The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-06
CHARLES SUMNER.


My DEAR FRIEND: l ann huniv ihnt YOU do
NIX take uhh ndly my very - 'uNr difference
linm your-r.i cog ana ifulorttnt question.
The m r. reflect on m" question. thr more
nm distressed Tor my HoUntD ami th' k-guhii-
We, ul n.ftrr have lost on, uf Ala hIpoIy
victories. lls RUE for tll'' second term would
To- OBJ" IMPERIALISM of sr.f@lna and Nlndic-
tNrn"-- without moral = ns", without Ideas,
- ti,nk YEA vii admit thnt he is the lowest
President. whether int"ile .tutly cor morally. We
hay" eyer hai. Iudount 'liy he l. the richest
since Washington, although ne Was very poor
al the h"s nuln- of TIA" war.
Mr. Sianiou's u Ign, nj II him was positive
hud gwen under circumstances ol singular 500
l"mnity. and the same tulng hr sltld at great
l"n-th AMI Win much drtal Ia Mr.. Hooper
some months before. lie sand that he knew
Grant h'Uer than ANY otn'r man or the country
could know MIN. tuat q wiS has duty To study
h4lh' ana u" "a stu ~ ann ui-il aud daN-whrn
hr saw and when he ali NOT sec hiui--thrn de-
cared his utter incals.city. And YOU are eIec-
tnA''rlng Tor ti,is person r"en'ctIunl
lhlnk on uls van iciN"quhrrrl- slnrr he has
h'rh lre-ideni. God io.s NOT quarrel Mnut
riEhi has the President ui the United States To
hate
Do not charge me with personal feelings. NY
Pre- ~ my witness; am "u OIL servant. who
has always th"u-ht ol ia" cause and at my
country. Never have SOUGHT anything Tor
myself. | have SIMPLY Worked ANA served. |
Wa 80 doing when lcil At mS duty 10 oupps,
what seemed Ia me- Mistaken policy oi the
lf"-ld"hl NN"r in my llf" du ACT more
simply and sincerely | could mot have done
oih"rwl-" without failing IN my duty Tarn
c''n' "iihrAS ana al Inat small nature sur
Founded and ir'mried h> suail men could do
;. z nan PIrs.ie for a srroud term! God
lvrD!d. CHARLES SUMMER.
NAHANr. sept. 3. 1871.
Ny DEAR FRIEND I know NOT WY my opin-
ions rNuressed IN answer To- An appeal irOm YOU
should be- characterized Hs proceeding from
long continued and intense hroO ling over ms
NIhhl - lauils, l9u asNcd me to abandon AN
opposition To- which hase been driven hy SOL
"nn conviction or knowledge. with constant on
luftuANlcs lul Information, ANA when | VEN
turei 10 assign Reasons Tor tnr-" opinions you
attribute them To long continued and intense
opinions are honestly iOrmrd-On my cun-cirn y.
and comnun Gated to you only in reply To
your appeal, HAD YOU not Writ to me- On the
sug"ot, he assured should have said nothing
about Il.
am here with friends seeking rcposc. and
IN such time ~ | can command. re-, icwlng the
history OF our anti slavery struggle thinking
itlif ~ count. except when my opinion Is rhal-
i.nSel' ms 10y Yourself II am trooiing,'
II H. ON our great battle, where you did So mu H.
al revising my own humble contributions tO IT,
l9u think Grant ,nnnot be below the inicr-
nAlly pro-sihNrry PirrreT Why not Mas ho
not M the Tine 81 leree just as "mtcrnally
pro-sinvery.' and has 4" not done thlnls worse
thnn Nny attributed To- Pierce?
say nothing Of him as a military character.
leave that 10 others. How rarely in history
nae good General been u good stat, sman! see
As for morals" all his thoughts. ideas and
srhimrnls are ON "a low plane-luwer than any
lrrsldch before mas reached.
luu inquire If he IN corrupt | have never
snld anything on thus head. You know well
ulht he does not hes tate To buy men hN off e.,
~ no other President mas done; nor docs ho
state Ia receive gits.'
luu discard the testimony of stanton. who
had the best opportunity at knowing Grant. and
you dis ard mime, although | have hud some
opportunity. WHO'S viii you t,kep you
nam" any person. not AN actual present member
of his Cabinet Whose Judgment or testimony
Is II any weight ASK Cnasr, who knows hun
we'll Ne will speak To YOU OF his IN umpe-
trh'N UnhapplY this incompetency runs INTO
the moral region.
And yet YOU not only become his partisan,
but rtbuhr me-, IA my secuslOn. hr'au-' |
frankly confess that cannot So the Idol you
Il another letter he says;
never dlsllkcd Grant. When YOU nllcgr
that, you again invent. On the contrary. WAS
ms sincere TREND and supporter until became
aware of his course IN liaytl, and tine more |
thlnk ol thut the more utterly ulrlrnslhln ID
appears. II II revolving so | sec it. and Tor
tins reason began To- Judge HIM.
Is II lust. when these things were known to
you, that you should huut ior personal uFtNr-
J. deny the whole lmputaliun, IN gross and
detail.
Would it not have been moro candid. more in
ncrOrdanro with the friendship winch | had
supposed safe ngninsi de-. ay SO long rs life last
ed. Tor YOU Ia have recognized the strength If
my convictions, and not questioned their hon
rsty or sought to weaken them by invention
about my ehrly lifrY
believe Grant essentially unjust and | am
sorry Ia see that his defenders seem inS pred by
his character. This Is natural,
send you speech marked, and ask YOU IL
you are Just TO mo with regard to the Douglass
Incident II was because Douglass had re-