The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-03-16
Mr.. Summers Troubles.

AAtoE D0voTOl mOubue "a ulShH1C.
tion, eliminating at last in. week q
hostility, the Senate Republican
caucus has voted, ~ to 81, to displace
Senator Sumner from the Chairman
ship Of tho Foreign Relations Com
mittee. This does not, by any means
settle the question, for there were in
the negative several who persisted, !,
; almost to the point of insubordina.
ton, and declared their intention to
carry the contest from the caucus
into the Senate. If Wilson, Sher-
man, or Sokurx, when the vote comes
Snto tho open chamber for ratifoa-
tion, shall object, the opposition may
| be able to rally in sufficient strength
to defeat the substitution OF Cameron
for Sumner II is certain that the
democrats would vote for Sumner on
account Of bis opposition to Domini.
can annexation, and the fourteen of
these when combined with those Re-
publicans who voted against the dis
placement in the caucus, would be
suficient to secure his retention
Indeed, they could afford to lose
several votes, and still accomplish
their purpose. Their success, on
| such q basis, would be unfortunate
in every sense; for it would make .
serious, if not fatal, breach in the
Republican party, and would grave
ly embarrass the San Domingo quos.
tion. The World blows it's horn
vigorously in Mr.. Summers behalf.
| Our dispatches declare that there
is great excitement in Washington
and the telegraph is evidently doing
its best TO produce q great excite
mont everywhere else. A profound
sensation is scarcely justified by the
circumstances Of the case. The dis
placement Of q committee chairman
is not an uncommon circumstance.
Every session witnesses that oxcit.
ing spectacle, and nobody flies into
q passion about it, In fact, no less
than two other Senate Committees
were decapitated at the same session
that witnessed Mr.. Summers discom-
future, and nobody thinks Of cham
pioning the distressed persons.-,|
There are some, points worth calm
consideration in this connection:
l. Mr.. Sumner is avowedly oppo-
sed to tho annexation OF San Domin-
60, while q clear majority Of the Re
publioans Of the Senate are in favor
Of it. He has therefore ceased TO be
in accord with them on the most con-
spicuous measure of this Congress,
and as he is no longer fairly their |
representative, there is no oonceiv-
able reason why he should wish
longer to remain their agent. The |
most unprincipled drummer that ap-
peals to the country stores Of Arkan-
sas to buy his brooms and b!acking |
would have sense and dolioacy |
enough TO resign, on finding that he
longer represented his empIoyers.--l
When Mr.. sumner found that his SER
vices were no longer acceptable to a
majority, he ought to have with
drawn, as every English Cabinet |
Minister and committee chairman |
feels bound in honor to do. The no.
tion that any one member of Con-
gress has right, from the accident |
Of position, to dictate the policy of |
the nation, in opposition to a MAORI.
ty OF the representatives, and that it |
10 an act Of persecution tor them to
vindioate their own motives and &C.
stion, will not stand q moment in the |
minds Of reasonable men. Mr.. Sum-
nor was made o member Of the For
eign Relations Committee in 1858,
and its Chairman in 1861, because in
ability and learning he had no peer
IN the Senate, and because be repre-
sented his colleagues. He has now
ceased to represent them and it is
wrong for them TO ask him to yield |
2. Mr.. Sumner has By his personal
manners alienated himself from the |
President and Secretary of State,
with whom his relations are neces
sarily most intimate. He has differ.
ed from them on prominent questions,
as he had right to do; and he has
insulted them grossly,-which was,
at least, unnecessary.
The Chicago Tribune denounces
the attempt to displace Mr.. Sumner.
Yet the columns Of that paper have
for weeks bristled with announce
ments that he was "about to make an |
assault upon the President" and
that he was carrying around with
him an Internal machine for the
Presidents destruction. Two weeks
ago the Iribune's Washington CORES
pondent said Of Mr.. Summers manner
during speech: 3
"While he was outwardly calm, it
was evident to all that he was very
angry. There was . peculiar inten-
sity in his language and vehemence
in his manner which even those who
heard him in the days OF his contests
with the old slave power failed to
recognize"
And scarcely three months ago /
Mr.. Sumner, in o set speooh, thus
derided the President for alleged
ignorance:
"The President Of the United |
States did me the honor to call as my |
house-it was nearly q year ago,
0uIluH Iu0 ItCcSe. SAOEtly HAtcI
coming into the room he alluded to
certain new treaties already negoti-
ated, with regard to which had no
information Sir, you must expect
me to speak frankly. The President |
alluded To me four times Us Chair
man of the judiciary Committee,
adding that the treaties would come |
before the Judiciary Committee, and
on this account he wished to speak |
with me !" Grcat laughter.l
Mr.. Sumner endcared himself to
tho country by his brave old fight
with slavery, and he hls won wide |
respect for his undoubted genius and
learning; but he is personally an
aristoerat, OF arrogant and most
offensive bearing, and he always
thrusts into the consideration ofi
every question: an assumption of his
superiority. He treats mon Of eGual
ability with curious condeseension
and supercilliousness rarely seen and
felt among public men.
He has placed himself, personally, !!
on such terms with tho President
and Secretary Fish, that official in.
tercourse with them Is understood
to be suspended. Is it persecution