Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-03-23

Putting the best possible face on
| it, the war which number of Re
publican Senators, acting under the
inspiration of the President, are max.
ing upon Senator Sumner tor his op.
position to the San Domingo annex
alton scheme, is strangely at variance
with Gen. Grants letter Of accept.
ance, which announced that - Pres
iden. should have no policy to en-
force against the will Of the people. ("
Neither the people nor the Isepub!i-
can party have, either directly or in
directly, expressed approval Of the
proposed treaty. The question has
not been submitted to them in any
form for th.ir Endorsement. 1t is 3
pet 1cheme of Gen. Grant's-no more
Possibly he is correc. in his views as
to the great benefits that are certain
to accrue from it; but possibly also
Mr.. Sumner, whose opinion on such
subjects is entitled to at least equal
weight, is correct. And the Presi-
dent is no more justified in removing
Mr.. Sumner from position which he
has filled and honored TO. twelve
years, because he opposes the treaty,
than would Congress be justified in
impeaching the President and remov-
ing him from the executive chair be-
cause he favors it.
1t Is idle to talk Of the San Domin-
60 scheme as an Administration meas
ure. 1t is Gen. Grants measure
and Gen Grant is not the Admins
tration, but only fraction OF tt
whether proper, improper or vulgar,
being point upon which there is
some difference OF opinion. What Of
Mr.. Sumner ana the twenty one Re-
publican Senators who could not be
dragooncd by threats or promises
from the White House-are not they
a part Of s'the Administration, and a
very respectable part, too? People
who talk or think otherwise arc not
aware OF the dangerous theory they
are harboring-a theory which at
once erects the one man power into
an accomplished fact in the govern
ment OF this country. 1t the Presi-
dent is the Administration and it the
test OF Republicanism is adherence to
the Administration, the majority in
Congress has neither right nor duty
other than to register the edict OF the
President and give 1t the formality
OF law.
II is of no concern TO US what may
have been the personal relations ex-
isting between the President and Mr..
Sumner. We have to deal only with
the fact that the President demanded
Mr.. Summers degradation for dit
ference of opinion on q great public
question; and the more iamentable
tact that q majority OF Republican
Senators were cowardly enough to
carry the demand into execution
But it may be said that Mr.. Sumner
was using his position, as Chairman
of the Committee on Foreign Affairs,
to defeat the treaty. To which we
reply that he had just as much right
to do so as Gen. Grant had TO use
his position, as President OF the Unit
cd States, to secure the treaty. "A
denial of this proposition is the as
sertlon that the will OF the President
is the law OF the land-a doctrine
which the Republican party was not
prepared to admit three years ago.
But there IL much more than Hr.
Charles Sumner aud his personal or
politica! welfare involved in this con-
test-,herc is the right OF Senator
of the United States to entertain and
express his opinions on q question of
great national Importance, without
molcstation or interference from any
other department OF the Government.
In this, which is the true aspect Of
the case, the people of the country,
irrespective OF party, will be found
with tie Senator and against the
Presidcnt.-[Chicago Republican.