The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-04-08
Mr. Summers Speech:

bIe aroun,ent against the crooked and iie-
cal measures rescrted to by Grant Co. to
effect their darling project, the annexation
of San Domingo. This mastery effort, pre-
ceded as it had been only short time ey
Mr.. Summers removal FROM the chalrman>
ship OF the Senate Committee on Foreign
| Relations. has produced marked sensation
| in the Radical party throughout the country
| Some of the leading organs OF that party
have even gone so far as to say that the
! overthrow of Rad;calisn In New Hamp-
I shire. at the late election id that State, was
/ mainly caused by the feeling OF indignation
! which pervadcs the Radicals OF the New
| England States at what they regard as an
unwarranted ihault to one Of the founders
and now amongst the foremost leaders o'
/ their party. That .Moy have contributed III
so,,,e slight degree to bring about the pleas
! ing result, but leaving it out & view re
regard the New Hampshire election as the
wall considered and deliberate verdict OF her
peopIe against the imbeciity and shortcom-
! ings OF Grants model administration. NO
! serious attempt was made by any OF the
Presidents friends in the Senate to answer
Mr. Summers speech, for the simple reason
that it was based on undoubted facts. which
are stubborn things, that cannot be ignored
or reasoned away.
Mr.. President, as draw to close, al
low me to repeat the very deep regret Win
which [ make his exposure. host glaaiy
would | avoid it. Controversy. especially
at nv time of life has no attractions Tor me;
but have been reared in tho school OF duty,
and now. as of old. | cannot see wrong with
ont trying to arrest it. plead now, as
have often pleaded before, for justice ard
peace.
In the evidence adduced haze confined
mysclf carefully to public documents, not
travelling out of the record Dispatches,
naval orders, naval reports-these are the
uuiu upeachable authorities And all these
have been officially communicated to the
senate, are now printed by its order, and
are now accessible to all On this unan-
swerable and cumulative testimony, whsre
each part confirms the rest and the whole
has the harmony of truth, l present this
transgression. Aud here it is not who
speak, but the testimony.
Thus stands the case. International law
has been violated in two Of its commanding
rules, one securing the equality ot nations
and the other providing against be!i1gerent
Intervention. while a distinctive funda-
mental principle of the constitution, by
which the President is deprived of a kingly
prercgatige, is disregarded, and this very
kingly prerogative is asserted by the Presl-
dent This is the simplest statement
LOOKING still farther at the facts. we see
that ali this great disobedence mas for its
oG,jecs TIE acquisition Of an outlayiug trop-
icaI island, with large promises OF wealth,
and that. in carrying out this scheme, our
republic has forcibIy maintained a usurper
in power that he might sell his country.
and has dealt a blow at the black republic
Of Hayli, which besides being a wrong to
that republic was AZ :usnlt to the African
race. And all Of this has been done by pre-
rogative alone, without the authority OF an
act Uf congress. II such transaction.
many headed in wrong, can escape JudS-
ment, it is difficult to see what securities
remain. What other s"cred rule of inter
| national law may not be violated What
other foreign nation may not be struck at
What other bellgerent menace may not be
hurled What other kiDgly prerogative
may not be seized
On another occasion showed now these
wrongful proceedings had been sustained by
ths President beyond all example. but in
corresponding sphi:. Never before has
| there been such q presidential Intervention
| in the senate as we have been constrained
| to witness. Presidential visits 10 the capt.
/ tol, with appeals to senators, have been ioi~
/ bowed by assemblies at the executive man
! sion, also with appeals to senators and
! who can measure The pressure of all KINDS
by himself or agents. especially through the
appointing power, ali 20 secure the consum-
nation Of this scheme In harmony with
this effort was the presidential message.
where, while taxing the senate with holly
in II iecting the treaty, re ara Sra7eiy assur-
| ed that by the proposed acquisition ''our
lar ge deh5 abroad is to be ultimately extn
| gufshed,'' thus making San Domingo the
! pack ho, SO Of our vast load. or perhaps.
| copying Don Quixote when he imposed npon
tho shoulders of Sanch Panza the penitential
stripes which belonged TO him.
Then. responding to the belligereat mem
ace OF his admiral. the President makes
kindred menace 6y proposing nothing less
than the acquisition of the ''island of San
| Domiugo,T thus adding the black republic
10 his scheme. The innocent population
were startled Their minister here protest
Ell. No: IS il unnatural that it should be
! so. Suppose he Queen cf Eoglan IN her
speech at the opening Of parliament. had
, proposed in formal terms the acquisition Of
the United States, or suppose Louis Eapo-
leon. IN his speech at the opening of the
chambers during the Mexican war, while
the French forces wers in Mexico, bad
coolly proposed the acquisition of that por-
ton Of the United States adjbiping Mexico
and stretching to tbs Atlantic. and, ID sup
eor, Of his proposition Aai set forth the pro
duetiYeness ef the sol, the natural wealth
that a6ounds there. and wound up by an
noGnciug ,bat out OF this might be paid the
French debt abroad. which was 10 bs sad
died upon the Corrected territory. Sappose
such a proposition 5y Louis Napoieon-or by
the English queen. made in formal speech
to cham bers Of parliament. what would have
been the feeling IN oar country Nor " Guild
that E-eifng haTe been diminished by the e1-
ctrSe tEias the offensive proposition creps into