Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-03-13
The Intrigue Against sumner.

Among the various more or less consistent
statements of the reasons for removing Mr..
Sumner from the Craftsmanship of the commit.
tee on foreign affairs, the last is the most dis
creditable and humiliating. 1t is that the presi.
dent and his secretary of state interested them
selves III the matter at the suggestion of the
British minister, with whom they agreed that a
change should be made in the committee, as
pledge that the administration had abandoned
the position taken by Mr.. Sumner in his famous
Alabama speech. This engagement was made,
IT is said, as one of the preliminaries to the
meeting of the joint commission, because it was
understood that the treaty which would be
recommended as the result of their labors would
involve some concessions on the part of the
United States. These Mr.. Sumner would prob
ably oppose, and, with the influence of his posi-
ton at the head of the committee, would per-
haps be able to defeat the treaty to be submit
ted. According to this story, which is that &C
cepted by some of the defenders of the transac-
ton, the removal of Mr.. Sumner was the fruit
of an intrigue with the minister of Great Brit
ain, entered into at his instance, and, it may
almost be said, at his demand.
If this account were true it would not lessen
the dissatisfaction with which the people of the
United States regard this instance of executive
meddling. Regarded as the presidents method
of making his personal likes and dslikes felt in
the other departments of the government, or of
forcing the senate into acquiesoence with Il
scheme of foreign policy on which he had set
his heart, it was profoundly distasteful as prob
ably Grant himself is beginning to be dimly
~.
be understood that this insult to Mr. Sumner,
and this invasion of the province of the senate,
was the result of conspiracy with the repre-
sentative of foreign power, the indignation of
the people will make itself heard and felt I'M
mistakably by the president himself and those
senators whom cowardice, or personal jealousy
of their associate, or some other motive, per-
shaded IN become the Instruments of tb;s in
trioue The Fac, IS tis Coo. th.. .h;s ,,,os
dome with tho double motive Cf oorci,;o,i,,,, r.
GLAND and trcLinc t,o Tr,,;tod Statos mo oon
cessions that Mr. Sr,nro,.,s irtoori,,, and ,a,ri-
tism would rot,so ,,ol,os :. DIV, fo,,I.
70 hear
The etact of .bis affair will bo =, tho o,1 =
great disanpointmeut +o nc outbors Tbov
have nrohob1, o,io,,od ,bo;-
INT If would NOT he s+ro,,c,o e son,o of tha
sbrerdest Of tbon, wore a1rood,, hor;,,,iao. ~
see that II will be dsorlx, bo,,rbt Ir NJ e.,
ner,s inAuencp was dreaded ~ hos hoo, i,,croasod
rather than dinnisbed M, tho at+or,,,. -, Az.
grace him. Is there any doubt whether be or
simon Comeron win ba,-o ,Do c,ro,.o. ,,,;,.,,.
with the senate and the co,,rtr, on n opos+ion
of foreiou ,,o1;ov7 Tho oo,,roriso,, - IT.,
Ions. We will NOT do Mr. Summer tba ;nirs,ico
of spcrestin that bis views of ro,o,o1
would be eolored Inv nersonal nreindice or mas
sion butbe certainly will NOT bo more ic1;no 4.
look with favor pnon any, ro;ect ,b;c, tho ,,os;
dent pnts forward If NAV he taken for Grant
cd that tho San Dor,ir,o,, sobor,o e 5ood 81
that the nrobob;ltv of tbo ;oi,t oor,,, ;ss;o,,g
neco+istine on occen+ot,lo troo., e crroo.,,, 4;
rninished, because, whatever the result OF tne,r
conferences, it will, after this suggestion, be
looked upon with suspicion and distrust
OF course the affront to Mr. Sumner is not
the worst feature of this bad business His
character and services entitle him to be treated
with courtesy, but if it were merely personal
matter Or a question of official proprety it
would not deserve the importance that has
been given to it. But since office, whether of
elnolument OF nohoI, Is NOT held LOT tne good
of the office holder but for the advantage of
thepeople, those who have the power to confer
Official position should not give it as a re-
ward for personal favors or compatibility of
temper, or Withhold it to crafty personal dislike
or Jealousy. The test should be fitness for
the work which the position imposes,
and, tried by this test what can he
more outrageous than the action of the
senate Mr.. Sumner is admitted nv
all to be, in experience and knowledge of
the questions and persons with which the com.
mittee is REQUIRED to concern itself incomnar.
ably better qualified than any other senator to
remain at the head of the committee whose de.