Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1871-03-22
& Sensihla Wow.


Tie Germantown Telegraph, which paper
is well known as strictly neutral in politics,
takes the following sensible view of the
change made In the Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations:
sit is a matter of extreme surprise to US
that certain newspapers, which ought 10
know better, complain of the change IN the
Senate Committee on Foreign Relation, 10y
placing Mr. Cameron at the head OF 1t IN
stead OF Mr.. Sumner. We are at loss to
conceive how it were possible for the Gov
ernment to discharge its proper functions
by having at the head of this committee,
who is virtually member of the Cabinet,a
man bitterly anIagonistic both TO the Presi-
dent and Secretary of State. We all know
how intolerant Mr. Sumner is of dissent, how
he assumes to be everything in himself
Senate, Secretary and President-and that
he never yields a hair to any one, though he
may change his own views as often as he
likes. If Mr.. Sumner were possessed OF a
grain of delIcacy he would have resigned at
once his position when he proclaimed hlm-
self in open hostility to the administration,
in language the most offensive !; but his nat
aral love of autagonism and determination
to defeat and destroy the President IN his
own interest, made him obstlnately adhere
to the place until turned out by majority
of the Senate.
While Mr.. Sumner remained ut the head
Of the Foreign Committee the Administra-
ton could have no foreign policy that was
not his policy. 1t possessed no lndepend-
ence and the moment it assumed any 1t en-
countered this autocrat of the Senate Cham
Der, who never yields. The question of his
dismissal from the committee were merely
one of time, and it has not taken place any
too soon. Doubtless all the vials or his
wrath will now be poured out upon the Ad,
ministration, but he must now scold as full
private, and not as the chief of the most
important committee of Congress.
When Journals talk of the disruption OF
the Republican party by this change In
Senate committee at the time when general
changes are made, by the displaeing OF one
man and the putting OF another In his seat,
they show how much importance they at
tach TO men and how little TO principles.
The truth is MIR. Sumner is worth nothing
to the Republican party. He never added
a vote to its strength, he has detached hun
dreds and thousands from it. So that in
this view of tae case the least said the bet
ter That he is a man of great Intelligence,
nobody denies but this is only the more to
be dreaded when unworthily used, as has
frequently been done That the majority
of the Senate is TO blame for any division
in the Republican ranks resulting from this
measure, we take occasion TO emphatIcally
deny 1t is the short sighted journals which
assert this. and which keep alive the So
called excitement by parading in their col
umns all that the malcontents say about it,
that do all the mischief. But we have a
higher opinion of the Republican plrty than
they, and do not imagine for moment that
any portion of it viii regard the removal of
an intractable and rancorous member Of
most important committee, directly arrayed
against the Administration, and substituting
for him a good, safe, sensible man, not like
ly to abuse his position ard in perfect accord
with the Administration he represents, will
create any dissent in the party, but the coa-
trary."