Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-03-07
MIR. SUMMERS RESOLUTION.

ratus OF any newspaper.
MR.. SUMMERS RESOLUTION.
The resolution Of Mr.. Sumner,
{ asking the appointment of commit
tee to inquire into alleged sale OF
{ government arms during the Franco
, German war, introduced by HIM on
the 18th OF February, was adopted
en- the Doth, only five Senator'S
Cole, Edmunds, Gilbert, Lewis, and
Wright,-votlng against it. The
resolution. as our readers know, call
ed out one of the fiercest and most
acrimonious political debates the
Senate ever witnessed. To judge
from the speeches of Senators Nor
ton, Carpenter, Harlan, Elmunds
and Conklin, one would suppose that
the resolution charged President
Grant with making money out OF
this alleged sale Of arms. The gen.
tlemen named accused Mr.. Sumner
of trying to embroil the United
States in war With Prussia, with be.
ing both French and German spy,
and various other unpatriotic things.
We were not able to see the speech
Of Mr.. Sumner in opening the de.
bate--none of the papers which criti-
cised it severely published tive on
ly saw a brief synopsis Of it. 1t
would surprise a candid reader OF
that heated debate to learn that
neither III his resolution, nor in either
of his speeches, nor IN any of his
briefer remarks, did Senator Sumner
charge, either directly or indirectly,
nor did he intimate or Insinuate any
misconduct against President Grant
or the Secretary of War. He only
adduced and commented on, certain
facts, which, viewed dispassionatel ely,
lead to the conclusion that, some
where IN the Ordnance Department
Of the Government, there was gross
dereliction of duty, to call 1t by no
harsher term. There is nothin g in
the facts adduced by Mr.. Sumner, to
show any hint that any officer higher
than the Chief OF Ordnance was cul
pable. 1t iscer,ainly an extraordinary
logic that transmutes resolution OF
inquiry into the misdoings of SUBJ
ordinate officer of the government,
into a blow at the President. In
view Of the scathlng criticisms given
Mr.. Sumner by the greater part OF
the press of the State, following the
lead OF the large journals OF the east,
we are almost persuaded that our
brother editors Of the State have
read nene of the speeches but those
of the opposition to the resolution.
The lesson the partisan Senators
learned during the debate on the ap
pointment OF the committee of invest
igation into the abuses of the New
York Custom House, had a salutary
effect in restraining their desire to
strangle this resolution. So far, 1t
seems to US clear that their efforts to
delame to the death the one who Of
fered the resolution before passing |
upon the resolution itself, have not |
been SO successful as they wished
They protested to be anxious for the
investigation to go on, expressing
their belief that it would show the
falsitles of the charges. Their course,
however, III leaving the question at
issue and wandering into personal
defamation and political themes
shows their inslncerity. Their hon.
esty and sincerity would have been
more apparent had they followed
the introduction Of the resolution
and the speech OF Mr.. Sumner by
an adoption Of the resolution without
word OF reply. That they were
not confident Of perfect refuta.
ton of the charges is shown by their
persiste nt debate of come weeks. The
composition of the committee, on
which is placed not single Senator
who favored and pressed the inquiry,
does not speak very large volumes
in behalf of their consistency. Mr..
Sumner was offered the chair
n,anship, but his sudden illness
prevented his acceptance. The
adoption of the amendment
to the resolution directing the
committee to inquire whether any
member Of the Senate had been in
c,llusion with the government Of
France III reference to this matter,
seemed TO point to sumner and
Schurz, and the debate showed that
1t was so pointed at those two Sena-
tors with the intention cf keeping
Sumner off Of the Committee. OF
course it would be improper for Sen.
ator Sumner to investigate a
matter in which he was inter.
estcd. We do not desire to do
the majority of the Senate any
but there is more canse for