Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-03-30
The Senate and Mr.. Sumner.

The Senate and Mr.. Sumner.
The removal of Mr.. Sumner from
the craftsmanship Of the Foreign Com.
mittee of the Senate is a grave polit-
ical blunder. Mr.. Sumner is q man
Of very positive convictions, and what
he thinks of persons and questions he
very freely says. There is no doubt
that he has privately spoken of the
President Ia a manner which could
not fail to exasperate any man, while
he has publicly criticised the Pres,
dents action upon certain subjects
with extreme severity. All this is
conceded; but all this is the very rea-
son that the President should not
have wished Mr.. Summers degrade
ton from his position. We use the
word advisedly; for degradation it
was intended to be, and SO it will be
accepted by the country. This is ev-
idcnt from the reasons alleged tor the
action of the Senate. There was no
objection mentioned, nor is any, under
the circumstances, conceivable, which
would not have been entirely remov-
ed by different composition Of the
Committee, still leaving Mr.. Sumner
chairman.
The amazing reason for his renov.
al, stated in the Senate by the chair
man OF the caucus committee, was the
untriendly personal, not official, rela
tons between the Senator and the
President! And the Senate sustain
cd the pretext. No reason was of.
fered to show, if untriendly relations
existed, that the Senator was to
blame. 1t was not even suggested
that if the Senator had privately
spoken harshly Of the President, one
Of the Presidents confidential friends
and secretaries had, in an article in
the Galaxy, publicly charged the Sen
ator with falsehood. 1t was not even
alleged that iu his public criticisms
the Senator had misreprcsentcd the
action OF the President. The person
al relations between them were un-
friendly, and therefore the Senator
lose his place at the head Of the For
eisn Committee. How long Is it
since the Senate was unwilling that
the President should remove his own
cabinet advisers at his pleasure? Is
it now willing that he should name
the chairmen Of its own committees
The President came into his Office
pledged to have no policy OF his own.
Yet Republican Senate is willing to
make uniriendly personal relations
with the President, growing out Of
difference OF opinion upon measure
which is not party policy, and Tor
which the country mas not asked, the
excuse for cunscnting to the humllia.
ton Of Republican statesman Of I'M
surpassed ability, experience, and
spotless character, whose long and
honorable career Is identified with
the greatest glorles OF the country
and the party. The Senate declares
that friendly personal relations with
the President shall be the tenure OF
its highest positions. Then the Pres
ident has but to interrupt personal re-
lations with Senator, and he loses
his place a. the head of committee
And this, although upon the subject
involved in this difference the Senate
is constitutionally the peer OF the
p. esident! The Senate of the Unit
ed States has forgotten its own dig
nifty and responsibility. In removing
Senator Sumner, tor the reasons stat
ed Ivy the committee, which it sus-
tanned, it has been guilty of what can
only he called servility.
We are fully aware, indeed, Of the
force of political necessity. We nr..
dcrstand that, in a government by
party, accord is essential between the
various branches of the Administers
ton. But there is a harmony still
more indispensable than that. and
that is the accord OF the party itself
The Administration is bound in hon.
or to the party for which 1t holds
power in trust to consider carefully
what the political effect OF every act
will be. Which, then, was probably
the more injurious course Tor the par
ty interes,s-that Mr.. Sumner should
be continued CHAIRMAN, with a COM
mite favorable to the foreign policy
OF the Administration, or that the
most distinguished Republican leader
in the country should be Inundated
because he differed from the Prcsi
dent? That was the questions for the
caucus TO determine; and the kind Of
excuse which was uttered, and the
disclaimers of personal feeling, were
no answers to il. And there is one
Os,er question which the conduct OF
the Senate suggests, and which we do
not hesitate to ask, because it is felt
10 deeply in thousands OF the trncst
Republican hearts; is the Republican
party strengthened by humiliating
Charles Sumner, aud hOnoring Simon
Cameron and Daniel 4. Sickles?
The better sentiment in every no.
litical party is perhaps limited to
small number Of adhercnts; but their
cordial sympathy is indispensable to
the party success. The secession OF
the Conscience. Wings ended the old
Wing party. The retirement Of the
Free soilcrs was the departure of
heart and power from the Dcmocra-
~. In the great Republican Con-
vention Of 1860 there was little hes.
'tation to proclaim anew, as kuperhn-
Gus or irrelevant, the words Of the
Declaration of Independence. Bit
when, in consequence. old Joshua
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