The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-08
sPxRIT OF Tzn PRnss.
Editorial Opinions ofthe Leading Journals
upon Current Topics-compiIed Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
SUMNER ON PEACE .

From the Missouri Republican.
Charles Sumner prides himself upon being
AN orator-not speech-maker, but an orator,
and he is a living exemplifcation of the
very wide difference there is between the two.
Put the honorable Charles upon the stump,
and he would drive three-fourths of the au-
dience away in q state of mental obfuscation
within half hour: for it is his pleasure to
deal in that sort of sublimated logic and
metaphy steal bombast which is ''cavlare TO
the general. Honest, practical people, who
want honest, practical ideas clothed In plain
and sensible language, find themselves unable
to follow the tortuous windiugs of his elabo-
rated eloquence, and speedily abandon the
attempt IN despair. To do tho gentleman
Justice he has O hearty contempt for what
are sometimes called the Intelligent
masses, and seldom or never wastes his rhe-
torical ammunition by firing into Abe flock.
He prefers the more select few, who appre-
ciate the art of using vast multitude of
words to express an insignificant number of
thoughts, and who like to have those words
nicely polished and cleverly dove
tailed together until they form a pretty
piece of mosaic, charming to look upon,
but of no special value to anybody or any
thing. AS a manufacturer of this style of
article, Sumner has no equal in the land, but
the work requires ample time, and the conse-
quence is that he seldom lays more than one
or two oratorcal eggs in season; but these
are always accompanied by such n prodgious
cackling that the public are obliged to direct
their attention to the product of the Massa-
chusetts hen. Heretofore the nest has been
built in the Senate, and the process of incu-
baton and delivery consummated there, but
since theswar has eliminated ''the relic of
barbarism" from our governn Nntal system,
Sumner finds scanty material for those pom
derous appeals which occupied i've or six
hours in the reading, and were then consigned
to the vaults Of the Congressional Globe to
wait for an indefinitely postponed resurrec-
tion. But he must speak his piece he
cannot let the world ''burst in igno-
rance and is naturally unwilling to
burst himself by withholding informa-
ton which he is morally certain
no one else can furnish 80 he falls back upon
the last resort of overburdened minds and
delivers lecture. Two birds are killed by
this lecture stone, for Sumner is a shrewd
fellow in money matters, and never looks
askance at hard cash. Lyceums and other
associations that feel honored by being tickled
with a senatorial straw pay him handsomely
for his effort, and he has an opportunity to
ride his particular hobby as fast and as far as
he chooses That hobby is eminently charac-
teristic of the man. 1t is not war, for Sum-
nes dislikes blood in any shape; it is not love,
for Summers first and only appearance in the
court of Venus has not been as satisfactory
as could be wished; but it is-peace. His
peaceful tolls began some thirty years
ago, and the earliest of them may be
found in the school books which prevailed
in New England about that time. They have
been continued at short intervals ever since,
and the last instalment has just been served
up in a lecture, the title of which is-"The
Duel between France and Germany, and its
Lessons of Civilization"
Now there is slight impropriety, accord
ing to our view of the case, in chairman of
the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
telling the European nations what they
ought and ought not to do, except when the
duties of his official position require him to
speak on the subject; but we pass this by for
brief examination of the advice rendered
and the charming consistency which it dis
plays.
Senator Sumner informs Count Bismarck
that war is an awful thing, and never exists
in wellregulated communities; that Prussia
and France never should have gone to fight
ing at all, and must stop it at once; that
Prussia ought to be content with the honors
of victory, and not require France to give up
Alsace and Lorraine, or pay the expenses of
the military ball at which the couple have been
dancing these three months past; that Prussia
should insist upon complete disarmament
on the part of France, and when this is done,
disarm herself. This, our lecturer contends,
will save great deal of money to France and
Prussia, assist the cause of civilization and
Christianity, inaugurate the millennium, etc.
Bismarck has not yet replied to Summers
suggestions, but may do SO during the pre-
sent armistice; meanwhile we venture a single
remark to the apostle of peace. A few years
since there was unpleasantness existing in
this country and two sections that ought to
have been linked together in bonds of per,
petual love stabbed at each others hearts
While that war was being kindled, we never
remember to have heard from Senator Sum
ner any earnest pleadings for a compromise
of existing difficulties, but the contrary
he did as much as any other one man K
precipitate hostilities. While the war was
in progress we are not aware that he did any
thing to soften it's animosfties, or lessen the
terrible calamities which followed in it
train; but on the contrary he advocated it
prosecution to the bitter end, and ''criet
havoc" as vociferously as the iercest of hi
party. Since the war was over he has vote
steadily for the maintenance of a standing
army which costs the people over 500, 900, 90
annually-or Sic, ZOO, 600 more than Englan
pays for her military establishment-an doe
nothing but control elections and overrid
law at the South, and kill perhaps fifty In
dams a year. In short, the Hon. Charlie
Summers peace record is a very rotten affair
and if Count Bismarck knows anything abou
it, he will, should he read the lecture afore
said, unquestionably set down our charms
of the Senate Committee on Foreign Rels
tions as either an arrant hypocrite or an eyre
gious ass.
CHILD-M URDER VS.. FOUNDLIN(
ASYLUMS.