New-York tribune., 1874-04-06
SUMNER AND MOTLEY.
THE SENATOR'S PROTEST.

c,nor 20 ,hicb many references have of late been
made Tho circumstances under which it was pre-
norcd and supnressed were stated by the eminent
ontbor himself in the suboincd note, the copy from
which THE TRIBUNE reproduces:
To the Rsader.-This statement was prepareuih IN marcn
shortly after the debate in the Senate but was wthhen
at that time from unwlngness to take part In the con
royersy while able friends regarded the question Vi
prncnle involved as above every personal issue feid
inc a last 10 various pressure Mr. Sumner concluded 10
present it the recent called session Oh the senate ou'
the Treaty with Britain and the case Oh the news
paper correspondents SO engrossh6 as W ea'o nv
time for anything else.
Washington, June 1871.
Mr. suNNER-Whle was under trial before the SEN
otn ii ON articles OF impeachment presented by the
Senator from Wisconsin tlr. Howe), i0roore taxing
any part the debate in reply to alterations as
serted 10 be of decisive Importance, touching my rea,
tions with the President and Secretary OF oCiIe. an
Son, onnosite parts of the country show that good
people have diverted by these allegations from Tue
question of principle involved Without intending in
any way TO revive the heats OF that debate am IN
duced to make plain statement OF ihcts' go as 'n
Do tnis with unspeakable reluctance but In the dis
charge OF a public duty where the claims ol patrosu
are above even those OF solf-deiense. Inc senate
and tbe country have an interest in knowing the truth
OF this matter, and so also has the hpuoioaMn M n pS
which cannot he Indifferent to pretensons IN ts nane
nor Will anything but the compotest frankhess 10
proper for the occasion. s.....
In overcoming this reluctance am aided bv Senators
who are determined TO make me speak. The Senator
from Wisconsin Mr. Howell who appears as prosecuting
officer after alleging these personal relations as the
oraran,el OF accusation against me-making the issue
pontedy this floor and actually challenging reply
not content With the opportunity Of this Chamber hur
red 10 the public pres where no repeated the accusa-
ton and crculaes 1t, as am told under ms irank
credtng I'm formal terms to the liberal paper IN whch
it appeared but without auOn TO the editorial reIta
ton which accompanied IT, on stll ano'her occasion.
appearing still as prosecuting officer the same senator
volunteered out of his invention TO denonnee e as
leaving the Republican party and thls ne did Win @
mite personality language and manner, In the very
nee q IN
positive words, declare that speak Tor tie sake VI
sponbiiiy for acts and then other words
making the whole assumption OF the Senator an mposs
bity announce, that IN speaking for the tepuDncan
party is because from the beginning have Deen the
faithful servant OF hat party ana aspire TO see . sGns
tion harmony with my whole life the senator deIIy
cred his attack. and, assuming To he nothing less han
Pope, launched against me his bull OF excommunicaon'
Then. again playing Pope, he TOOK Daek HiS thInutI,
understanding of Others he did not hesitate 10 a1OFe
my positive and cOtemporaneOus language that s as
pred to the Republican party strong ana tru pnaht
Then came the Senator from ONO mr. ShermaD) VINO,
taking up vacation pen, added TO the arIcies OF W
parchment, by supplementary aiegau0h auopte9 ny
ibe Senator under a mlsapprehensIOn of facts Here
was another ch haenge. During all TINS time nave Deen
silent Senators have spoken ana theh rushed INTO
print; but have said nothing. Tney have had their
way with regard to me- IL Is tney VINO eaVe me no
alternative. -, -,
II is alleged that have personal relations with the
President. Here the answer is easy have precisely
the relations which he has chosen on reaching wash
ngtou in December last, was assured from various
quarters that the White House angry with me, and
he "would call me to account" What he meant never
understood nor would attribute to him more than he
meant; but that he used the language reported have
doubt, from information independent OF the newsp
pers. repeat that this point have no doubt. Tne
newspapers reported also. That member OF the
Presidents household enjoying his peculiar confidence
taking great part in the SaGtO Domingo scheme, had
menaced with personal violence. could not DeHeVe
the story except on positive unequiyocal testimony
That the menace was made on the CONDITION OF ms NOT
being an army officer l do not doubt. The member OF
the household when nterr0gaied by my excellent col
league ir WILSON, positively denied the menace bnt
assured, authority above question, that he mas
since acknowledged il, wnie the President st retains
him IN service. and sends him to this Chamber.
During this last session. have opposed the Presi-
dental policy on an important question: Dut always
without word touching motives or one suggestion OF
corruption on his part. although never d0uDtd that
there were the business who could claim no
such immunity. II appears that Fabens, who came
here plenipOentiay 10 press the sChemc, nas con
cessons 10 such amount that the dplonatst is lost IN
the Spectator. | always insisted that the President
was no party suoh transaction snouid do IN
regret that could agree with the President Itried
think he did, but could not listened 10 the ar
eratons multiplied with time and reflection. To those
who know the motives OF my life, u Is supernuOus Tor
me 10 ada that sought simply the good Of my country
and Humanity, including especially the good of the
African race, 10 which our country owes so much.
Already there anger at the White House when the
scheme 10 buy and half island In the Caribbean
Sea pressed upon the Senate III legislative session.
under the guise OF appointing Commission, ana IL be
came INV duty to expose it, Here l constrained to
show how at very large expense the suTPe1 Bdez was
10 enable him to sell country wmle at the
the independence OF the Black Republic was menaced
ali OF which was In violation OF International Law and
of the Constitution of the United states, which reserves
10 Congress the power "to declare war" what said
was i'm open debate where the record will speak for
hand il over the most careful scrutiny, knowing that
the President take Just exception 10 IT, unless he
insists upon limiting proper debate and boldly denies
The right OF Senator himself freely great
acts OF wrong Nor will any Republican senator admit
that the President can Impose his sole will upon the
Republican party. Our party is in itself Republic
with universal suffrage, and until measure IL adopted
by the party no Republican President can make 1t a
Much as I am panied in making this statement with
regard TO the President infinitely painful to is
what must present with regard 10 the Secretary OF
State Here again remark that am driven TO this eI
panation His strange and unnatural conduct toward
me and his prompting OF Senators, who one after
other, have set up alleged relations with him as
ground Of compant make 1t necessary for me to pro-
We were sworn as Senators the same day, as far
back as 1851 and from that distant time were friends
until the Santo Domingo business lntervened. Nothing
could exceed our kindly relations in the past On the
he was at my house with Mr.. Motley in friendly com
munon, aud all uniting in aspirations for the new Ad
in that social hour that Of our little circle was 30
soon to turn upon us beth.
shortly afterward Mr. Fish became Secretary Of State
and began his responsible duties by appealing to for
help need not say that had pleasure In responding
his CALL and that did what could most sincerely
and to aid him. OF much, from his arr
val down to h alienation on the Santo Domingo bust
ness | possess the written record. For some time he
sho ed sympathy with the scheme almost as little as
my But as the President grew IN earnestness the
Secretary yielded until tardy he became ls attorney
Repeatedly he came 10 my house, pleading for the
scheme Again and again he urged 1t; sometimes at my
house and sometimes az his own. / was astOnished
that he could do so, and expressed my astOnsb-
ment with the fraDkness OF old friendship For apology
he announced that he the Presidents friend ana
took Office IA such. But" said l. you should resign
raj her than do this thing" This cond not refrain
from remarking discovery from dispatches In the
state Department that the usurper Baez was maintained
In power by navy. This plain act OF wrong required
instant redress but the Secretary astonshed me again
by his nsensibity ~ my appeal for justice He main
taned the President the President maintained Baez.
1 confess that troubled
At last some time In June, 1870 few weeks before
the Sahto Domingo treaty was finally rejected by the
Senate the Secretary came TO my house about O'Clock
in the evening and remained TIL after the clock struck