Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-03-31
Mr.. Summers Speech.

. j ..
and .ble.a as it could not but be, coming from
. him Yet it seems to US to lack the strength
which comes from freedom from prejudice,
and calm view of the case upon its simple
merits. Mr.. Sumner has been - sore" since
Mr.. Motley's removal. lie hes been freshly
ezasperated by recent events in the Senate
and it is not at all surprising that he should
exaggerate the offences which he charges
upon the administration of President Grant.
We detect such disposition to exaggerate in
various portions of the speech. We see it in
the elaborate contrast drawn between the
conduct Of Spain when it re-annexed San
Domingo for short time-a measure car
ried, as the Spanish minister Of foreign
affairs stated, when not Spanish bottom
or soldier was on the coast of tie island
and the course of cur government in
sending ships Of war 10 that station.
| Why Spain did not see fit to send fleet
there We do not know, probably because she
! did not consider the island worth the trou-
bic but we venture to say that there are
eases enough in which Spain, and every
other naval power, has sent ships to the VI
cinity Of negotiations 10 progress, to exert
/ such influence as comes naturally from an
/ exhibition of power 10 sustain its representa-
tiyes and designs We sec this tendency to
exaggeration in the complaint made agains;
the sending of the commissioners to the IS
land in a L. 5. lrisate, which seems to
Us proper proceeding enough and in
such assertions as that ga United
/ States mau-oi-war has nothing to DO
within a foreign jurisdiction and cannot ez-
cit influence there without unlawful inter
yentiou." Yet United States ships Of war
are constantly in Foreign ports and waters all
over the globe, ard cannot fail to exert an
influence wherever they 60. Neither could
they fail to if they stayed at home \ ship
Of war is nothing but a standing menace,
wherever it is We find ezaggerati5n
indeed in Mr.. Summers whole state
ment Of the case. lie maintains substan-
ITALY that Baez is an uslrrer that to ne
gotiate with him was wrong; that 70 pro-
tcet his government while nee 'tia,ious was
ycnding was au outrage; shat 10 tell the
Haytien government tina: the government Of
Bacz would be protected, was hostile mem
ace. that the sending Of ships Of war to
Hayti was an usurrati.a. and tie threat to
use them If necessity an a-t If way.
Now we DO not propose 80 take the atti-
tude of an apoloei-J ior anything that has
been said or done in reference to san Do
min-o We should have been glad if
our government bad Lad nothing to DO with
San Domingo in any way. Bas we DO NOT
believe ,le country Will share tie whole of
Mr.. Summers alarm, because, having ne
gotiatcd treaty with the government. such
Is it was. Of san Doming,. ,he administra-
ton let it DE known that j; dill not propose
to permit Foreign Interference, from Ihyti
OF any other power. with the transaction
Mr.. Sumner quotes the authority Of Wash
iugtan for the rule that no Government
ought to Interfere with tie internal c1a-
Germs OF another 't0'H FOR NE S.'''y q
,rLai J., ,3uc 10 nems'r.s." AID this rule
the administration would cay It has Observed
OF c5urse opinions may differ as TO what
e. is duc to themselves"
We Do not believe either that the country
will De greatly excited by fear 9i usurpaton
OF lnsy power, On the part '- PRESIDENT
Ora 1t, or OF any serious putting HIM up 10
sue usurmtion Oh. the part OF Secretary fisl.
In short Mr. Sumner speech would nave
be en- stronger, II it had contained less SPECIAL .
/ leading.
There sre ;vo ways to restore and preserve
order at the south oae Is by increasing the .
-,ly 10 Az t5e VOL aE5 Tsvinr the bi.
The other is, by universal amnesty, making it .
l9F the interest ., me 1''s, Si.'s, ,I mos
roterT the n hts of life. liberty AMI property.
n. U'atctmaa and Journal
1t seems to us that the journals which talk
IN this way beg the Whole question i uni
yeTsal amnesty viii restore order IN the late
ly rebel States. with protection for " the
rights of e.liberty and property. then no
body Objects to universal amnesty Am
ucsty j. Withheld by the government
from I'D feeling of vlndictiyensss, but sim
ply from regard for the lives liberty and
property OF loyal citizens at the SOUTH iii
some assurance can be given that such nights
viii be respected by the men who are ask
ING the removal OF existing political disable
tiles why should their demand he granted /
'Sueh rights were very poorly secured when
the - statesmanlike men Of the South had
full swing before Who is to give the
guaranty that they viii be any better re-
'rded in future;
1t seems to US that II would have been
'ldence OF true ability wisdom and states
Il ianiike qualities on tAe part ol the leading
white men at the SOUTH had they accepted
The rosult7 OF the war respected the ne"
! ishts OF the freedmen reciIfoeated 'he
-Sindly feelings On the part OF Northern
-men which followed the return OF peace
and welcomed the tue oil northern inin'-
grafton ana capital "hicA was ieauy To A'"
INTO .he south to restore her prosperity ana
,bis there r5uld have b,cn universal amnesty
,,r- ber,re ,ri. They took different
,,nr.. The, oro I,i,,, their host now an
r,rontlv 70 re..ore the ola reirn Of terror
and lawle-.ncss. which existed in LARGE nor