New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-03-20
CensUring Senator Sumner.
~ snas:I Philips Adds His Protest ASstui
sne DisgIaeeful Step.

To the many appeals which have been
made 10 the Massachusetts Legislature,
another s added from Wendell Phillips. 1t
occupies OYER column Of the Boston Ad,er-
;isr. The following aTa the more striking
portions Gift:
Ny dislike of tie resolutions does not come
from any fear that they vii! injure Mr.. Sum-
ncr. His record Is made UP and Is far beyond
any mans reach. No Legislature can harm
bis fame. Siy objection to the resolutions is
that they disgrace Massachusetts. Let ME
isil You why. They condemned Mr.. Sumner
unheard. Even In hell, Virgil tells us. the
Judge hears before he condemns. Mr.. sam
ner only announced his PROF .osition. He had
no time to explain il or show the grounds on
which he asks attention to it. Severe illness
las prevented his doing so up to this time.
How ungererous as well IS unjust would it
be, IL such circumstances, to censu-e any
uRn! But in this case it is indescribably
unjust and dangerous. Hosv often in past
years has Mr.. Sumner, In the Senate, pro-
posed measure upon which, had vote
been taken in Massachusetts at once, the
majority would have been against him You
and can count upA dozen such instances.
But we remember that In each case, after q
little patient attention and few years, pub
nc opinion changed, and now the Common
wealth binds those very acts Of her great
Senator as the proudest laurels on her brow
Mr.. Sumner is one Of the few men In public
life Of whom this may be said. Now censur-
ing such man unheard is risky, As citi-
zen l protest against riskng the reputation
Of the State for common sense BY being sure
beforehand that such a counselor Is wrong.
There are absurd and lamsntable resolutions
enough on your records all through the anti
slavery struggle which every good citizen
would give much to have forgotten.
Mr.. Sumner only asks that the national
dag, under which we compel the citizen to
march. shall not bear any inscription that
ought to give him pain. The flags our ma
i.onal regiments march under belong as much
to South Carolina as to Massachusetts.
Georgians will be called 10 defend them as
much as We are. Is 1t generous, is 1t wise,
TO ask them TO pour out their blood for dag
which is written all over with the disgrace OF
their fathers? Show me the community or
the nation that has ever indicted such an in
suit on any ofits people. Greece repudiates
it; France and Germany scorn it. England
allows no name on any Of her flags which
can PAIN & Cavalier or Roundhead, n Scots.
man. or an Irishman. When, in 1888,
think, William Pitt took the ban off con-
quered Scotland. and called the Hghlanders
into the army, he gave them back their tar
tans, before illegal. How utterly inconsist-
ant would lie have been had he required
them to march under banners where every
man SAW written their great disaster, Cullo.
den!
II &c attempt such All outrage as these
insolent days, We shall set the world the first
example Of il. | should despise a Southernel
who would march under such a nag. Only
should despise yet more heartily North
that could ask him TO do so. A North that
could exact and South that could submit to
such indignity, would make up a nation o.
which the age ought to be ashamed We are
sure, in due time, to follow Mr.. Summers
lead. Ten years hence the minority agains
II will be too small TO be counted. Let sucl
disgraceful bunting be once borne by Caro-
linians and Yankees over victorious Geld
and the men themselves would fitly celebrate
the victory by tearing such flag to pieces
and clasping generous and brave hands owe
its rags.