New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-01
SUMNER INDICATED.
HIS FIDELITY TO PUBLIC DUTIES.

III.
and literary executor of Charles Sumner, writes a
letter to The Boston Transcript, TO vindicate the
great Massachusetts Senator against the charges OF
the Hon. Hamilton Fish, that he neglected ms
| duties as chairman of the Foreign AHairs
Committee. and failed TO promptly report upon
| the treaties referred to that committee. Inc
| letter is seven columns long, and is written
with good deal of argumentative ability. Setting
his severe and often bitter comments aside the facts
| which Mr. Pierce presents appear To furnish com
plete vlndcation of Mr.. Summers memory from the
statements of both NJ. Fish and General Grant dis
| paraging him as practical legislator Ihey lnr-
ther afford additional proof of what impartial men
| have all along believed namely, that the removal
of Mr. sumner from his Craftsmanship was accom-
pshed by Senatorial clique that sought to degrade
him, as a punishment for his opposition TO the San
Domingo annexation scheme. The substance of Mr.
Pierces letter will be found in the following abb
stract:
Mr. Fish said in his Boston interview that It was
a fact that was susceptible o. Proof from me scn@ g
number. remained in The hands Of the committee for
several months, some OF them as near rs ~ c3ld 70,
member Tor more than Two years 10 Mti Ter, -
| note, asking for n list OF the treaties winch M
sumner delayed To report ne feplle1 OcoDI ~ ~
ing Isl OF lino treaties. Whch ne 50 "aS pipiH'
july 1872 appeared hy extract from 2 NEWSPAPER
before him. General Grant IN his interview In scotland,
states that ne tod George william taitl Hheh we -
Ter seeking The restoration ~ mr. sunni + 10 INC
i
had hamporcd the business OF the State De,
| partmrut by pigeOn-hOlHg treaties for months =
told him 4 clean docket for Ills successor ne tcu-
cral GflnO aaswcreI That n. sumner had made these
had been frequently caught in oher msroPr aen IT,
fore the senate from the State Department tit had been
iher, several months, aud had boon IN Sic summers
hands but mad never beea lald before the c9Dmltt9t.
General further ~ tied that 10 prove what ne Bad
rlid 10 M Cards. h wro,e from Long Branch 70 the
STATE Department, and. to his own surprise, ilei
proved to be more treaties than hc bad said that had
been III M SINNERS own hands FOR longer ae Than
cord 4, Mr. curtis.
In Mr. Fisls list Of treaties he gives The date each
was sent TO the Senate and the date when it was
acted on BY that body bat omits the mos. essential
fac; of ALL namely, the date when MI. Sumner re-
ported the treaty to the senate Here was suppress
sion OF essential facts, originally made, Sir. Pierce
asserts, for the purpose Of sustaining charges OF
falsehood and default in publc du.y against Mr.
Sumner and now repeated in an attack upon his
| memory. Since the injunction of secrecy has been
removed-an Injunction which did not seem to keep
Mr. Fish from getting at such dates appeared to
sustain his charges-Mr. Pierce has procured the
dates of the report in each aud gives the list as
follows, with the dates omitted by Mr.. Fish inserted
| in brackets:
l. Mexico Protocol si-ned 23d October. 1860. to
milon on Claims. sn6miite to thssenqle Deccmber 6.
lS6J referred 10 the conuittrr u cemler y lfp; 1p
| Sumner January II. 1901
H. Colombia. DaiTeu Canal Treaty Of 2fth Jaguary,
1870 submitted To senate March 81 1870; referred
to committee April j. 1870 su perdint be-'e lie sen
ate, hat not having rcccy, is approval a. ne end o.
March fs7l. Reportcd by Ar sumner JAY -. 1870
i'll PERU Treaty Of friendship, commerce and naYl-
gation o. spcmR'r o. iS1o snDt,a 10 . ,hG Ise
so ;auuroyed hy senate March 81, ISL lieported
| " PERU Extradition treaty OF September t. 1870.
stbmii ed To Senate December Is. ,7O referred 40
committee Drcembcr 1875 approved by senate Marel
| |. lkguuripu r.. -,
Y. Guairmaa. Eytraliion treaty 81 october H. ~
committee Dee -lnbcr =. 1870; amended END approved
| by s,uatc March 81, ISL reported b. Mr. sumner
n Nlc ,raeua. Extmd1on treaty Of June ., 1870.
-upm.ttgd 10 the sl"te .gcDer D. 80; ;'rtiSh %
committee y c'nh,r = $50; amend5n ann p..a.ed
~ senate March 81. 1871 reported by Dir. sumner
VII Ans:ra-iimciry Naturalization treaty OF Sep
lrmher 20 SO submitted 70 me srnate pee .nhcF ~
| proved ~ senate March %, 1871. reported by Mr.
! Cameron March II. ls7i.l
vi iyo Teai Of amt ny c99ogr ,e5 an aaa s'9s
ac January -. 1871 referred 10 comHnt re- Jauufiy
1871 approy e! by senate March 81 ISL Ihepoi'eH
* Great britain. Naturalization convention Of Feb
submit. the senate Fcbuu!y ~ 1871 referred TO
! committee February D. e7ii approved by senate
| ls1LI
The only treaty Of the nine not reported by Mr sum
uer H. the Hungary Treaty, referred December
| IL 1870. bat not reported t March Il 1-1i, few
] a . H..
reportn c this treaty earlier. not now i'Own, but
doub c-s tcre were good reasons. tbc-e often arr
i'm legislation for Eon-actiOn for period Tue treaty
with loribln concerning The Dcn Canal. remained
I thrre mouih, with the committee, being reported
/ July b. 1870, 10 the Senate, whei", according
~ Sir F,s. IL is sin pending II the Senate las not
Noon able 10 come 10 2 conclusion IN years. me
commit ee surely could nor nave been u d."ht FOR lk
inc ti,rcr months TO consider it, The treaty .Ith saliva
dor referred January o. ISL, reported March l.
1871 nv Sir SAmncr. being kept 10y means uHrel
| solabc unusual period for c,sa. tnE % Italy. pr
snucr's fidelity to bis duti" auru< tine us torin-ht i
Fchruury Is Shown by record evidence he was taken
III February D. ani CA warren J. G gay s"cceg'ii ','
lr meeting % the committee after hs recovery nr re-
ported tire treaty 60 the senate The dates iras 90
tnc English supplemental tfgaS OF ftDru ~ -, -
were not gwen Wh those Of the Others hy re dispatches
Ia "a, press the day after the rl"neon oi secrecy was
rcaoycd hut only troSr iaihs 10 ie oil-ii' is"tt
about which 40 question had been made hl' nave oD
| ;aincJ ais0. the Ga,cs concerning the s"Pinemeh!h
treaty, watch was referred - hr committee frbru'y
-. 1871 and reported by Mr. sumner h.sch J. the nest
day after 1t was referred Ana %et or on i".' seen ~
publish 10 the codh1ry ihai 'tdtiea 'lih'l' u's ora
ffud for twenty years whose grave he Processes To re-
acct. was dintor aud obstructive, citing this very
NJ iis .nrS that 'the fact that large number OF
treaties had failed 10 receive the cohsid ration o 'he
committee the time when Mr summer api jhincH5
! expired W,,s commented upon dt tn ume' etc
nave cXnirusd the debate in the Senate the reports OF
inc proceedings III the Caucus which PI'.'.l IT, ,..c
NrwGnrk dniIics, the extracts from newspapers con
taacd IN lhL BIB " uhu't w .ou ,s
Opinion" ana ind nowhere word aDoa tredti'S when
Mr.. sumner dll mol report
MFR. Fish referred to Senator Conklng's Cooper
Institute speech of July %, 1872 and said that the
fact that a large number OF treaties had failed TO
receive the consideration of the Senate when Mr..
| Summers appointment expired WAS referred TO in
that speech Mr.. Conlling did speak OF six or seven
treaties without specifying any, and this Sir Pierce
charac erzes asi an afterihought because Dir. Con-
ling said moi ling about these treaties during the
debate Of March 10, 1871 on Nh Summers removal,
/ but waited for sixteen months.
A formidable array of Senatorial testimony IS
! 4 FL tn ehn Mr. ~