The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-04-14
SUMMERS LEGACY.
YER. MOTLEY AND GRANT.


THE SUPPRESSED SPEECH OF SENATOR SUM-
NER-THE TRUE POSITION OF THE PREsI-
DENT AND SECRETARY OF STATE IN THE
SAN DOMINGO QUESTIONING. MoTLEY's
TARDY vINDICATIoN-THE CURTAIN RAISED
OVER OFFICIAL INJUSTICE AND MIsMANAGE-
MENT.
The literary executors of Mr.. Sumner have
just complied with the very general demand
that his suppressed speech OF 1871 should
now be made public. 1t appears in the
Tribune, and is prefaced by an explanatory
note by the distinguished author himself, IN
which he states the cause of its preparation
and suppression. The note reads thus:
To THE READER.-This statement was
prepared in March, shortly after the debate
in the Senate, but was withheld at that time
from unwillingness to take part in the con-
troversy while able friends regarded the
question of principle involved above
every personal issue. Yielding at last to
various pressure. Mr.. Sumner concluded to
present it at the recent called session of the
Senate, but the treaty with Great Britain and
the case of the newspaper correspondents
were so engrossiug as to leave no time for
anything else.
WASHINGTON, June, 1871.
The controversy referred to was on the
opposition to Mr.. Sumner to the San Do
mingo treaty and the consequent discus
sion, followed by the removal of Mr.. Motley
and i'm March. 1871 the removal of Mr.. Sum-
ner from the Craftsmanship of foreign rela-
tions. Mr.. Sumner opened his address by
referring briefly to the attacks on himself
aud his motives by Senators Howe and
| sherman, and he asserts that it is with no
view of removing the heats of recent debates
that he then speaks, "but in the discharge
| of a public duty where the claims OF patriot
ism are above even those of self defense.
The Senate and the country have an interest
| in knowing the truth in this matter, and so
also has the republican party, which cannot
/ be Indifferent to pretentionS in its
name; nor will anything but the compile
test frankness be proper for the occasion"
| After abiding thus especially to the vim
dictive assaults of Senator Howe, he con-
tinues in reference to his attitude
toward the president and Secretary Fish:
1t is alleged that l have no personal rela-
tions with the president. Here the answer
is easy. have precisely the relations which
he has chosen. On reaching Washington in
December last, was assured from various
quarters that the White House was angry
with me, and soon afterwards the public
journals reported the president as saying ia
| a senator that If he were not president be
l. "woULD CALL ME TO ACCOUNT"
What he meant I never understood, MOI
would / attribute to him more than be
meant; but that he used the language re-
ported, have no doubt, from information
Independent of the newspapers. / repeat
that on this point / have no doubt. The
same newspapers reported also, that a mem
Der of the presidents household, enjoying
his peculiar confidence, taking great part in
the SantO Domingo scheme, had menaceG
me with personal violence. / could not be-
lieve the story except on positive, unequivo.
cal testimony. That the menace was made
on the condition of his not being an army
officer L do not doubt. The member of the
household, VIXEN Intercepted by my excel
lent colleague Mr.. Wilson), positively de-
MED the menace, but am assured, on au
thority above question, that he has since ac
knowledged it while the president still
retains him in service, and sends him Il
this chamber.
Much as 1 sna panied in making this state
ment in regard to the president, Infinitely
more painful to me is what L must presen
with regard to the secretary of state. Her,
again / remark that / am driven to this ex
PLANTATION. His strange and unnatural con
duct toward me and his prompting of sen
ators, who, one after another have set III
my alleged relations with him as ground o
complaint, make it necessary for nee TO pro
coed.
day, as far back as 1851, and from that dis
tant time were friends, until the Santo Do
mingo business interviewed. Nothing coulC
exceed our kindly relations in the past. Oh
l the evening of the Inauguration of Genera
$ Grant as president, he was at my house witt
3 Mr.. Motleyiin friendly communion, and al
uniting in aspirations for the new admins
) tration. Little did Mr.. Motley or mysel
imagine in that social hour that one of GU
! little circle was so soon to turn upon u
, both.
For sometime he showed -sympath,
with the scheme almost as little as my own
But as the president grew in earn
estnesS the secretary yielded, unit
tardily he became it's attorney. Repeated,
he came to my house, pleading for th
. | ho -
sometimes atmy house and sometimes a
his own. was astonished that he could d,
!. so, and expressed my establishment witt
; frankness of old friendship. For apolog,
he announced that he was the PRESIDENT
) friend, and took office as such. "But," salt
| /, you should resign rather than do thi
thing" This q could not refrain from re-
marking on discovery from dispatches in tn
state department. that tho usurper Bsez wa
maintained in Pewer by our way. This
PLAtE ACT oFdyRoNG
required instant redress; hut the seeretar,
I astonished me again by his insensibiity t
I my appeal tor justic. He maintained thu
president, as the president n aintained Baez
/ 4 confess that WAS Eroubled.
5 AT last, some time in JuEe, 1870, a few
weeks before the SaIlto Domingo treaty wa
.. faally rejected by the Senate, the secretar,
came to my house about G'clcck in CHI,
! evening and remained till after the clecl
strucK midnight, the whole retracted visi
! being occupied in earnest and reiterated ar
peal that should cease my opposition tx
the presidential scheme, and here he urged
that the election which made General Gran
president had been carried by him and mo-
by the republican party, so that his desire:
were entitled to especial attention. In hi:
pressure on me he complained that / had OBJ
posed other projects of the president. In
reply to nay inquiry he named The repeal Of
the tenure-of-office act, and the nomination
| r IOnpG MlnlStnr hot N
which the president had much at heart, and
he concluded with the Santo Domingo
! treaty. / assured the secretary firmly
and simply that, seeing the
latter as 1. did with all its surroundings
my duty was plain, and that must con-
tinue to oppose it so long as it appeared to
me wrong. He was mot satisfied, and re-