New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-05
MIR BLAINES EFFORT.

MIR, DLAINEO LIIOhL'
NJ R,aine il amazed that Senator Sumner
can forget the injuries he received from Dem
ocrats in former years so far as to JOIN Win
them in electing an independent Republican
TO the Presidency and bringing back the Gov
eminent of the country to the constitutional
principles on which it was founded Accord
ing to Mr. Blaine there should be enmity 10
the death,-bitter, blind, unreasoning hate
between the victim of Preston 5. Brooks ana
all the members of the political party to when
Brooks belonged. There should be no OBJ
liyion of the past, no acceptance of pledges
for the new future. We should live on as we
have lived so long a deep gulf dividing North
from South, and brethren scowling and cursing
at each other across it. Such is the pohcy vi
the Grant party, and DIR. Blaine ADOPTS IL
with as much zeal as if he wanted a post
office. ..
We shall not quarrel with his temper; IL ne
chooses to be angry and revengetul, by all
means let him nurse his wrath in peace ana
comfort The South will bear it with such
composure as it may, and President Greeley
rrohoblv will not let it influence his policy
when he goes into Office. But when Mr..
blaine tampers with current politics and poht-
zeal history we must beg him to be careful.
" In all the startling mutations of American
" politics,n he SAYS, "nOthing so marvellous
! has ever occurred as the fellowship OF Robert
" Toombs, jefferson Davis, and Charles Sum-
"per in a Joint effort to drive the Republican
marty from power" Pray, MIR. Blaine, where
do you find the evidence OF any such fellowship
Jefferson Davis has had no part in the forma-
In NOT
how he means to vote, and probably you DO
not know. If he should join the new alliance
(Which we do not expecO he will join 1t as a SIM
pie private, and his doing so would be the best
amends he could make for his actions against
the country. All political parties accept re-
| cruits wherever they can get them, and make
| no inquiry into their past record. Robert
| Toombs is supporter of Gen. Grant, so far
| as he is a supporter of anybody. What's the
difference said he in his recent speech in
Atlanta, "between these people 7 Grants
soldier-a sort of fool but he loves his
friends sticks to his kin, his kith. But
| Greeley loves nobody. He is womans-
| rights man, and would MT vote for him for
| that, if for no other reason. would
| support the devil in preference to either OF
them, because when you support the devil
" YOU support very respectable antagonist.
" So far as the Government of the United States
ais concerned am its enemy" But, upon the
whole. Mr.. Toombs prefers Grant. What be-
comes, then, of Mr.. Baine's "joint effort of
these men "to drive the Republican party
| " from power ~ Mr.. Greeley and his friends
purpose to drive Gen. Grant from power who
is not the Republican party by any means, but
on the contrary one of its wOrst'enemies. Mr..
Toombs proposes to sustain Gen. Grant. And
| Mr. Davis so far as anybody knows, takes no
| part in the contest whatever.
| Mr.. Blaine is not more successful in discuss
ing the past than in dealing with the present
| He asks Mr. Sumner how he can throw his
| ballot into the same urn with the Democratic
| party whose Representatives in Congress de-
| feated the Civil Rights bill, which the Ad-
minstratiOn Republicans were so anxious to
passf Now Mr.. Blaine certainly must know that
| for two years Mr.. Sumner tried to get that IA
yOrite measure of his into the United States Sen
ate, and the Administration majority kept 1t out.
! He must know that the Massachusetts Senator
was only able to introduce it at last as a
rider to other bills, and that it never had the
! sympathy of either the President or his sup
porters The only distinction was that while
Democrats opposed it openly on constitutional
grounds, the Administration Senators killed it
by indirectiOn while they pretended to be its
friends and no fair man will deny that the
Democratic way was the more honorable of the
two. Mr.. Sumner prepared Civil Rights
| bill in 1871, and it was referred to the Judi
ciary Committee of the Senate, where, under
the influence of Senators Edmunds, Carpenter,
and COnkling, a report was made against it.
| Last Winter, Mr.. Sumner introduced similar
| measure as an amendment to the Amnesty
| bill, and then these same Senators who had
| voted against it in the previous session sup
ported the amendment, because they knew
that if amnesty and civil rights were coupled
together both would be defeated. There was
curious scene in debate one day, when some
| body alluded to the rejection of the bill in
| 1871, and each of the members of the commit
| tee jumped to his feet with a different ex-
PLANTATION of the vote. Mr.. Carpenter gave
one reason. Mr.. COnkling gave another. Mr..
Edmunds gave third. 1t was only clear that
there was no explanation of their sudden
change of sentiment except the one we have
given they disliked both measures they meant
that both should fall but they had not the
courage to defeat either by open opposition.
Mr.. Sumner understands this perfectly well
and the colored people understand it too.
|