The Shasta courier., 1872-03-23
-TIIE-- 81 0%E0 OF THE SENATE DE-
BATE=IRE FtELiiICIANS AGAiNSa
THE PRESIDENr-VICT WITH
THE PEOPLE

l
some considerations in reference to the
tone of our politics so far as they effect the
coming campaign The whole discussion
has been virtually the chorus to the
opening Presidential drama-the overture
to the e.political opera that will charm or vex
u during The Summer. We have fell
impatient with the discussion. 1t has had
no redeeming quality except earnestness-
The amount of meaDness and spite and
lnneendo and selishDess it has shown in
our public men cannot but make painful
impression upon the country; for, whether
We be }. Democrats or Republicans, we
certainly are Americans, proud of our
country and our Senate, aud it is DO comforr
to Us to look back upon Il debate which no
t American can read without sorrow
Mr.. Senator Sumner is ths. greatest
sufferer in this debate Here is a man
who has made himself known as pre-
emlnently the Senator. We believe it was
Mr.. Emerson who complimented him as
Zone who ad avoided tt con.plaisances OF
politics. lie has always proclaimed himself
the inhabitant If higher aud purer
atmosphere than that of ordinary politics
a stranger to the depravity Of PARTIES
Patronage, the caucus, invective, the
fasclnatlons Of place aud society and
power were put aside. He was, as we have
t cen taught to believe, too ereat man to
stoop, too proud man to intrigue, too much
OF an American to contribute in any way to
the misfortune OF his country. Above all
men he was supposed to be free from the
emoloDs OF anger or disappointm,n or
ambition. He was the Senator, and. like
Cato, he Was the iWpersonation of cold
justice. his was certainly 20 enviable
fame, aud it belonged to Mr.. Sumner.
until he threw 1t away in this debate.
ms senatorial god ls seen to have legs OF
clay running almost iuto nire Look for "a
mouent at his recent course. Inspired
with an angry feeling towards General
Urant, he introduces resolution into the
Senate asking that certain transactions in
the sales Of arms 20 the French Government
oe investigated. So far all was we'll He
had simply to offer such resolution to
secure its passage; for public opinion
would have compelled every Senator to
vote for it and We should have had prompt
investigation. But prompt investigation
was not waited; for the Senator took the
unusual step OF recitlng an elaborate
preamble containing unsupported a'er
meuts meant to affect the country In
addition to this he took step more extra
ordinary in making an elaborate speech
discussing these unsupported averm nts
And SO came the debate Mr. Sumner
took the county at an advantage. e
proceeded to pronounce the accusation and
the judgment at tie same time. He knew
perfectly well that the effect of his course
would be to cast an lmputaton upon the
administration which no subs, quent inves
tIgution, no matter how clearly it nigh
, exonerate the government, could dispei
The rules of tie Senate, the extreme lati
tude permit ed to debate, and the generou,
courtesy extended to all Senators, regard.
less of party, gave Mr.. Sumner the oppor
tunity of doing this unstatesmanlike thing
He took advantage of his !, g slative
immunity, and showed that no matter how
lofty he may have been as Senator he
could permit his anger to make him the
author Of expedients worthy Of the political
conventions Of Tammany Hall.
1t is no pleasure for us to pass this
Judgment upon Mr.. Su mer, for he has Il
noble name aud fame very dear to the
nation. Would he have treated Mr.
Lincoln in the same way? 4" ould he
have thrown into Senate in Lincolu's da S
preamble filled with mischievous and
damaging statements, unsupported by
evidence, and, after holding it there for
three weeks. until the public mind was
saturated with the poison, ask to withdraw
it? If he meant his preamble for patriotic
purpose why did he shrink from vote of
the Senate! If he felt that he had acted
, in all things as Senator; as fair minded,
impartial Senator; meaning all thing well,
why did he confess that his preamble was
a trick, an expedient, political subterfuge
and that, having done its work, he would
not ask "a voteY Nor was the work which it
did worthy of an American Senator He
meant to prove that an American admins
tration had been disloyal to Germany ;
that it had violated its neutrality obliga,
tions for corrupt purpose; that the
Executive had III some way known Of the
evil and was party to it. he time
selected for this extraordinary pronuDciami
ento was when the Emperor OF Germany
was about TO sit in arbitra tion upon the
San Juan boundary, when we were about
to appear b. fore the Geneva tribunal with
our against i ngland Mr. Sumner
knew we'll no one in these States knew
letter, tisat the effect of his preamble OF
u, supported erments would be to grieve
rbe Germen mind, inspire coldness in the
German heart and give Dgland chance
to assert our treatment of France as plea
iu abatement of its treatment of the South
ern Confcderacy. These several acts.
constituting moral treason, Mr.. Sumner
did, and he did them to serve his personal
yrudge against President Grant.
Of curse he was aided by Mr. Schurz
aud Mr. Trumbull These twn Senators
come to. rs as the apostles of new dispen-
sation They preach reform, freedom
/ from the vices of patronage. "liberal'
repubIican>m. o hers may delve in the
Ae hpot> they con6ue themselves 10 cakes
and ale MIR. Schurz is phenomenon in
our politics A cabal of Cheap Jack
correspondents and editors have called
upon US to acceptrhis shifting German as
a great man and a wonderful orator We
admit that he has been STUDYING the Eng