Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-08-12
SCATHING LETTER FROM SPEAK
FIR BLAINE TO CHAS. SUMMER
The Speaker Shoes the SENATOR IN
consistency NTH HIS Past Record
WASHINGTON. Aug. q. 1872


Mr.. Sumner finds that he must ac-
cept the bitter with the sweet. The
first letters he received after the publ
cation of his letter to the colored men
we're all congratulatory and compliment
airy from the course he had pursued
His mail this morning did not bring
quite such a pleasant reading, for among
other letters received were several from
lifetime political and personal friends,
who IN sorrow deprecate his course and
regret the position he has taken.
LETTER FROM SPEAKER BLAINE.
Notably among these letters is one
from Speaker Blaine, dated Augusta,
July 81. It is in Speaker Blaine's most
vigorous style, and it clearly answers
the most important points made in Mr.,
Summers letter. It is as follows:
AUGUSTA, Me. July 81, 1872.
Hon. Charles Simmer, y. s. Senator
Dear Sir-Your letter published in
the papers of this morning, will create
| profound pain and regret among your
former political friends throughout New
England. Your power to injure Gen.
Grant was exhausted in your remarkable
speech in the Senate. Your power to
injure yourself was not fully exercised
until you announced an open alliance
with the Southern Secessionists in their
effort to destroy the Republican party of
the nation.
| have but recently read with much
| interest the cireumstantial and minute
account given by you in the fourth vol
ume of your Works, of the manner in
which you were struck down in the SEN
ate Chamber in 1856, for defending the
rights of the negro. The Democratic
party throughout the South. and accord
ing to your own showing to some extent
in the North also, approved that assault
upon YOU Mr. Toombs of Georgia,
openly announced his approval of it in
the Senate, and Jefferson Davis, four
months after its occurrence, wrote a let
ter to South Carolina in fulsome eulogy
of Brooks for having so nearly taken
your life. 1t is safe to say that every
man in the South who rejoiced over the
attempt to murder you, was afterward
found in the Rebel conspiracy to muir
der the Nation. 1t is still safer to say
that every one of them who survives is
to-day your fellow-laborer in support of
Horace Greeley. In 1856 he would in
deed have been rash prophet who pre-
dicted your fast alliance sixteen years
after with Messrs. Toombs and Davis in
their efforts to reinstate their own party
in power. In all the startling muta-
tions of American politics nothing SC
marvellous has ever occurred as the fell
lowship of Robert Toombs, Jefferson
Davis, and Charles Sumner in a joint
effort to drive the Republican party
from power and hand over the Govern
, ment to the practical control of those
, who so recently sought to destroy it.
1t is of no avail for you to take ref
uge behind the Republican record o
Horace Greeley. Conceding for the SAX
: of argument Gas do not in fact believe
that Horace Greeley would remain firm
in his Republican principles, he woulc
be powerless against the Congress tina
would come into power with him in tn
:, event of his election. We have had
recent and striking illustration in tn
= case of Andrew Johnson, of the inabilit
, of the President to enforce q policy, o
;. even measure against the will of Con
gress. What more power would Their
; be in Horace Greeley to enforce Re
publican policy against Democrat
Congress than there was in Andrey
johnson to enforce Democratic polio
;. against Republican Congress? An
: besides, Horace Greeley has already, i
:, his letter of acceptance, taken groun
= practically against the Republican doc
: trine so often enforced by yourself, 9
= the duty of the National Government t
secure the rights of every citizen t
:. protection of life, person, and property
" In Mr.. Greeley's letter accepting tn
Cincinnati nomination, he pleases ever
>, Ku-Klux villain in the South by repea
ing the Democratic can't about '.locs
= self government, and inyeighing i
:, good Rebel parlance against ''centraliz;
. tion," and finally declaring that .'thel
- shall be no Federal subversion of I'll
= internal policy of the several States an
municipalities, but that each shall |
left free to enforce the rights and pr
mote the we'll being of its inhabitan
- by such means as the judgment of i
own people shall prescribe.
:, The meaning of all this in plain En-,
llsh is that no matter how. the colore
- citizens of the South may be abuses
wronged, and oppressed. Congress sha
I not interfere for their protection. b.
leave them to the tender mercies of Il
'local government administered |
rs the white Rebels. Do you as a frier
Elf to the colored men approve this positic
" of Mr.. Greeley?
til You cannot forget, Mr.. Sumner, he
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