New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-13

him uncomfortable If he Is not asser'HH i,o
cnutrmpt for and his superiority to lhose "no
have won the honor of the age by th'lt acn '5
ments in science or In statt-tI IL; ~ WI. lli III
CREW. and " strongly dlsscntS from NIL GU
includes Professor olrgwick in hlS coItci'i",
and cmptiCS his >yOrn upon Leroy p,I""N" ~;
his opinions on wages. But why shouiG 10, ,nlS
Professor dc. gise all the great men ol niy
or Of ancient tmesl For men or the hlShCSV
grade of intellect hitherto known, pl VIC
largest practical experience ara WSuohl III
stalesmanship, and of the most LOFTY cnaIle'ei,
have adopted and acted upon the theory NnTn L
Sumner calls robbery and Ot when AT IA"
very outset lie says %. 81: q" ProcetOhis'n
seems to me to deserve only contempt anu
srorn satire and ridicule.' There are rec u'u-
crs who are both honest in mind ana decent III
manner. IL is pleasure 10 Ilst,h 10 " T''' AZ
sion of economic questions by Mr.. Nel!s, MT
Atkinson or Mr.. Carlisle, even II one ulsSehts
from them But Mr.. Sumner is not suCl il man.
There il evidence that they teel tI&t hlS aSso-
citation Is disgrace to thcin. for IN the Oumc'So
Convention, i'll his opening speech nir. n ,;b
thought il nerdful to Iebulio the assertion Whlch
Mr. Sumner il continually making, tbat pro
lection is robbery In the treatment Oh olIlcI
questions Mr.. sumner displays exactly thc SaHic
mental and moral characteristics. ms essay
on the silver question, even where II - most
sound in principle, is dcfaccd by such diNhoh-
csty of statement and such coarse apuSlVencsS
Of language that it is infinitely more potcnt 10
rcpcl than to attract leadeI' III Is Dut a ~"
weeks since, in Il published letter Mr.. ouii'iieI
assaulted in his Characteristic fashion one ol tiic
most ardent free traders IN the country loI
some difference of opinion on the silver qucs-
ton 18th such mlaIcprcScntations, Stch ptIIu
Jogging trickcry and such abusive terms Chlt
the free trader ayOWcd that his eyes were open
ed, once for all, to the character of man whom
he had considered only an Ovcr-ZeaOus chaih-
UIOn IF "a good cause.
Mr. Summers intellectual dishonesty ana lack
OF decency ale of public consequence "hly ne
causc of his place His is not the mode OF Icd-
soning to which the father of any Yale student
would wish his son to be trained. 1T IL not y
mode by which anything can be accomplished
in the world. OF all the conceivable modes
of discussion il is calculated to rcpcl most ana
to win least Yet Throughout his writings
Professor Sumner employs no other anu seems
capable of no other. At every phase 0i Inc
discussion lac states the position oil llS nlp",
ncnt not only unfairly, but with the INTENTIONAL
dishonesty Of Il man who cares much Tor mime
dintc seeming success and nothing for truth or
self respect The candid reader, too pcrcclVtS
that Mn. Sumner has met severe cit!ciHm, ~
such u man necessarily must, and thai II mas
made him sour and spltclu thus hc opens
what he progresses 10 consider - patient ana
serious exposition with Iradc OF furious
abuse, which would he amusing rs II display oil
bad temper if II were not painful to irm'lHOti
that this sort of thing Yale College nous up 10
young men mOucl.
Mr. Sumner is not American in his sentiments
or beliefs On page lO3 oi his Essays he says,
IL can find nowhere any foundation or place
for the notion that all men are equal, III any
-cnsc of equality, nor for the notion that they
ever were equal or can he equal, or ought to be
equal, or were born equal, OF were intended 10y
God Ia be- equal Not satisfied with b'IalihS
all men living. hc cWptIc- his ~CoIn on the aii-
thoIs of the Declaration of independence" MS
conceptions Of self government IN tins country
are OF the same sOrt thus he concludes iiiat
page 80 the voters will not deliver then opin-
ION without fear OF favor whenever the c'cc-
ton day comes they viii not decide thcll Noi"
purely In view of the public WrliaIc.' liIa
teachings are in the main in harmony with
these assertions lis ideas are those Of the
British -uob and his teachings are calculated
10 iu,ucaic di-tIu-t of tie very principles up
on which free government Ic>to, contempt lUr
ID, methods. contempt for all the great men IN
the past history ot thc republic. contempt Ton
the people, ard peculiar and Jouundug con
tempt tor nearly all living public men except
Professor SUMNER. But, being criticised, De
says, "Ilc who. when he get, mao "a debate, hc-
gIn- To whine and cry ~ soon - ia, blows get
sharp. should learn To keep out. 10 - true ;
gentlemen prefer to keep ,ut of debate with
black yuId-. Therefore. la,r ~uoy.d uD,
thrust a "rrolco~"r like thI~ upuu tuc ati'u-
ton of person, who are no tlc habit OF telling
The Truth and behaving dc,,uflj.