The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-06-05
s. G.
Wednesday Morning, June 8. 1872.
MIR. Summers speeoh.

'or1ul arrangement VI Grant by sumner,
lin the Senate, on Friday last. The
speech was most elaborate one, skillful
Sin arrangement, abounding in authori-
ties, pleasing in it's rhetoric and most
irresistible in it's conclusion. The New
York Herald-though strong advocate
OF Grants forced to say of the effect
of Mr.. Summers speech upon Grant:
''Every weak point in the armor is
f. pierced and punctured until, as he draws
to close, it seems as if there were not
an unpunotured square inch from the
ihalmet to the heol."
Mr.. Sumner opens with an avowal of
his fidelity to the Republican party. re-
fers to his connection with it at its origin
lin 1854, his persistent labors in it's be-
iehaff mp to the present day, and expresses
sEhis deep sorrow at seeing this great party.
primarily go pure in its principles. and
apparently destined to endure forever,
and continue its efforts for the good of
man. subjected to the will of one man
aL1 made an ignominious instrument Of
despotism. Then comes the crushing
attack upon Grant, whose nepotism. dis
graceful habit of receiving gifts, utter
disregard OF the Constitution and civil
law. military usurpations and personal
unfitness for his high position, are por-
&rayed in words of electric power and
>eloquence. He enters into an exhaustive
discussion OF nepotism, traces its origin
away back to the Papal history of Rome,
.-dissects it, shows its nature and infu-
sence, and reoites from the letters and
works of our greatest statesmen Jeffer-
son, Washington, Madison. Adams and
Others passages showing the utter alb
florence which these great men felt of
such an abuse of power and trust, and
compares their pure example with the
ndisgraceful conduct of Grant, who has
appointed more of his relatives to Office
cthan all the other Presidents put toge-
.ther, from Washington down. The
''taking of gifts" is next attacked. and
ats baneful results clearly shown. The
words of Scripture: ''Thou shalt not
wrest judgment, thou shalt not respect
persons, neither take gift, for gift
doth blind the eyes Of the wise." furnish
a text to the great Senator, and he hurls
his shafts of satire and of vehement in
sdignation right and left into the exposed
tbreast OF the greatest gift-taker of the
world.
Grant is compared in this respect to
Washington, Brougham and other great
men, and an incident is related OF Wash
>ington who, even while out of public
service, refueed to accept gift of GER
tain shares in canal company, saying
as one of his reasons for refusing, 'If I
accepted, should I not henceforth be
considered as DEPENDENT" The Santo
Domingo annexation scheme comes in,
too. to afford the Senator striking in.
stance of Grants usurping disposition,
rand desire to seize upon the war powers
Of the Government. The unauthorized
stipulation Of Grant with Baez, through
his military aid d-ds-oamp, his promise to
dolby the scheme through the Senate,
his despatching men. of-war to Santo
Domingo, actually occupying part of
the territory OF an independent nation,
and assuming control of it as part of
the United States, are dwelt upon with
great earnestness; and the violations
of the Constitution and of international
law made manifest. Sumner charges
that Grant would not have dared to un-
dertake such course toward any white
government, and considers the affair as
an insult to the black race. On this
point MIR. Sumner closes by saying:
''Let met confess, sir, that while ut
each stage have felt this tyranny most
.keenly. and never doubted that it ought
to be arrested by impeachment. my feel
'lngs have been most stirred by the out
rage to which, besides being wrong to
to the black republic, was an insult to
the colored race, not only abroad but
hese at home. How chief magistrate,
with 4,000. 600 Of colored fellow. citizens.
could have done this thing, passes com.
prehension. This outrage was followed