The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-03-29
SpmNER,s SPEECH.

suMNER's SPEECH,
The long expected speech Of Mr.. Sum-
ner comes to us in full to-day. 1t is one
of his most studied and exhaustive efforts
and, we regret to say, shows no improve.
ment in temper towards the President
Indeed, 1t seems rather like an attempt to
arraign the Administration and its supper
ters, than candid discussion of the main
question OF annexing San Domingo. Mr.
Summers main effort is to prove that the
preliminaries of negotiation have been at
tended by threatening demonstrations to.
wards Hayti.
He alleges that International law has
been violated by beligerent intervention
"maintaining usurper in power that he
might sell his country" This, he claims,
has been done without warrant of the law
or constitution. This he tries to prove by
a vast display of historical learning, I'm
earthing the past diplomacy of Spain, to
put it n unfavorable contrast with our
own. To Spain, he credits delicate re-
gard for the rights of San Domingo and
magnanimous forbearance. Upon us he
charges rapacity and upprincipled greed Of
territory
This parallel is weak one, and will not
resist the assaults of truth. His charges
are baseless when the facts are known
Mr.. Summers argument reads very much
like the standing Democratic complaint
that General Grant controls elections at
the South with the bayonet, when the fact
is, there are not soldiers enough in the
United States to control the elections even
in little Rhode Island.
Whatever may be said of the merits of
the speech, we think all will agree, that it
was in bad taste, as to time. The San Do
mingo commissioners have just arrived,
and it would have been simply fair and
respectful,to hear their report, before open
ing the discussion upon its merits. AS
the President RENTS the whole matter to
the action of Congress, this vindctive at
tack upon him might we'll have been
spared, and it is certainly effectively par.
ried, by his own discreet and sagacous
policy.
In reply to Mr.. Sumner, Mr.. Howe
(Rep., Wis cited various historical in
stances in which public men, who had
been regarded with universal esteem by
their countrymen, had, by subsequent acts
of misguided zeal and passion, forfeited
that confidence and relapsed into obscurity,
or assumed positions at utter variance with
their former declarations. In this connec-
tion, he referred to the prominence and in
fuence Of ex-Secretary Seward, Chief
Justice Chase and Mr.. Sumner in
1861. The last seen of the first of
this great triumvirate, he had turned
his back upon the hopes, lessons,
and friends of bis better years, and
was acting as a master of ceremonies in a
political pageant wherein an iinerant Pre-
sident was the principal figure. The
second had employed the authority of the
great office of the Chief Justice of the
United States to undo and annul the most
beneficent act of his civil administration.
To-day the Republican party experienced
some of that anguish which swelled the
breast Of Caesar, when, having already
been struck by Casca and Cassius, he saw
third dagger uplifted by the hand of a
dear friend, and there was wrung from his
agonized bosom the exclamation "Et tu
Brute" For, to-day, we had heard the re-
naming member of that great triumvirate,
that Senator, who had SO earnestly urged
upon reluctant Senators the purchase
of those rigid, far-off regions Of the North
Pole, now turning a deaf ear to the echoes
which brought back his own exultant pro-
phecy that cur city could be nothing less
than the whole American continent, with
fher gates upon all the surrounding seas.
To-day the Senator arose not only to op-
pose the annexation of an Island at our
very doors, but to denounce as criminal,
President who had ventured. 10 the exer-
else ofa strictly constitutional prerogative,
to advise its acquisition He Howe had
sought the privilege of entering an appear
ance here for that illustrous respondent.
He would file DO demurrer nor interpose
any dilatory pleas, but preferred the gen.
eral issue.