Year: 1872

The following is synopsis of Summers
great speech against Grant in the Senate, as
telcgraphed to this coast:


The speech OF Sumner in the Senate yesterday
was over four hours IN delivery 1t was almost
entirely devoted to an elaborate arraignment Of
President Grant officially and personally
couched in language always severe and often
bitter


He accused the President Of being gift taker.a
pepoist Il selfish pleasure seeker, spending his
time with fast horses or in travelling about the
country and lettering at the seaside resorts h
referred i'll severe terms to the San Domingo
annexation scheme, repeating the arguments
used by him in former speeches. lie declared
that his government was personal one; that II
thought to coerce the Senators and Representa-
tiyes of the people to its support regardless OF
the principles Of the Republican party which
elected it. Referring to the efforts to renominate
Grant, he asserted that they tended directly to
the disruption of the Republican party, because
the name of the candidate had become the sign
for dscord, and this disruption he accused the
President of tactly Iatfyng 10y perslsting IN hls
candidature. lie asserted that the President had
surrounded himself with corrupting personal
followers; that he engaged constantly IN personal
quarel3 unconscious that the President has no
right to quarrel with anybody; that he makes
personal objects private pursuit, SO that instead
of benefcent presence he IL a bad example
through whom Republ.canism suffers cOnsttn y
andthe people learn wrong. lie referred to the
Presidents military education and career and
argued that n successful soldier Is rarely changed
TO successful civilian, citing numerous cases
from history in support of his proposition, nota-
bly, that of Gustavus Adolphus, Frederick the
Great anl Marlborough, Referring to the Presl-
dent pol teal history, he repeated that he never
voted except once in his life, and then for Buch-
anan. He detailed n conversation that he (Sum-
ner) had with Secretary Stanton in December,
1869, shortly before his death, in that month, III
which he said he knew the President better than
any one in the country could know him, and
that he knew he could not govern the country.
Reviewing the acts of his administered on, Sum
ner began with his selections for the Cabinet, III
which he sad the general disappointment was
only equaled by general wonder. He said that
all tradition usages and propriety were discarded
and the just expectations of the party that elected
him set at naught. The offices of the country
were similarly disposed Of and in this connection
he again enlarged upon the nepotism Of the Presi
dent Abiding to our foreign relations Sumnel
said that he felt bound to say that never before
has the management been wanting IN ability
and so absolutely without character, and declared
that IN all directions there was diversified mud
die. Aside from the personalities of the speech,
which were marked and bitter, almost every act
of the Presidents life-private and public-were
criticised The speech was much the same As
those made heretofore by the Senator on the San
Domingo question civil service REFORM and on
the arms investigation. He concluded as follows
81 await the determination of the National Con
vention of delegates from my own much honored
Commonwealth, with whom | rejoice to act With
anxiety do wait but with earnest hope that the
convention will bring the Republican party into
| its anot nj harmony, and save it especially from
the suicidal folly of an issue on the personal pre-
tensions of one man