Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-03-30
SENATOR SUMMERS SPEECH.


Senator Summers great speech on
Monday has had a different effect upon
different classes of individuals. The De-
moeracy and ex-rebels of the country read
1t with unfeigned satisfaction. The men
who rejoiced when he was made the sub
iect of q dastardIy assault from Southern
bully, roll this bitter attack on Republic
can Administration as a sweet morsel UNI
der their tongues. The men who heard
with deep sorrow of the assassination of
Abraham Lincoln, by a mercenary tool of
jeff Davis and his minions, will look with
sorrow at the efforts of one who has done
so much for his Government, but who is
now deliberately attempting to degrade the
country by placing it in control of those
who have so recently tried to destroy it.
There has not been as many of the Presi-
dents enemies assembled in the Capitol at
any one slime tince the war as assembled
there on Monday to hear Mr.. Sumner.
Two hours before the Senate convened the
galleries were filed to OVERLOOKING, and it
is estimated that three thousand persons
cloak rooms and corridors adjoining the
Senate Chamber were filed with ladies,
while, for the first time in the history of
the Senate, a large number of unprivileged
persons were admitted on the floor. The
reason for all this excitement was that Mr..
for weeks previous that he was preparing
a speech, the delivery of which would not
only convince the country that the annex
alton of San Domingo was outrageous, but
that the President had usurped authority,
and was guilty of "high crimes and mis-
demeaners," for which he ought to be inn
peached. q iIzs..
Mr.. Sumner was not willing to wait UNI
til the Commissioners sent to San Domin-
20 had presented their report before MAX
ing his remarks, butwith logged obstinacy
insisted upon his right to make them at
once, and the Senators, well knowing his
disposition, consented. Nothing goes fur
ther to show the feelings by which he is
animated than this obstinacy. He seemed
to fear that if the people got to read the re-
port of these Commissioners, the force of
philipics would be broken; hence his
haste to force upon the Senate what he
had to say.
The speech has at length been delivered,
and, in the language of the Washington
Chronicle, has damaged the author more
than the subject. Instead of fair and
Just criticism, such as the country had a
right to expect from Mr.. Sumner, it was
bitterly unjust, and will be SO pronounced
by sll fair-ninded men. His assertion
that the President is the head of a San Do
mingo Kuklux Khan is received with
satisfaction by men of low minds,
who enjoy ribald jest, but is ut
terly unworthy of high-toned gen.
tleman, such as Mr.. Sumner is. His at
tempt to show want of interest on the
part of the President for the protection of
Southern loyalists, white and black, is too
absurd to receive, for one moment, the at
tention of any intelligent man acquainted
with the facts. No one doubts that, in this
respect, President Grant has done the best
he could under the circumstances. The
very men who are SO well pleased with the
S6H8tOI bp6SCA arc 4SfAAlh6 9uO 1C5ieaSiAe
for what he is doing to protect Republicans
in the South.
The speech, together with the course the
Senator has seen fit to pursue of late, will
prove q matter of general regret among his
friends. 1t will be be sincerely regretted
that one of such great intellectual powers
should prostitute them to the qualification
of personal ambition. His effort, on Mon
say. over which the Democratic press is
striving 90 hard to create sensation, only
eonyinces us the more that he possesses
dictatorial spirit that cannot and will not
brook opposition from any quarter. When
the people come to read what he had to
saw. and, in their sober. discriminating
moments, to pass judgment upon it, they
cannot fail in coming to the conclusion
that he has signally failed in bis labored
attempt to degrade the President and his
administration. That President Grant
may have committed some mistakes is
perfectly natural, but that he stands before
6ue world as capable, honest, conscienti-
ans and patriotic chief magistrate. the
s.es. fully show, all the efforts of Senator
9umner and Democratic politicians to the |
sonwsry not withstanding.