The New York herald., 1878-07-05
MIR. sumner. Injuaieiou. Friend.


the country, that we regret to see his biogra-
pher once more revying the stale contro-
versy about his removal from the chairman
ship OF the Foreign Relations Committee
In an article in the forthcoming number of
the North American Reriew Mr.. 4. L. Pierce
goes over the whole question again for no
other purpose, as it seems to US. than to
accuse various eminent persons of having
in what arc really unimportant details done
scant justice to Sumner. General Grant
and Mr.. Fish spoke Of events which had
long passed; they recalled rather the i'm
pressions circumstances had left upon their
minds than the circumstances themselves;
and while the committee files recently
made public by permission Of the Senate
show that they were mistaken in think
ing that Mr.. Sumner had not reported GER
tain treaties the fact remains that these
treaties were not acted on by the Senate
until after Mr.. Summers removal, but then
promptly received attention, as was shown
by letter of Mr.. Cameron, Mr.. Summers
successor. The administration was anx-
ious to have the treaties acted on. The
Secretary of State knew that they were de-
layed ; it was probably natural for him to
suppose that they were not reported by Mr..
Sumner, and, though in this he seems to
have been mistaken, the vital fact remains
that while Mr.. Sumner was chairman of the
Foreign Relations the treaties in question
slumbered in the Senate, while as soon as
Mr.. Cameron took Mr.. Summers place they
received prompt attention from the Senate
But this was, after all, comparatively
trivial matter.
The real and grave fault Of Mr.. Sumner,
which, as it seems to us, made change in
the craftsmanship of the Foreign Relations
Committee not only justifiable but advisa-
BILE, was first disclosed in Mr.. Bancroft
Davis important letter to the HERALD, pub
lished on the 4th of last January. Mr.
Sumner differed SO greatly with Mr. Fish
and President Grant as to the proper
grounds of negotiations with Great Britain
in relation to the Alabama claims that.
considering his great influence and
the energetic character which his
opposition was likely to assume, it
was certainly too much to expect that
those Senators who wished the negotiations
to succeed on the basis proposed by Mr.
Fish should willingly give Mr.. Sumner the
advantage of the very influential position Of
chairman Of the Foreign Relations Commit
tee to add to his power and increase the
strength of his opposition. Documents
quoted by Judge Davis show conclusively
that Mr.. Sumner was SO imprudent as
to support Mr.. Motley, in London, in
presenting to Lord Clarendon views on the
position of the administration which were
not Mr.. Fishs, and which, we regret to
say, were rather Mr.. Summers II Gen
eral Grant had recalled Mr.. Motley at
once on learning of this indiscre-
ton all who knew of the circum-
stances must have justified him; and
that Mr.. Fish did not insist on his re-
ing from him all authority to negotiate,
seems to us to show that he was remarkably
patient and gentle with both Motley and
Sumner. When, later, Mr. Sumner showed
Mr.. Fish, by the memorandum which he sent
him concerning what he believed to be the
between this country and Great Britain, that
he still differed extremely and vitality with
the administration, the Secretary of State
could not fail to feel not merely disap-
pointment, but alarm, to find that the
treaty for which he had carefully paved the
way, and which he hoped to negotiate,
would find its most formidable opponent
in the chairman of the Foreign Relations
Committee No one can blame him if he
desired to see in that very influential
place Senator friendly to his
and the Presidents views, or if he was will.
ing to see so strong an opponent as Mr..
Sumner shorn of mt least his great official
influence as chairman Of the committee
which was TO report to the Senate on the
treaty.
We have before said that we do not doubt
that Mr.. Summers opposition to the st. Do
mingo scheme made his removal welcome to
General Grant, who, unfortunately, does not
easily forget or forgive opposition to his own
purposes. But we certainly think that
the position Of Mr.. Sumner toward the Ala
bama negotiations entirely justified those
who desired the success of those negotia-
tions in replacing him at the head of tho
committee. Mr. Pierce publishes number
of letters from Senators who testify to Mr..
Summers great industry in public affairs
coming under his charge. If the North An,er-
ican Rerie,o reaches those Elysian shades
where the Massachusetts, statcsmans spirit
dwells we do not envy his biographcr when
these superauous certificates Of character
come under Mr.. Summers eyes. Mr..
Pierce seems to us to have entirely misap-
pretended the spirit of the charge made
against Sumner by General Grant and Mr..
acted on in the Senate; they may have sup
,,oaed that Mr. Sumuev .sulked or TINT ho