New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-08-22

Aid from the Enemy.
There are men who have become great by
exerting their powers for the benefit Of a peo-
pie or of the world generally, while Others,
possessed perhaps of equal gifts, are mainly
remembered in connection with the mischief
they have worked, and it does by no means
follow that a man, because he has been
prominent and successful in the service of
good cause, must be equally formidable when
he deserts it and employs his strength to tear
down again that which he helped to build up.
This reflection is very naturally suggested by
the detection of Charles Sumner, who has
actually Joined hands with the bitterest and
most vehement antagonists of the principles
whose lifelong advocate he has been. When
Mr.. Summers position and influence as one
of the foremost champions-nay, as martyr
of the cause Of justice, liberty and equal
rights are considered, whose services to that
cause cannot be overrated and will always be
gratefully remembered, one might be inclined
to think that his detection would infict a
mortal wound ON the Republican party. This
however is by no means the case, and though
it is undeniable that his course has been pro-
ductive of considerable mischief, the damage
done is by far not as great as might have
been apprehended, and especially the effect
of his letter to the colored people, evidently
relied upon as to cast crushing weight in
the balance against General Grant, is pre-
cisely that of a bombshell, which, instead Of
striking and blowing up the enemy's strong
hold, will burst while being fred and spread
destruction only in its own camp. From
beginning to end it bears the stamp of per-
sonal luminosity and resentment, which far
from adding strength, constitutes an element
of utter weakness, for no classes or masses
of tolerably intelligent men will be inclined
to 20 by the advice Of one single man-be he
ever SO great-who is evidently too much in
spired by passion to be looked upon as safe
leader in a struggle involving questions of
such magnitude as the present contest. The
colored people everywhere are demonstrating
by their votes that they know their true
friends and mean to stand by them, and that
the few of them who wrote that extraordinary
letter to Mr.. Sumner, in which they virtually
said: you are so great and wise, and we are
such fools that we beg you to light our lamps
and tell us how to vote" do not offer a
standard at all. Similar experiences are
made in other spheres. Massachusetts,, Mr..
Summers own State, overwhelmingly and al
most unanimously repudiates him, and all its
leading Republican papers comment on his
course in a quiet, dignified tone, expressive
of sincere sorrow, as we'll as indignation.
They manifest their deep regret at his action
in reading himself out of the party and turn
ing against all his old allies and supporters
they compare him in this respect to Daniel
Webster, and look on him as fallen friend,
whose errors they would gladly excuse, yet
never could be made to share. Republicans
will remain Republicans with or without Mr.
Sumner.
If thus Mr.. Summers course has not mate.
rally damaged the Republican party, it has
inflicted very serious injury on the Democ'
acy, and its consequences will be second
only to those of the blow dealt by the bear
with stone in his paw, by which he intended
to kill fy on his masters brow. 1t will &C
great way to disgust and frighten the masses
of true uncompromsing Democrats, particu'
larly those of the South, all the former slave
holders in whose catechism Massachusetts
abolitionism is set down as the sum Ofall abom'
nation. and Mr.. Sumner rs the true embodi.
ment of that abomination. He is entirely oftoC
large q calibre to suit their schemes and pur
poses, and they feel his accession as an incum
brance and obstacle rather than as a rein
forcemcnt. They can swallow lighter ant
smaller men, whom they hope to make sub
seryient to them, such as Horace Greeley
whose wrongs are partly balanced by hi
exertions in behalf of Jeil. Davis, his admis
sion of the right of secession, and his oppo
sition to coercion, his readiness to compen
safe the former Shareholders, and by his dali.
and vehement cry for unconditional amnesty
they do not object to Trumbull, the ex
repudiator who voted against the Ku-Klux bill
andhelped to shield Andrew Johnson from tn,
well-deserved consequences OF treason; the.
have rather kind of liking for Banks, Al
original Democrat, who, while in command
In New Orleans, as General Buffers success
sor, did his best to neutralzc the beneficial
effect of Mr.. Buffers well-timed severity; blu
Mr.. Sumner is by far too uncompromisin;
and independent ever to 60 any length will
them, save throwing his vote and iniluenc,
In the scale in favor of their candidate. The,
need plant tools but they know that in cas-
Of Mr.. Greeley's election, Mr.. Sumner, insid
Of the Democratic party, would be even
more formidable antagonist of all their favor
lite plans than outside of it (; that all attempt
on their part to neutralizc the results Of tn
war, would meet in him as uneompromising a
opponent as ever, and they become suspicion
Of the men for whom they are to vote, 70
the very reason that Mr.. sumner has declare
in their favor. The Richmond papers hav
already expressed themselves in this sense