New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-31
Carl SchurZ Interviewed.

ferred 20 it.
} Carl Schurz Interviewed.
, Washington dispatch to the New York Tribune.
So much has been said of late in tn,
Senate and out OF ii. and especially by
New York administration newspaper abou
the ''deep laid plot entered into bv certai,
Independent Republicans to strike a blow
the administration through the introduction
in the Senate Of Mr. Trumbull's resolution I,
revive the committee on retrenchment, tina
the correspondent Of the Tribune resolved t.
90 to the bottom of the matter and find ou
the names Of the. plotters, when and where
the scheme was formed. and what its rea
object was. For this purpose he called thi:
reported to be one of the leading spirits il
the plot, to ascertain what he knew about
1t. The conversation was a long one and
covered the whole ground. After calling
to mind the fact that Senator Schurz ar
rived here only the night before the meet
ing OF Congress, from a somewhat extended
lccturlng tour, and had therefore met very
few, if any, of the leading men of the coun-
try. the conversation proceeded substan.
TALLY as follows:
COrrespoudent-It has been said in de-
bate, and repeated by some OF the newspa-
pers. that there was, before the meeting of
Congress, some secret underst anding
oHoAS AuC lHutpeNCeEt AHpuOllca0S. ana
that 1t was known in Washington six
months ago, that the first movement against
| the administration was to be the revival of
the committee on retrenchmeut. with YOU
at its head. Do you know anything about
| it,
Senator Schurz-TEe story set ahoat hy
| New York paper, that there was an I'M
| derstandlng between Senator Trumbull and
| myself, to move the restoration OF the com
| mittee on retrenchment. and to have me
| chairman OF II, and then to publish damag-
| ing reports shortly before the Republican
National Convention. SO as to prevent Gen
! eral Grants denomination, is absolutely alb
| surd.
CorreSronaent-Did not Trunhull tell
you OF his intended movement,
Senator Schuiz-$o did not know any
thing OF his intention to move the restora-
ton vi that committee in caucus. and he
told me atterwaru that the thought had oc-
CURED only that same morning. He did
not consult me when he moved il in the
Senate. In fact, it escaped Inv attention
altogether when he did so. and first OBJ
tanned knowledg re of it irolu him some time
during the afternoon.
Cores ponlent-Would you have con-
scented to be appointed chairman of the
committee
Senator Schurz-If nybody had proposed
to me to set on foot such movement with
view of making me chairman OF that
committee. should have told him at once
that il could not lie accomplished
orreSpondent-You were sure ot. that
before the debate began
Senator SchWz-les. Last spring. when
the resolution TO revive the committee had
been introduced by Senator Patterson. |
happened to drop into group o.. Senators
discussing the matter in the Senate cham
Der. and one of them. ho figured among
the particular friends of the admins tration.
said to nay face: :" The committee Was orgl-
nally organized 10 be used against johnson.
1t we confirm" L now YOU Will be chairman
OF II by rlght OF seniority. and as Your reIa-
tons nov are. il would look Ike an act hos
tile TO he administration. and that would
not do. SO | knew perfectly well that a
scheme 70 put such a committee into INV
hands, if anybody had undertaken it, would
have been absolutely in vain. | did not
think OF Il for & moment. and there was not
the least i'reconccrt between Trumbul and
myself as 70 the resolution introduce by
him and the debate that happened concern
ing it.
Cores pondent-Do you know if Trum-
bull told ANYBODY else OF his intention
Senator Schurz-1 am positively sure that
he had no understanding with an body else
when he introduced the resolution lie has
told me So.
Correspondent-Is there any truth in the |
report that there has been difference be- |
tween General Grant and yourself concern |
ing appointments. by which sour personal |
relations We're disturbed
Senator Schurz-There never was any
thing of the kind. think my recommends
tons We're treated by General Grant with
as much consideration as those Of any mem
Der OF the Missouri delegation. don't re-
member now whether ever made recon-
for an office in my State without
the support of at least several members
OF that delegation. l think l did not. and
| never between the President and myself
the least had any reason to be dissatisfied
as to the treatment they received. There
never was controversy about an appoint
ment.
Correspondent-Did not the President
slaughter great number of your political
friends a little more than year ago!
Senator Schurz-He removed number of
officers who had taken part in the liberal
movement which resulted in the election of
Gratz Brown: but that was Of course after
the spit III Missouri and it would be absurd
to assume that the split, and what other
differences followed. were the consequences
Of the removals. l never cared much for
the patronage anyhow, and | should have
been the last man to quarrel about it had
there been any provOcatiOn. The whole
story IS weak invention Of those who
whenever man criticises the adnnistra-
ion. accredlt II to disappointment in the
natter OF patronage, SO ds 10 throw sUs-
Dicion upon his motives
Cores pOndent-Were YOU ever in the
bit OF making many recommendations!
Senator Schu,z-I notice that the Times |
avs that l have made as MANY recommen-
latiOns as any Senator within the last three
ears. have thoaght of Introducing reso-
ution into the Senate calling upon the de-
to report what recuume ndations | ,
lad been made by each Senator since the
incoming OF this administration. Ii would
Re a very interesting exhibit, and it would | ]
,robably turn ont that Sumner, Trumbull {
nd | have made fewer Recommendations ,
han anybody else during the same time;
ut. on the whole. the general table would
e an instructive one. ,
CORE sHoudent-Do you know ANYTHING !
f the investigation conducted hv the re- 4
renclulent committee III the ctlSto,nhouse: +
o ycu know il has been said TO have lteu !
ntair. t
Senator Schurz-I was not a member of +
he subcommittee that conducted the cus- g
Dmhol>e invest CATION, but know Senator e
atterson well enough to youch for the in
,grity of his character. and have partici-
ated in so many of the investigations of l.
le retrenchment committee that am sure C
lere never have been Investigations con- c
ucted with more impartiality, with less o
ersonal or partisan bias, or with purer s
urpose to correct abuses and to promote f
re public good. l am. therefore, cutie sure n
lere is absolutely nothing in the charges T