The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1869-04-23
Atheus gost.
Athens, Friday, April 23. 1860.
The Alabama Treaty---War Note
from Mr.. sumner.


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The Alabama Treaty---War Note
from Mr.. sumner.
If we may believe the New York
Herald, Senator Sumner, the Chairman
of the Committee on Foreign Relations.
made ten strike by his recent speech
in regard to the Alabama Claims. That
journal is in ecstacies with the eXhaus-
tive character of the argument and the
bold and positive policy announced, and
doesn't hesitate to say that the man for
the occasion has been developed in the
person, the moral and intellectual stat
ure, of the honorable gentleman from
Massachusetts,. 1t expresses hope that
President Grant, opposed as he is
known to be to reading Congressional
speeches, has given Mr.. Summers utter
ances careful consideration and been
thoroughly aud intclligenty impressed
Herewith. 1t recommends the EXccu-
tive to retire Mr.. Fish, whom it regards
as a fossil, from the State Department,
and to put Sumner in his place. AS the
Bay State already has two representa-
tives in the Cabinet, the President is
commended to get round that difficulty
by summarily ejecting Boutwell,, who
il is declared has not the requisite finan-
cial capacity, and calling a New York
man to the head OF the Treasury. Such
in brief is the line indicated by the
Napoleon of the Press for the cOnsidcra-
ton of the President in view of Mr..
Summers speech on the Alabama ques-
ton.
Since the unfortunate affair with the
late Preston Brooks, of South Carolina,
Mr.. Sumner has generally been regard
cd rs belonging to the peace establish
ment, and it is doubtful, notwithstand-
ing the vein of menace and pugnacity
running through his remarks, whether
he now seriously contemplates getting
up fight with Mrs. Bull, or any other
woman. We remember that some years
ago. John Quincy Adams made aspeech
in tie House of Representatives, on an
international imbroglio then existing
in which he pitched into Great Britain
in fierce and defiant language and pro-
posed an immediate resort to war As
the rcadiest solution of the pending
difficulty. Happening at time when
there was redundancy of patriotic
bile in the country and emanating from
source entirely unexpected, it created
an immense sensation and elected the
highest encomiums from all the be!li-
cose spirits in the land. A few days,
however brought letters to "the old
man eloquent" from his immediate con-
stituents, suggesting that war with
Great Britain would prove detrimental
to New England interests in the high
est degree, and he rose in his place in
the House to "corrcct an erroneous i'm
preston Of the tenor of his remarks, "
in doing which he substantially retract-
ed every thing Of al aggressive charac-
ter in his former speech.
1t is not impossible, that when Mr..
Sumner hears from home, or in the
event the British Queen should grow
plucky and give her petticoats signiti-
cant rustic or two, a change will as
suddenly come over the spirit of his
dream, and by the time Congress meets
again we shall have him round cooling
gently as sucking dove. In the mean
time, his warlikc rhetoric in the Senate
will have brought him prominently to
the front and made him a conspicuous
feature in the foreground of the coutro-
versy both here and in Europe-a posi-
ton not likely to be at all mortifying
to q gentleman Of Mr.. Summers inor-
dinate vanity and self-esteem. But we
dare say it will not embroil us in wal
with the other party, or even create q
sensation in the saltpetre market
At any rate, we hope the President
will not remove Mr.. Fish for the pur.
pose of putting Charles Sumner in hi:
place. The former is safe, conserva,
tive and cautious man, with Il good dea
of solid ability, and no President could
more urgently need such councillors il
his cabinet than General Grant. The
gentleman from Massachusetts,, having
devoted the best energies of his life It
the interest of the negro, we respect
fully submit that he be permitted to re-
main where he is, unless he could, hap
PLY, be induced to accept the mission tc
Liberia, the finding of person of APP
propriate color to fill which seems to be
creating some difficulty in the Presi
dental mind.
The Judicial Convention.
The Radical Convention which me-
at Nashville OH Tuesday, to nominate {
ticket for Supreme Judges, selected tht
following-named gentlemen: