The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-04-08
Raking in the Ashes.

pressed speech of MI. Sumner, prepared in
March 1871, which throws new light upon
The act on of the Senate in dsplacing him as
Chairman of the Committee on Foreign ne
lations. From this extraordinary pioduc-
ton, we obtain startling revelations Oh Inc
weaker side of the great Senator'S nature-o'
the arrogant intolerance with winch nc re-
sarded everybody who differed from MN IN
opin;on. he ceased to have pc rsonal rela
t:ons with the President, ''because he was
assured from var'o quarters that the White
House was angry with him. He renounced
friendship of twenty years standing, with
Secretary Fish, because that gentleman wrote
"a formal paper justifying the removal of
Minister Motley, OF which the Massachusetts,
Senator disapproved. At the same time Mr..
Summers manliness is evinced by his explicit
exemption Of the President from any charge
Of ,ad motive or any suggestion of corruption
on his part'' in the matter Of the Santo Do
mingo treaty or the removal of Minister Mot
ley, which were the two subjects urpermost
in the Senator's mind when he forced the
personal rupture between himself and the
OCdbc DepdTbIucuG WnlCu lCouioSu IA nAS ~
moval from the craftsmanship so loEg and SO
honorably occupied by him.
The perusal of this speech will satisfy any
candid reader that to have retained its author
as the head of the Committee having the
most frequent and intimate association with
the State Department would have been pal
pable affront to the dignity of the Secretary,
and serious obstacle to the safe conduct OF
the delicate and responsible duties connected
with the diplomatic service. When we con-
slider that at that period Mr.. Sumle was in
the constant habit of indulging in the most
disparaging and insulting remarks concerning
the President and his Chief Minister, in mis-
cellaneous conversation, it can no longer oc-
casion surprise that the Senate decreed it es-
sential TO the honor and welfare of the coun-
try to organize the Committee on Foreign Re
lations in such manner as to ensure respect
full and harmonious intercourse with the Elk
ecutive Department of the Government.
The amenities of life are by no means OF
such trivial consequence that they can be
dispensed with in official station. And while
we can understand the reluctance with which
Senators assented to a change, the occasion
for which it was difficult to explain and the
motive Tor which was quite likely TO be mis-
represented, we do not see, now that the facts
of the case are clearly set forth on testimony
which nobody will challenge, what other
course could have been pursued, consistently
with decent consideration for the feelings
of The eminent gentleman at the head of the
Department of State.
We entertain high respect for the char
acter aid genius of the late Senator of Mass
achusetts, but even if we were disposed to
pass over in silence his inffrmities and
foibles, the indiscreet friends who give pub
licity to such speech as the one from which
we quote, will not let us do it. They seem
determined to direct public attention to the
undoubted fact, that the usefulness of Mr..
Summers later years was impaired by his ex-
IRENE self consciousness, and his imperious
bearing towards his peers. Something of this
wa, attributable of tho eiro,anasta.aaa
that he lived to see the great principle Of
which he was almost the only and certainly
the bravest and mightiest advocate when he
entered the Senate chamber, accepted by the
whole nation and engrafed upon the Consti-
tuition of his country. On the page of histo-
~, his faults of temper will seem trivial in
comparison with the grand contribution he
has made to civilization, justice and liberty.
His fidelity to his convictions, the earnestness
with which he adhered to them and the per-
sonal integrity of his character will insure
him an exalted place in the grateful memory
of future generations. There is not the
slightest necessity for seeking to enhance his
fame by reflections expressed or implied upon
equally sincere, if less conspicuous, co-work-
ers in the great cause to which he was de-
voted. The President and Mr.. Fish are en-
titled to high honor for the persistency with
which they pressed the ratification OF the fiji
tenth amendment, which was really the
lend of controversy" on tie supreme ques-
ton of human rights. When we remember
that Gen. Grant was State Rights democrat
in 1850, our admiration for the heartiness
with which he has upheld the loftier standard
of Republican equality, the perfect good faith
with which he has adhered to the pledges of the
platform on which he was nominated for the
Presidency, is deepened and intensified. We
are willing to accord all honors to the memo
ry of the dead, but we deprecate any with
holding of them from the living.