Year: 1871

Try aJ the mead OF That Committee, Tor


he would no longer hold personal inter


course with either the President or Sec


retary Of State.


No one insists that Mr.. Sumner shall


ride after any mans horses, or drink any


mans wine, or eat any mans dinner, un-


less he chooses to do so. Mr.. Sumner


may undoubtedly v choose his own person.


al associates. But whether he can choose


his own position IN the public service al.


so, is another question to be determined.


If he does not choose to associate with


the man whom tho Republican party
made President two years ago, or with
the man whom the President and Senate
made Secretary Of State, that is mat
ter Of taste for which no one can call
him to account except the people Of
Massachusetts. But if he insists apon
excluding these gentlemen from his soci-
ETY., and still stand at the head Of a
Committee with which those officers
ought to have intimate communion
that concerns the public service. That
is claim for the Senate to consi,ler.
The Senate considered it, and decided it
in the negative.


You urge that their personal relations
were unimportant so long as their official
relations were unimpaired. | answer,
they had no official relations to impair.
When the President or his Secretary has
any official communication to make to
the Srna'e upon foreign affairs, it is laid
before that body, not by its Chairman of
the Committee on Foreign Relations.
but by its presiding off If it is OF
sufficient Importance, it is printed, and
each Senator has copy. Al such COM
municatiuus will be made to Mr.. Sumner
hereafter as much as heretofore r he
knows more of our foreign affairs than
any one else, as his friends assert, the
the country will still have the benefit of
that knowledge 50 long as Massachusetts
is pleased to continue him IT, the Senate
So the country will lose nothing by his
transfer, except the advantage of having
man of his great and varied attain
ments to confer and advise with the
President and Secretary from time to
time, let officially, but personally. That
advantage he himself deuied to the coun-
try before the Senate transferred him TO
another Committee.


Mr.. Titon, you are moralist. If
the Senate had, in wanton disregard of
its own convictions Of public duty, re-
moved Nv. Sumner from all Committees
whatever, to punish an honest opinion,
and to appease an unreasonable Execu-
tive, it would have committed grave
offence. But would that offence have
been. graver than those commit who
falsely charge the Senate with having
struck down colleague wantony and
basely ? Which is the worse offender.
he who steals, or he who falsely charges
an honest man with theft Which is
the heavier offence, to take from the rich
man his purse, or to take from an honest
man his good name? Or which Is the
greater offence, tn traduce an individual,
or to vllty Senate


You are pleased TO say that you ex-
[ am sorry TO have disappointed any
just expectations of my friends. 1t may
be that only courage exposes itself to
such laudation as has been heaped upon
Mr.. Sumner and the minority of the
Senate, and that only cowardice takes
shelter under that cloud Of vituperation
which has been spread over the majority.
But if so, will you insist that such ex-
posure is really much harder to endure
than such security


But where, on that day, did you dis
cover an example of that chvalry which
you would have had me initiate Did
you find il among those daring democrats
who voted against the organization of
the Committees, but without venturi2g
to assign a reason tor their votes T.? Or
among those reckless Republicans who
declaimed against the same measure for
hours, and then left the Senate Chamber
without venturing to record vote
against it ? Do you find your model of
in him who votes without reason
ing ? Or in him who reasons without
voting?


You quote Mr. Trumbul as the au-
time he had been in the Senate never
until then, had Chairman OF Com
mittec been changed by his political
friends, except at his own request"
corrected that statement when it was
made. | named one notable instance to
the contrary. l conld have named 9th
ers. The truth is, that since Mr.. Trum-
bull has been member of the Senate,
the Committees never have been once
without making changes of
chaiImen or members which have been
very distastetul to the individuals, and
have created many heart-burnings. So
is this that there is not SEN
ltor who has ever been assigned to the
duty of revising the Committees wis
does not shrink from repetition of the
effort. 1t remains to be seen who will
assume such responsibility hereafter, if
it be understood lha: a dissatisfied Sena-
tor may appeal not only from the Com |
mittee to the Caucus, both of whom are
OF bis own party but from
The Caucus 10 the Senate, composed OF
both parties and from the Senate to the
composed of alb parties.e


Mr.. Titpn, you have voluntarily taken the |
stand to give the country your views Of this |
Eueat question You will not object to
light cross examination. VIII you tell the |
upon your honor, whether, i: Senator
sherman had fallen into such a temper as that
ne would not speak either TO the President or
he Secretary nf the Treasury, and if for that
tn boH nlnca1 him "A the head |