Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-03-23
The Removal of Sumner.
Opinion of Henry Ward BeecbFr.

mittee in the Senate on foreign rela
tions, always eminent, has been for
ten years past pre- eminent, and the
chairman of that committee is scarce
ly second to anv member of the Cabi-
net itself in honor and influence. Not
only must he be man of thorough
and minute acquaintance with the at
fairs of all foreign nations, well yersed
in diplomatic history, catholic in feel
ing, cautious in judgment; but he
must be able to maintain the exceed
ly delicate position of one who stands
between the Senate and the Executive,
faithful to the Senatorial body, and
yet in sympathy and in confidential
relations with the President. In ne
gotiating treaties the Executive, with
out tampering with the Senate, should
be able to keep itself informed of the
temper and opinions of that body
which is to confirm or reject the ne
gotiations initiated. The chairman
of the committee on foreign relations
on the one hand, and the Secretary
of State on the other, are the Aaron
and Uur that hold up the arms of the
President.
Now it is not enough that the chair
man of the committee on foreign re-
lations he honest, learned and patriot
ic. He must have the gift Of working
harm oniously with other men. BY
his knowledge he is to guide his fel-
low Senators, and by his advice he
is to aid the President But if his
disposition be of a cast SO severe
and inelastic that he can conform to
neither, but breaches to one and die
tates to the other, all his good quail
tiles will fail at just the point on
which everything turns. 4 man
whose conscience is in supreme sym
pathy with itself may be an admira-
Bile eXpounder of morals; but to be a
manager of affairs one must be in
sympathy with men as well as with
ideas.
The Senate of the United States
has decided the public good required
that another man should take Mr..
Summers place as chairman of the
committee on foreign relations. We
presume this step was taken on pure
ly administrative grounds. 1t was
believed that at critical period in
the negotiation Of affairs, important
to degree seldom surpassed in the
lifetime of nation, the administra-
ton and the country could be better
served by another man, who, though
he could not surpass Mr.. Sumner in
noble integrity, nor approach him in
learning, might have the capacity of
being d better counselor, and tenn
per which should not offend the self
respect of those who are obliged to
maintain confidential relations with
him.
If Mr.. Sumner had been Irned
out of his position on account of his
lifelong advocacy of liberty, or on
account ofhis fidelity to great nation
al interests, or because he honestly
held views of policy differing from
those of the President, or because he
boldly stood up for the independence
and dignity of the Senate against the
Vaccinations of a seductive and
scheming Executive, every impartial
man in the nation would have cried
shame, and would have crowned him
a martyr But no such supposition
is true. The whole truth, we sup,
pose, lies in this, that, with all his
eminent excellences, Mr.. Sumner
does not know how to yield anything
to others. He does not know how
to have a conscience supreme over
himself without making it supreme
over Others. 1t is no news that the
eminent Senator is man of singular
purity of life, of eminent disinterest-
edness, of irreproachable fidelity, of
great kindness Of heart, of unbound
ed industry and Of great learning.
But is it less widely known that he
makes his own convictions the i'm
perious law of other mems? that he
is apt to regard as personal foes all
who do not accept his judgments
that he is pot L lie lder and a worse
follower?
1t was stated in the debate in the
Senate that Mr.. Sumner WAS not in
social relations either with the Presi-
dent or with the Secretary of State
The charge was not denied; it was
only met by saying that Mr.. Sumner
was at all times ready to confer with
Gen. Grant or Mr.. Fish on public
affairs. Are these gentlemen likely
to profit by the counsels of a man
who refuses to recognize them on
one side of the council room door,
and only knows them officially on
the other side? One may transact
mere routine business with an AFRO.
CANT officeholder, but in matters of
counsel, requiring confidential con-
situations, it is preposterous to sup
pose that the President can be benefit
ed by one who looks down on Gen
Grant with enduring anger and impeI
iously refuses him social recogui
lion. -..
1t may be said that the chairman
of foreign relations is an officer ap.
pointed by the Senate; that he has
to do with the Senate, and not with
the Executive. But practice has es
tablished vital relations between the
Executive and the committee of the
Senate on foreign relations. Thai
committee stands at the point at which
the Constitution makes the Executive
and the Senate CO operative. Neither
the President alone nor the Senate
alone can make treaties with foreign
nations. The Constitution ordains
that in some things their action shall
be Co ordinate. TO put persona
enemy of the President at the heat
of committee through which th,
President is to be in sympathy will
the Senate is as if gentleman should
attach galyanic battery to the bell
pull of his door, and then marva
that people prefer to transact thei
business with somebody else!
1t is to be regretted that this actor