The Portland daily press., 1871-03-13
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND
MONDAY, MARCH ID, 1871. *
The Sumner EmbrOgliO.
PORTLAND.

1DeIe is oil dUuud'ance OI iIOtuy tain III tuS
Boston papers, inspired by the fact that ma
jority OF the Republican Senators have decId'
ed aeainst renewing Mr.Sumners apr olntmeh'
to the craftsmanship of the Committee y"
Foreign Relations. One would suppose iroui
thee outpourines that Mr.. Sumner bad q ii'e
estate in this position, and that lfle iue" 'u"'
the Senators who voted against hifl eou'u pe
actuated by other than base aud hag'tlous mo-
tiyes. was utterly preposterous, Let US look
at the situation fairly and candidly. 1t is pos
sible that these Senator'S have acted honestly,
and even justly and wisely-and that Presi-
dent Grant is not a wholly bad man. We say
it is possible. Mr.. Sumner is, beyond doubt
an honest and able man, a true Republican
and patriot, an ilustrious Senator, who has
done the State great service, and who desires
to do good work for it in the future. 1t is to
be profoundly regretted that majority OF
the Republican Senators should have regard
ed it as necessary to dispense with his SER
vices in the future in position which he had
filed with eminent ability, and for which, in
most respects, he was admira Die qualified. 1t
seems to us that the action of this majority
ought not to have been taken unless it was
unavoidable. We are not prepared to say
that it was. We are unwilling to cast any
censure, even by implication, upon such a
man as Mr.. Sumner; and we are quite as
much indisposed to condemn the majority of
the Republican Senators; we can scarcely
think it possible that they acted from un-
worthy motives. Something is due to them
and to Gen. Grant as we'll as to MIR. Sumner.
Let nobody be condemned unheard. Let us
suspend our judgments until they can be in
structed by the exact facts in the case. If it
be true ,asiis suggested that to the foreign poll
cy OF the administration in reference to the
great questions before the country the an
nexaiion of San Domingo and the Alabama
Claims-Nr. Sumner is in open and deadly
hostility, and that he is using oil the inau
ence he can exact to defeat that policy; if be
is on bad personal terms with the President
and Secretary ofState, with both of whom
the organ of the Foreign Committee of the
Senate should be, at time when questions
of such vast moment are pending before the
matchmaking power of the country, in al
most constant Communication; if he is in the
habit of speaking of the President in strains
CT rancor and bitterness; if it be true as the
correspondent of the New York Times re-
ports, that she declares unfortunately to
Lis visitors that GRANT ought to be impeach-
ca and WILL BE IMPEACHED, and a few
nights since, at dinner, where were present
the representatives OF foreign governments, he
met the mention of the Presidents name for
denomination with similar declaration, in
language so strong that the whole table was
startled" it, in the language of the same cor
respondent, che is known to have filed his
forthcoming speech with expressions towards
the President OF disrespecttul and Insulting
character and these he has read to Senators
and others who haze called on hin, :" if be
has ''ceased to have any relations with the
Secretary of State, though MIR. Fish has ever
been kind and charitable in his treatment OF
him, and has gone beyond the requirements
oil Official etiquette in consulting him." and if
the Senators actually kne " these things TO be
true, it would be an atfront and insult to the
President of the United States, such as no
President has ever received from his political
friends, to compel him to hold his commune
cations with the Senate on matters of the
gravest importance and of supreme interest
to his administration through Senator who
Is not only bitterly and uncompromisingly op-
posed TO his policy, but who is thus hostile
and offensive to him personally. The attempt,
under such state of facts, would mean war
upon GEN. GRANT and his administration
and the country would so understand it. The
intelligent and candid people of the United
States would perceive that if the allegations,
Which have been made in regard to Mr.Sumne's
position upon the questions that are likely to
cone before the Senate as part of the trea-
ty making power, and his attitude towards
the President and Secretary of State are well
lou lded, that no Senator could possibly insist
upon his being made the channel of COM
muncation between the Senate and the
President without intending to offend and
humiliale the latter. Mr.. Sumner may be RIGHT
or he may be wrong on the San Domingo and
the Aiahama questions, but, if the allegations |
before reported are true, the Senate could not |
on the most grave and delicate questions that |
can come before it land upon which it must
confer with him as part of the same treaty. |
making power only through Mr.. Sumner, un-
ess it had already decided to oppose his adj |
and outrage and insult him per- |
sonally. But as itts certain that many of the |
Senators who voted to renew Mr. Sumher's |
are wholly incapable of any such
purpose,it must be true that there is reason to
doubt whether the charges against Mr.. Sum-
1er to which we have alluded are true.
Therefore it becomes us all who have a
'incere gard for the welfare of the Republi-
AN party, and who believe that its defeat
you'd be a misfortune to the country, to keep
DOL and wait for the facts. If when they ale
efore the country it shall appear that the
eports to the prejudice of Senator Sumner
re without foundation, the country will not
all to visit its severest censures upon those
senators who have been instrumental in ac-
his defeat, but if, on the other
land, they shall turn out to be substantially
rue, Mr.. Sumner will discover that his war
are upon President Grant will be as barren
Vt victorious wreaths as was that of Mr.. Cal
loun upon President Jackson.
Senator Logan has referred to the fact that |
be chairmen of the Committee on Foreign |
relations have in one or two instances. here
oioie, been i'll political and personal hostility
o the President. But when was it ever
nown in the history of this country that
majority OF the Senators, being of the same
olitica party with the President, have insist
that upon the one committee with which
he President must have frequent and conf
entail communication he should have it l.
Trough Senator who was not only opposed
his policy. but was his personal enemy?
So lar, one thing only seems to be unques-
onable, and that is, that if we have found no
did reason for condemning any of these par
es we have discovered abundant cause fol-
itending our commiseration to them all
The President, on the character of some
bis protested friends, to the majority
enators on their unfortunate choice OF a sue
essor TO Mr.. Sumner and to the last named
the sympathy and support which he is re
living from the entire Democratic party and .
ON such ca deoant Republican journals as !
e New York Post and New York Sun.
hich, too virtuous to endure the admnistra-
IN of Gen. Grant,are rendering hearty and a
gorous support to that Of the Tammany
ng of New York.
Political Votes.