Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-04-04
ARKANSAS POLITICS.
The Troubles IF TIE PIaCs-sseksrs-aF.
Sumner, His eenius, Worth ana
StalesmanshIp.


uted more to the acknowledgment o
Tennessee than any citizen Of tn,
Western district, and is therefore, i
for no other reason, entitled toa hear
ing.1
CRoes COUNTY, Ark, April /, 1872.
EDITORS APPEAL - Was Their
ever q time when so many poll
ticians, and even statesmen, Wert
watching and waiting for something
to turn up, and imposing upoT
! themselves such restraints? While
this expectancy continues, there is
good opportunity to study carefully
and without prejudice some of the
prominent figures in the great pano'
rama now unrOlling. Undoubtedly
the great central figure which looms
up among those arraying themselve;
In opposition to Grant is Charles sum
ner. There was a time when the men
ton of his name would not be toler'
ated with any patience in the South.
Perhaps this feeling has not yet sub,
sided so as to allow an Impartial
estimate Of his character. Yet it car
do no harm to know some
thing more of Mr.. Sumner thsn thai
phase which exhibits him rs a dan
gerous extremist and an impractical.
bic theorist. Do not fear that 1 am
about to elect myself his eulOgist.
am going to pass nj judgment upon
him. merely propose to recall some
facts in his career and point out some
traits in his character which the an,
CRY impatience of this latitude has
never allowed to ba calmly c0ntem,
plated. Mr.. Sumner has very gener.
ally been supposed to be a Boston
aristOcrst-bOrn with a gold spoon In
his mouth, and of the pure Brahmin
caste. On the contrary, he is from 8
family Of the second class. He was
never recognized, in his life, as be-
longing to the creme de Ia creme.
When he first began to attract some
attention, ii was much the fashion for
Beacon street noses 10 be turned up at
him. He YVES an outsider, an adven-
turer. The eyes OF Robert O. Win
thrOp and his class were too pure to
behold any such iniquity. Mr.. Sum.
ner, after graduating at Harvard,
studied law with Judge Story. He
then went to Europe and was gone
several years, carefully studying in
ternational law during his absence.
While in Paris his abilities and at
tainments attracted the attention of
General Cass, then Minister to France,
who employed him rs q publicist to
draft some very important papers
connected with that mission. Soon
after he came home, he was
selected to deliver the Boston
Fourth of July Grafton, in accordance
with a long-standing custom of chOos-
ing some promising young man for
this distinction. His Grafton attracted
unusual attention. During the next
year OF two he gave several lectures
on "Peace, - "Prison Discipline, ETC.,
and it began to be suspected that a
new star had arisen. His intense anti
principles allied him to the
party, which then seemed
to offer in Massachusetts about as
much chance for political preferment
for a slice Of green cheese from the
moon. But by 1850 quite a number of
Freesoilers had been elected to the
Legislature, and these, with the DEM
)crats and a handful Of antfslavery
were able to show a bold front
opposition to Mr.. Winthrop for
senator. These homogeneous elements
npOn Mr.. Sumner as their can
There were some Democrats |
Who stood alOof, and q few ''scatter-
ng" Wings. The contest was long
md desperate. More than one hum
lred ballots were had. At last some
I've or six Wings called on Mr.. Sum.
Ter and limited to him that by making
Ome pledges in the interest of the
Wing party he could have enough
rOtes to elect him. He utterly re-
used to indicate by 81 syllable what
would do If elected. He said:
There is my record In my speeches;
cannot and will not now add any
hing to it or subtract from it." "But,
DR.. Sumner" some of them said,
you are a young man. Are you
ware what a high honor is within
our reach? You have held no public
yet you may stand in the
lace Of Webster" 81 know all this"
answered Mr.. Sumner. "YOu cannot
lace a higher estimate on the digni-
ed position of a seat In the Senate |
nan lido. know how presumptious
seems for a young man like myself
} aspire to it. But il it requires any
ord Ofmine to secure it, that word
hall not be spoken. III the turning
YER of my hand would ASSURE my
ection, my hand should be still. g
hese old puritans were so impressed /,
18th his lofty bearing chat they alb :
themselves from their seats in ,
lew days after, and allowed him to be I,
And-this is the way Charles T,
Imner got into the United States
snate. 1t is quite in contrast with
le modes Ia which some Senators are
ported since to have secured their
ats. Mr.. Summers reelection has
yer since been certain whenever the
me came. He has never left his seat
hurry home and button-hole legis-
tors to secure their votes, or dine
Id wine them after his election. Hell
always been a very poor politi-
an. He works badly In harness. {
e does not shine in the caucus, He
at the head of no clique. He is so
mpracticable"-the party fuglemen j..
y-that they never a depend uHtn 6
"a. he has no taste for plotting =
ID scheming or the details of par y
management. He has, however, =
en- a very diligent Senator. He is q
Id never 70 have been absent =
m his seat, except from ILL @
ss, more than twenty min P
es at 8 time. He has not been L.
the representatives. hall for sever :
years. His study lamp is always
The same objection has
en- made to his speeches that some
the Athenians made TO the Orations n
DemOsthene5-''they smell of oil,D =
was busted from the chairman L
p Of the committee on foreign re-
ions, because il was supposed the
desired it and because the
Of state intrigued to bring G
bout. Simon Cameron was put in
place, whose last election is said ]
have cost him forty Thousand dol
Yet, whenever a question Of in.
national law arises, the eyes of the n,
late are turned to Mr.. Sumner, and VI
always speaks as tone having au.
He never stoOps to person
les in debate, but always discusses
and principles, and always
ms to be master of his subject. II -
re Is any out-0f-the-Way learning =
essary to elucidate o point, he is ia
9 to have hunted il TIP, no matter
What dusty tones it may have been n
den. These r some Of the quail u
and characteristics of Charles
nner. He has others more objec-
Iable. He is impeiious in his ..
ring. He is stately and scholastic
his manners. Perhaps he would
e lost these traits II he had =
nped his wsy into the lower house
srai times before he put on his 4
robes. But sGGiS and &
SAT.
OREIGN TELEGRAMs.
ne number Of emigrants from the .
ish Isles during tha month OF lor