJ Y. Herald
Sanator Summers carefully considered
uneecb delivered before the Massachusetts,
Republican State Convention we submit to
our readers in full. because this speech, we
think. may be considered not only as the
voice of the Republican party of Massachu-
setts but as the programme of this party for
1869 throughout the country; and because,
since his great exhaustive and unanswerable
speech in the Senate on the Alabama claims,
The opinions and pleadings of Mr.. Sumner on
public affairs attract larger degree OF public
attention than ever before.
Tn the speech we have the views of the
Senator on the negro question, in connection
with Southern reconstruction and the fifteenth
amendments; on the money question, in connec-
tion with the redemption and reputation;
on the Alabama claims, in connection with
Canadian annexation, and on the Cuban
question, touching the policy OF Spain and
fhe nolicy of the United States. The burden
of the speech however, is upon the national
freedman and the national creditor, or the
negro and the national debt. The Senator
fakes gloomy view of the present condition
of things at the South the mischief resulting
from Andrew Johnsons detection is not yet
over the faithful Southern Unionists are suf-
ferine terribly under the growing reaction;
we still tread on smothered fires; our infor-
nation from all that section is most painful
old Rebels are crawling forth from their
hiding places; the lawless Ku-Klux clan still
maintain their reign of terror, and there is
only one thing that these disturbers can feel
power, and they must be made to feel it
the power of an awakened people, directed by
q Republican administration!
From all this we may calculate upon terri
n ,<Nf4 4Ia fhnr aln
lions after the reassembling of Congress; for
the hint is broadly suggested, not only to the
South but to the administration itself, in
Summers declaration that we must, in the
matter of equal rights, have security for the
future before we can admit the late Southern
Rebels into copartnership in the Government.
We are pointedly told that the battle on the
negro is not yet finished between the Repub-
licans on one side and the ex-Rebels of the
South and the allies of the Northern Democ-
racy on the other. We fear, indeed, that in
Summers estimation Greeley has been too
fast in his recognition of the Walker Liberal
Republican party of Virginia
In considering the Democratic party upon
e'that standing menace of reputation, by
which the national credit at home and abroad
suffers so much, Mr.. Sumner enlarges upon
the different branches of the money question.
He says that Reputation is confscation; that
the propositions to redeem the debt in green
backs and to tax the national bonds mean
repudiation; that the extra interest we have
to pay on the debt results from these schemes
of repudiation; but still he contends that in
view of the overwhelming disasters of repu-
diation this thing is impossible. All this is
plain sailing under the wing of General Grant;
but we are not very sanguine of a speedy
return to specie payments, through the mere
conversion of greenbacks into national bank
notes.
On the Cuban question the cautious Sena
tor thinks that Spain ought to and will have
to relinquish the island but that as yet the
Cubans do not present case for the conces
sion of belligerent rights. Worst of all, the
administration of Cespedes, according to the
Senator, remains in doubt upon the question
of the abolition of slavery. But what, we
may ask, does this signify, in view of the
annexation of Cuba for the moment the
island is ours slavery therein ceases to be
We apprehend that Massachusetts, would
rather have the tariff and the custom house
receipts on Cuban tobacco, sugar, and coffee
than the island free of cost At all events
MIR. Sumner appears to be perfectly indif
ferent as to the settlement of the Cuban ques
tion.
Not SO is he in reference to the Alabama
claims. He adheres to his speech in the
Senate; but he leaves it to England to deter
mine wnat reparatlon TO oHer, and to the
American people to determine what repara
tion to require. He pronounces the projec
of taking Canada for indemnity as imprac
ticable, but is satisfied that the laws O
gravitation will bring about annexation
In short, Mr.. Summers proposes to fight thi
State campaign in Massachusetts on th
almighty nigger" and the national debt il
all its bearings, leaving Cuba, the Alabam,
claims, Canada and Mexico to take thei
chances in the drift of events. We see, too
that in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, a
in Massachusetts,, the Republicans will pusl
their fight on the negro and the debt, upo
which they are in full accord with the ad
ministration; that they will leave Cuba an
the Alabama claims to take their chances
and as far as possible will avoid, as in Maine
all divisions and all entangling alliances O
whisky and lager beer. Let the reader tur
from this programme to that of the De
mocracy at Syracuse and draw his own cor
clusions. We think that, backed at last b
the administration on the nigger and tn
debt, the game is still in the hands of the Re
publican party, and that even in New York
will most likely do better this fall than it di
last fall, when it had to pull against all th
strength and all the spoils of Andy johnson