The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-03-19
From the Pittsburgh Telegraph.
Mr.. Summers Early Political Career.

rs successful practitioner and student,
writer and lecturer on the science of
Jaw, before he took part in politics His
political career may be said to have COM
menccd on the Fourth OF July, 1874.
when he pronounced before the authori-
ties Of the city of Boston, an Grafton en-
titled "The True Grandeur of Nations" !"
an address of which the key note may
be found in his own words: "In our
age there can be no peace that is not
honorable; there can be no war that is
not dishonolablc." We have an old
pamphlet copy of this speech, published
by the Pea ce Society we believe, in
which this novel declaration is made to
serve the purpose Of title page. The
address was vi igorous protest against all
wars as unchristian, aud particularly
against the threatened conflict with
Mexico, aud was adorned with the rich
est stores of classical learning and ele.
giant knowledge. Corben pronounced it
"the noblest contribution ever made BY
any modern writer to the cause of
peace. As mere Grafton it will prob
ably be found among the models of the
student as long as English is spoken on
this side of the Atlantic; its political
significance was largely due to the at
mosphere in which it was delivered and
the peculiar situation of parties at that
time. The slave power was never more
dominant, never more aggressive and in
solent. But Mr.. Sumner was not at all
dismayed by the adverse criticism from
the Boston Wings, that followed his
speech, and late in the following year he
spoke again on the same subject, and
even more vigorously. and in 1916 in an
address to the Wing Convention on
The Anti-Slavery duties Of the Whig
Party" announced boldly his uncompro.
missing hostility to Slavery. His posi-
ton was directly contrary to that Of
William Lloyd Garrison, the latter re-
tusing allegiance to the Constitution on
the ground that it countenanced
Slavery, while the former held that this
apparent sanction was a perversion of
the spirit Of the instrument He in
sisted that Slavery as au institution was
nowhere recognized in the fundamental
law of the land, and that the trainers
found it necessary to concedc for the
time certain privileges to the slave
holders which they imagined the
growth and progress Of the country
would sweep away with the institution
itself The watchword he put forward
for his party was, "The Repeal of
Slavery under the Constitution and
Laws Of the Federal Government
On this point, the following extract
from his address is Interesting as his
first statement o. plan for the work
of Abolition, which did not reach COM
pletion for nearly twenty years.
"The time has passed when this can
be opposed on constitutional grounds
1t will not be questioned by any compe-
tent authority that Congress may, by
express Legislation, abolish slavery, first,
in the District OF Columbia; second, iD
the Territories, if there should be any;
third, that it may abolish the slave trade
on the high seas between the States;
f'urth, that it may refuse to admit any
new State with constitution sanction
ing slavery. Nor can it be doubted
that the people of the free States may,
in the manner pointed out by the Con
stitution, proceed to its amendment"
In urging that constitutional means
should be adopted to gain this end, he
said:
"There is in the Constitution no com
promise on the subject of slavery of
character not to be reached legally and
constitutionally, which is the only way
in which l propose TO reach it. Where
ever power ard jurisdiction are secured
to Congress, they may unquestionably be
exercised in conformity with the Consti-
tuition. And even iu the matters be-
yond existing powers and jurisdiction
there is constitutional mode of action.
The Constitution contains an article
pointing cut how, at any time, amend
ments may be made thereto. This is an
important article, giving to the Consti-
tuition progressive character, and
allowing it to be moulded to suit new
exigepcies and new conditions OF feeling.
The wise trainers of this instrument
did not treat the country as Chinese
foot, never to grow after its infancy, but
anticipated the changes incident to its
growth"
This was shortly followed by public
letter, bestowing a withering rebuke oa
Robert c. Winthrop, then a member Of |
the House from Massachusetts, for his
vote in favor Of the Mexican war. OF
course these vigorous utterances rem
dered it clear that Mr.. Sumner could |
not long remain with the Wings, and in
1848 he joined the Free Sollers, whose
principles he had already promulgated |
in his speeches, and supported this cam
didates, VauBuren and Adams, in the
Presidential contest OF that year.
The Fugitive Slave law agitation in
Massachusetts in 1850, brought Mr..
Sumner to the front rank Of the appo-
lents Of that odious measure. In an
address before the Free Soil State Cen
1ention, he said of one who has pre-.
,eded him to the grave but few days,
hat "other Presidents may be forgot
.eB, but the name signed to the Fugi-
i've Slave bill can never be forgotten.
ere are depths of infamy as we'll as
heights of fame" Webster ent cred the
cabinet in 1850, and Mr.. Sum
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