Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-03-06
THE RUTLAND HERALD
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY %, 1878
The Massachusetts EXPunginE
Resolution.


1t is rarely that simple resolution i'll
p State Legislature becomes a matter Of
national discussion. Still more rare is
such the case, when the matter is of
comparative insignifcance. Such, how
eyer, has been the effect of a resolution,
passed by the last Legislature of Mas
sachusetts, disappearing Of and con
demning al legislation, hy Congress,
looking to the removal of the names OF
battles hetw zen fellow citizens from
the several regimental and other, if any,
battle flags Of the army. A resolution
o. repeal, or rather to ''eXpungc" the
.uudrmnatory resolution by the present
legislature is, also, assuming national
proportions. The discussion and COM
uaut which this latter resolution has
provoked has been widespread, and the
s.asous urged for its passage are, to say
.a. least. somewhat singular. 1t is as
.aspd. and this seems to be the only
-.,unlon which the ''expungers' propose
lil7' tutll dCliOug tiidl tllG Va lStLitll
u-sution was one of censure to Mr..
sumner This may, perhaps, have been
tne motive of some of its supporters,
.gt his name does not appear in the
solution at all, if we remember Alright
~ certainly does not, eXcept as Il mere
ulftcr Of recital The resolution, as
a#sscd, has nothing to do with Mr.. Sum
u-r or any other man 1t is similar TO
any other resolution or law passed, at
any time, by the Legislature of the
state. A resolution, or law. is supposed
To express the convictions and Judgment
of the majority of the people of the
State, at the time of its passage. If it
does this, and it is upon a subject proper
for legislative action, then the Legisla-
ture acted rightly in passing it, and Mr..
sumner or his friends and admirers have
no right to complain of it. Wherein
does il differ from political resolutions
passed, year after year. by the Lcgis-
latures of every State in the Union !?
These resolutions are intended to eX-
press, and undoubtedly do express, the
political opinions Of the majority Of the
people of the State but because they do
this, are gentlemen of the opposite po-
litical faith to consider that they are per
aonally insulted and censured, and de
mand that they be Immediately repealed,
much less ask that they be ''eXpunged' :?
Resolutions have been passed, time and
time again, in direct opposition to the
views entertained by Mr.. Clay, Mr..
Webster Calhoun, Lincoln, Douglass,
and host of other good men, but whor
ever thought there was anything per-
sonal involved in them? 1t seems to us
that the idea is entirely an outgrowth of
personal vanity, and is based upon prin-
ciples that should never again gain a
foothold in our national politics. If our
last presidential campaign, in its results,
taught anything, it was that there was
no such thing as a personal following.
The people, as that result showed, think,
act aud vote for themselves. To them,
men are nothing, principles everything.
They follow no man, except in so far as
he leads in the right path. Whether or
not he leads in that direction, they viii
decide for themselves, and will pin their
faith to no man. All there is of this
eXpunging resolution is a sacrifice to Mr..
Summers vanity. We are second to no
man in our respect and veneration for
Mr. Summers great abilities and pure
character We honor him for the great
and inestinable services that be has rem
dered his country, and we honor him.
above all, for his independence and his
manly determination to do what he con
ceiyes to be right, regardless of conse-
quences to himself. But believing this
and feeling this, we claim the right Of
any and all men to differ with him, and
that too without the motives of either
being questioned Mr.. Sumner is as
liable TO err as any man. His past course
shows this. The presidential election
was as much an insult and censure to
him as was the passage of this resolu-
ton. 1t would be just as logical to ask
to have the verdict of the people reyers-
ed and set aside for that reason, as tC
ask for the repeal and eXpunging OF this
particular resolution on that account.
The nominations for the presidency, last
summer, were made by all parties, coun-
ter to Mr.. Summers known wishes and
opinions, yet no effort was made to sci
them aside on that account. Is not the
whole matter puerile and childish il
the extreme to ask for legislation fol-
such a reason Is it not an utterly in
significant matter to command the at
tention of the newspaper press all ovel
the Union2 Are not these particula,
friends of Mr.. Sumner, and the gentle
men whose sympathies they have elicit
ed, in great danger of placing themselve
and the people of Massachusetts in
false position? What do they Propos'
to do? We will pass by the question o
the expediency, propriety and right o
''expunging." We know that there is
precedent for expunging, both in the his
tory OF Congress and of the Massachusett
Legislature. We believe, however, tha
the argument was with Mr. Webste
when be said, in reference to a simila
resolution, that the constitution and law
required a record to be kept, while tn
resolution declared they should not b
kept, but expunged, mutilated and des