Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-08-21
Charles Summers Temptation.

Every man has an hour when he is temple,
up to what he is able to bear. He may thinl
it is above that point but it is not so, fo
God has promised that no such burden shall
be laid upon him. Only short of that doe.
the tempter stop. That exceeding high
mountain must be ascended. The pinnacle oil
the temple must bedazzle its occupant. He
must be completely tried before he completely
triumphs. Mr.. Summers hour has come. L
was not when, young man, he cast aside tn,
longings Of cultivated nature for tht
cloisters of professorship. That temptation
was great but it was honorable. Nor was i
when he broke with the Wing party of Mas
sachqsetts, and turned away from his hon
ored associates, to cast 10 his fortunes with q
small and despised company, who preferred
principle to power, Christian duty to choice
society. That was no temptation. II was a
call Of God, not a snare Of the Devil. Nor
was itwhen the lovers Of the slave in Massa.
chusetts centered upon their eloquent young
leader as the successor Of Webster, the cham
pon Of the cause Of man in the highest par.
Lament Of earth, though all parties united in
that elevation, though combinations Of Demo-
Gratis and anti-Democrats Of all shades were
essential to its success. Yet this combination
was to advance the cause of freedom, was to
put her best political representative where he
could best work her work He suffered no
temptation in that grand hour of his history
1t was
Gods all-aulmatlug voice
That called him from high;
IT'S he whose hand set forth the prize
To His aspiring oyo."
The temptation comes to-day. A chief
elected because his arm had achieved Sum.
ner's ideas because be had abolished the
barbarism and made freedom national and
slavery not even sectional--this chief aud he
fail to agree on matter Of minor Importance.
One desires the annexation Of an island the
other opposes it. Grant soon after removes
friend of Summers from an important seat.
1t seemed unjust, retaliatory, unstatesman.
like. His own removal from an important
craftsmanship soon follows. 1t is attributed
TO the same source. These are the points of
his offending This is all the category. His
appointing a few relatives to minor offices,
his receiving few presents for his un-
measured services, would never have been
mentioned had not the other grievances arisen
And yet for these petty considerations Mr.
Sumner is being urged to cast away all his
ife-work to undo all he has so grandy done,
to throw his emancipated friends into the
clutches Of their angry masters to trampe
his fame, his deeds, his humble allies into dis
honored dust How will the country ex.
claim, if he takes this fatal step;
What private grief ho has, alas we know not,
That make him do 1t.
They must be private, for no public reasons
could compel such conclusion
The time has como when the party that
has done this work asks continuance of
power. Its ambitious enemies have beguiled |
certain of its former supporters from their
steadiastness, and are now seeking his CO.
operation They 60 to him with plausible
words. They promise equality and fraternity |
with the negro, open courts, open schools,
open churches open linus, and equality in all
places of public resort. They mean no such
purpose. They carefully exclude their prom
ses from the reports Of their conversation.
They hate the party that has eonquered-its
IDEAS and It's managers. They will drive out
those ideas, with their managers, so surely as
they elect their candidate for the Presidency.
That body Of unropentant men cast nearly
hree million Of votes in 1868. The friends
If the slave, of liberty, and Of Union cast
'nly little over three millions hardly a
quarter Of million difference. If that quar-
er Of a million is taken away from Grant
nd given to Greeley, it will still be the two
md three.quarters millions that elect the lat
or, and that will control his policy. Sam
on could as properly have expected to have ,
'een elected king of the Phiistines after they ,
ad hattered him into their power, as Sum
er to control these Philistines if they sue Z
eed in his capture. They will mock at his
leas. They will hang and slay The negro .
{ the South will have to hide himself from q
is murderous foe, or crouch at his feet in re- @
iyed seryility and more hideous slavery. /
heir white brothers will have to abandon /
ieir posts or refrain from putting forth their n
lst powers for their improvement. The v
hurch will feel the blow, and her broad and a
usy work for the elevation of that country a
Ill all be stayed. And this to ayenge pri-
ate grieis, or because the chief of the party b
. is not inclined to favor. Better endure t,
lese ills than 0y = those too we'll known aud u
70 fearful to contemplate, @