Violations of International Law and Usurpations of War Powers. March 27, 1871. One Term for President. Dec. 21, 1871. VOL. XX. Arbitration a Substitute for War. May 31, 1872. Republicanism _versus_ Grantism. May 31, 1872. No Names of Battles with Fellow-citizens on the Regimental Colors of the United States. Dec. 2, 1872. International Arbitration. July 10, 1873. Civil Rights Bill. Jan. 27, 1874. If any one doubt the practical sagacity and consummate statesmanship of Charles Sumner let him read the speech in the Trent case. He had a most difficult task. He had to reconcile a people smarting under the sting of English disdain and dislike to meet an insolent demand to give up men we had taken from an English ship, when every man in the United States believed England would have taken them from us in a like case; and to do this not only without dishonor, but so as to turn an apparent defeat into victory. The English cabinet, as is often the case with men who act arrogantly, acted hastily. They put their demand and their menace of war on grounds which justified us and put them in the wrong on the great contention which had existed from the beginning of our government. The United States had been, till the outbreak of the civil war, and hoped to be forever after that war was over, a great neutral power. She was concerned to establish the immunity of the decks of her ships. Sumner saw and seized our opportunity. Great as was the influence of President Lincoln, it seems unlikely that even his authority would have reconciled the American people to the surrender of Mason and Slidell without the support of Sumner. It would certainly have been a terrible strain upon his administration. None of these speeches bears the marks of haste. In general no important consideration is overlooked and no important authority fails to be cited. Several of them were addressed to the Senate at a time when in the beginning he was able to convince scarcely anybody but himself. But in the end Senate and people came to his opinion. Let me repeat what I said in reviewing Mr. Pierce's admirable biography:--