New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-10-09


InNnoN. Sent. S5.-Mr Reuters New-YOrk agent
sends ms the curious piece of information that Mr.
Summers speech before the Massachusetts, Republi-
can Convention has been "repudated by that body.
Perhaps 1t may be news on yOur side. Of course l
cannot say that it is not true but there is no harm
in guessing that it is not and that this is one other
instance of the extraordinary capacity OF Reuter-
people for laundering, always at the expense OF the
Republicans. The dispatch is condemned not merely
sy its intrinsic absurdity but by the failure OF
the Philadelphia correspondent of The Times TO
;pelnde so remarkable fact IN his telegraphlc
account of Mr.. Summers speech. His silence is
negative pregnant, for he is entitled TO the
credit of never emitting a statement prejudielal 10
Mr. Sumner, or TO the Republican party; OF TO the
North. To do the London papers justice, they seem
for once to doubt assertion coming from source
which has so often deceived them only to be trusted
all the more. Those journals which comment on the
report of the speech do insist its reputation.
lam sorry to have TO add that they again speak with
the old bitterness Of tone and recklessness of mis-
representation. More than once wrOtethat hoped
the fury of evaporation against Mr. Sumner and the
country for which he spoke was only passing one !;
that returning reason would convince England oil
her folly; that Mr.. Summers speech would be taken
at its true value; that it would be seen he maue
no demand; that the substantial justice OF
his complaint and moderation of his statement wou1u
be recognized. But that day seems not yet 10 nave
rome. Mr.. Summers name is still a red nag 10 Johh
Bull. The Times lowers its head and PUSHES AT MN
In the old blind stupid, passionate way. Preslueht
WOosey's unlucky lecture is once more brought out
to do service to the English cause. / thought the
English papers had made the most of it at the time
but they have now discovered that Yale College, OF
which Dr. Woolsey is President is chief leader OF
opinion in New-England, and that il Mr.. Sumner is
repudiated there his doctrines need excite but little
alarm i'm England l hope Yale will pardon MS the
little smile which that notion exctes Nobody could
have more respect for Yale than / have for her
venerable and veneTated President Her in
Auence and his are very great in edsl-
'catiOn, in theology, and in more than one
instance has been felt, even in politics. We
owe her good deal for what she Said and did before
the war; as well as during the war. Her Radicalism
in politics if not of the earliest is at least OF early
date Many brave words of hers are OF public record
but the one act shall always remember with grail
tude was little known, l think. In 1862 l was q
member of the Broters-one of the two great debat-
ing societies into which the college was divided 1t
was one of the years when Websters apostasy had
debauched the Northern conscience, and SOuthsde
Adams and other New-England ministers were
preaching up the Divine authority of Slavery. Few
men in those days cared to be found on the other
side. DR.. WoOlsey, then new TO his Presidency
over o college that numbered nearly a hundred
Southern Students gave in the Brothers as subject
for prize debate Whether the Fugitive Slave
Law ought to be Obeyed :" and himself awarded the
prize to the ablest argument against 1T. He much
helped some of us in those days in our early anti
slavery education, and am not sorry to go out of
ny way to say so. Having said that, let nobody
accuse me of disrespect to him if add that to any
body who knows American politics iIhe ItmtSs
notion of his authority Outweighing that OF MIR.
Sumner is ludcrOus. Who would listen to an English
journal that should set the opinion of the Master of
Trinity College, Cambridge, against that of Dlr.
Gladstone3 Yet DR.. Thompson is man as eminent
in England as Dr. Woolsey in America. i do MT be-
lieve it can afford him much satisfaction to find him
self paraded as an ally by the chief among all
English enemies to America and TO see
his lecture quoted by The Times as an
acknowledgment of the strength of our present posi-
tion.p Nor could he i think, care TO adopt the
language of the great partisan of the Rebellion, and
declare that Mr.. Sumner has again been scattering
imputatons OH the good faith of England during the
American civil war;" but that as be always his
own solitary disciple, and appears to turn rene
gade before his Authorizations are totally forgotten"
Good manners and decorum are always strong point
with the English journals. On the strength of their
superior pOIllen6SS, Jhey udNc idtcly pccH iVC-
turing the French journals for license in attacking the
crowned assassin who rules over France, How much
right they have to administer such reproof may
be Judged from what they used to sag about Mr..
Sumner. as well as from what l quote above and
quote below from another journal, that is a thick
and thin supporter of NJ. Bonaparte. The Telegraph
in It's elegant way says, that as politician speak
ing with authority Mr.. Sumner is SO completely
played cut since his notable fasco in the Alabama
claims question that few of his utterances will now
excite much observation here, even when they
deserve it, OF course, we have by telegraph but
very brief and imperfect, and in some points mani
festly inaccurate, summary of what Mr.. Sumner said
But it is enough to set these people going again.
Mr.. Higsinson's Malone, republished mere by
Macmillan is greatly liked by English critics The
Dale Nor6 describes it as g quiet story full Of
mature thought, of clever humorous surprises of
artistic studiOus design" and adds:
NaRone is rare work, possessing these character
istc and Ieplee too, with honest literary effort The
author has much Of the psychological acumen Of Haw
thoe. but he owes 10 no one pure style and flashing
genial wbwhch never degeuerates into caricature or
cOarseness."
To-day's Spectator reviews the same book at length
asking whether Mr.. Higgnson is not the same who
commanded a negro regiment during the Civil War
and whose narratives of his work and adventures in
the atlantic Monthly attracted general attention by
their graphic humor and their picturesque and poet
cal descriptions. Truly, Spectator it is the same
man. and equally true is what you go on to say:
"In any case this bright novelette, Adbo'e IS worthy
of him. not his IL has much freshness ana grace Oi
The kind that II is now perhaps somewhat OF inal'
nerism call idync. true knowledge OF character,
great Geness Of deineatlon, and very happy humor
There is "A good deal of clever analysis i'll The SPEC
totoy's elaborate review, concluding With this nice
bit OF well-deseryed applause;
ION the whole, this novellette, though imperfect
through the vague ideay OF the heroine. and not in
fens n interest Of us plot certanly belongs the