Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-02-25
The Sumner Controve sy.

the subject OF the SumEer controversy, IN which
toe eX-pte>ident says that the previous statement
of his views, As expressed IA Lon Ion and pm 81 81
cd in the Hetad, contained some errors, both of
omission aud commission, a was most natural UNI
der the circumstances. 1t has been 50 long since
! read the articles, that | cannot specify what
these errors were.
but never said" said General Grant. "ihat
Mr.. sumner in stating that when he WAS removed
from the Craftsmanship of the Senate commit e
on Foreign Relations, he left a clean docket, Mr..
sumner asserted what he knew To he ft.,ehool
The fact ls 'Clean docket" is term thai has been
introduced by Mr.. Sumner overzcalous admirers
to give this uncalied Cor controversy a tura that
would enable them 10 contradict NV statement
successfully. What | s. 1T entirely in Icla-
ton to " hat had passed between MIR Curi, and
myself in aSUuvCt,a'iou at Long Branch, wife
he asked me TO use NY influence TO have Mr..
Sumner. restored to has former position on the
Foreign Relations Committee. Mr.. Curtis should
remember Tat told him that If 1 had would
not regard Mr.. Sumner /. proper man for that
committee under the Admin tstralion, because nc
had put hmse { ont of relations betwe u the Sec
rotary of state and mvsef aud without any rea-
son, SO far As either MIR. Fish OF myself were
Cerntd.
| said also to Mr.. Cults that M sumner had
a most unfortunate temper Tor any Ousiue,s trans
actions. lie was do2maflC, opIuoualtd. lbftl!b'C
10 his own estImatou-ihe be all and do all ia
any matter in which he took Iart of temper
that made business VITA han almost Impossible
la proof of tins | stated that when Mr. SUMNER
was relieved from tle chaumanshp of his com
mi,tee, there we're several treaties before him not
acted upon. told Mr. Curtis that some of these
treaties had been before the committee for about
sixteen months, and that, although | did not
know the fact, would venture the assertion that
the other members OF the commit ice did not even
know of their existence.
Mr.. Curtis replied that this could not be tlae, a.
Mr.. Sumner had told him that when he was dis
placed, the work before his committee was finish
ed and there was nothing for his successor to do
| told Mr.. Curtis tast was very glad that 10 any
question OF veracty betyeen Mr.. sumner ami my
self, II should be upon point SO easily determiu-
ed and that he should be convinced that | WAS
right. | at once wrote to the Statc Department
for a list of the Treaties aud conventions before
the Committee on Foreign Relations al the time
OF Mr.. Sumutrs removal, their nature, the time
they had been under consideration by the com
miltee and their final disposition. be reply from
the State Department ut showed that there were, 50
lar ss can iecollect now twelve treaties and
conventions, and that of these twelve two had
been before the committee for about sixteen
months.
General Grant says al sec that Governor Fish
says there were nine but my recollection is the
number twelve. | sent TIE list that came
from the state Department to Mr., Curtis. He eau
answer whether | was right or not, aud If he can
not, then MIR Bancroft Davis can. Mr.. Davis
was acting Secretary of STATE at the lime"
General Grant said to Mr.. Curtis at Long
Branch that he did not accuse Nj. Sumner OF ln-
tentionally alsfving the IA y, and says so now
but MIR. Summers temper and Ga'ure were such
that he believed his own illusions without regard
to facts. 1t really almost amounted to mental
delusion, aud so lar his feeling toward Cover
nor Fish and myself were concerned il is most
charitable to feel that 1t was mental delusion.
Thus in tue later years t his hir, whenever my
name was mentioned in MIR. Summers presence,
ne would lose all control and say things about me
of the seyerest and most outrageous nature
things of which he could not by any possibility
have d a knowledge, even ii they had icen true.
| told Nj. Curtis VI one incident, showing how
Mr.. Sumuer's temper aud nature wet. aft cted.
This Is an incident Which can also be verified. A
House bill passed Congress du inI reconstruction
lines. Thu, bail was popular with the admirers of
MIR. sumner, an II originated IN a committee of
uhich Nj. Bvu,~. II was pAai man. 1t happened
hat Mr. Boutwell,, who took a leading part in the
,eglsldtlon on iecou-t uctlOn, was almost, if DOT
altogether tue author OF tins bill, and had written
II out without consul rug any one ptins, per
hap>, another member of his committee Not
wIthstanding tins. Mr., sumner told MIR. Boutwell,
that he (SumueD had prepared that bill every
word and every nue, himself, and had pissed It
through Congress.
Now this Is not the conduct of a liar, but that of
man whose mind by sorrow or sun ri 9 or some
visitation OF PrUVi lrnce had come distcmpcred,
aud have always 50 interpreted the conduct OF
Mr. Sumner toward me. | have no auinositv
toward him or his memory; but his admirers or
people who now pretend to be his admirers, use
mis- name and memory to attack me.
"ilere, SAID the General, smiling, "is Mr.. JAY
among the admirers and defenders of Mr. sum
Now Mr.. Jay, as no one knows so well as
Mr.. Fish and my self makes a preteXt of euiogiz-
ing the dead to Jack Mr.. FISH. If any one hat, 4
Mr.. Sumner 1t was Mr.. Jay at the time of the ap.
ponment OF MIR. Motley as Minister to England.
Mr.. Jay wanted to 90 to Englanu and was sorely
disappointed that a change could not he made 10
his favor, even after Mr. Motley had been fully
assured OF his appointment. MI. Jay most proba-
oily fOrgave Mr.. Sumner before Summers death,
but he blamed him for his failure to 20 to Lou
don"
General Grant then referred to the statement
published a an luteIvlcw with him in Scotland,
and said that the publica ion had some omissions
and errors. lie had no lil-will toward MIR. Mot
Icy, who, like other estmable men, made mis-
taxes, and Mr.. Motley made a mistake which
made him au improper person to hold Office under
me. The pretext," said the General, chat |
disked Mr.. Motley is a preieXt invented by peo-
pie, some OF whom, like Mr.. Jay, hated him when
living, and now only use him when dead to wound
Mr. Fish aud myself"
Other friends If Mr.. Sumner seemed to regard
him made OF different material from other men.
Ii il pi oper enough for Mr. Sumner when living
and his admirers when dead, to attack Mr.. Fish
and myself. To fill the air with maledcuons and
eXecrations. But when one word of defence is
made against abuse it is not to be tolerated. Ii is
proper to say Of me that | killed Mr.. Motley or
that made upon Mr.. Sumner for not sup.
porting the annexation of san Domingo--bG2 if |
dare to answer that removed Mr.. Motley from
the highest Considerations OF duty as an execu-
tIve-if presume to say that he made mistake
IN his office which made him no longer useful to
the counuy-if Mr.. Fish has the temerity to hint
that Mr. summers temper was unfortunate that
business relations with him became impossible
we slandering the dead. If respect is due to
the dead truth and justice are due to the living
and | only spoke in self defence, and after many
years of silent submission to assaults from Sum
mel aud his friends, only in the interest of truth
and justice.
In an interview with Mr.. Sumner about Janu-
AIRY |, 1870, General Grant held nve,saton
with him relative to st. ID ,ungo, Mr.. Forney at
the time asking Mr.. Sumner if he was not gong
TO support the treaty; but, af err the close OF the
conversation on St Domingo, Mr.. Sumner opened
on General Grant about his friend Ashley, asking
# General Grant could mol do something for him
General Grant says at would be quite as proper
for me to charge that MIR. summers subsequent
opposition to the treaty due to bis dsaulo iut-
meut IN not procuring good position for his
Trend as for the admirers of NJ. Sumner 10 make
charges against Mr. Fish aud myself Of im-
proper motives in our difference with the Senator.
The charge would be much more susceptible OF
proof without changing the facts to accommodate
thu argument. But do not charge improper mo-
lives in tbi, matter, and sincerely believe that
woul do the n emory of Nh Sumner great ipjus-
lice If | did"