The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-03-05
opened on the Goth of October. o
October u, at 4 =. NJ, the

opened on the Goth of October On
October u, at =. NJ, the
SALES OF A LARGE AMOUNT OF ARMS
to several firms were completed, and
according to despatch of the French
Consul all those arms had been already
partly paid for by the French govern
ment on the 22d of October, just one
day after the sales from the Department
were completed. Certainly, the busi-
ness was done promptly-(laughtcr)- -
and the question was naturally sugges
ted whether when Squres was dis
covered as French agent the sales
were not postponed in order to give him
an opport unity to make arrangements
with other parties He did not charge
that this was the fact, but he would ask
every fair minded man whether the sus-
lpicion did not lie dreadfuily near Then
came the sales to Richardson. When
the War Department was not offering to
the large arms dealers, did it addless
one of its letters to Mr. Thomas Rich
ardson, counsellor at law at Ilion, New
York? daughter J The Senator frcm
New York had laid great stress upon
what he assumed to be a fact, that Rich
ardson need not have appeared person
ally at the Department in negotiating
his purchase, and that it could have
been done by merely sending in his bid
accompanied by
TWENTY PER CENT. OF THE PURCHASE MON
The record showed, however, that the
business could not be done in that way,
because some effort was necessary in
order.t to satisfy the conscience Of the
War Department about the propriety Of
making the cartridges, and it showed,
also, that that effort was made, not by
Richardson in person, but by another
gentleman Mr.. Remington-the same
Remington who, on the 18th of the pre-.
ceding October, had been discovered to
be an agent of the French Government.
AS further evidence that there did exist
just grounds for, suspicion, and there
fore for investigation, Mr. Schuz read
two extracts from testimony given by
Mr.. Remington in France on the trial
of Place Mr.. Remington, being wit
ness under oath, said: u did not re-
gard myself as obliged to make advan
ceS: and this still less, inasmuch as ]
had myself to pay to the government
OF the United States an advance Of ten
to twenty per cent" Again, before the
Investigating committee of the French
Assembly, lie said: "9y the French
government was charged to treat with
the government of the United States" !"
This last statement also showed os
WHAT HhoUGHr REMINGTON BACK
to this country in December of that
year. He came to transact the business
connected with the purchase which was
ostensibly made by Richardson, the
lawyer, and it was after his return here
on that errand that the interviews and
negotiations described in his (Reming-
ton's) letter took place The Senator
from Indiana Mr.. Mortop) had object
ed TO his (Schurzs) statement the 9TH
er day that the government was not on
ly bound not to sell to men whom they
knew 10 be agents of either beiigerent,
but, also To- satisfy themselves by all the
means of information in their possess
ion that persons applying for arms were
not the agents of one or the ether bel
ligerent; but he Schuizl was willing
TO accept MIR. Morton's statements OF
the rule, which was that if the govern
ment had reason to believe that person
buying the arms was an agent Of the
French government, they had no right
to make the sale, and that all the gov
ernment was called upon to know was
that the purchaser was not the agent OF
one or the other of the belligerents, and
he insisted that the government had
...- FAILED TO DO ITS DUTY.
Judge even by that rule. The Senator
from New York Mr. Conkiing) had
said that cash was the purchases -
That might be well, provided this Mr..
Cash was not the representative Of a
known agent Of the French government.
No matter, says the Senator FROM New
York Mr.. Conkling "cash" is the man
who buys, and we look at nothing but
cash. But then where is our reasona-
BILE diligence? Where is our good
faith: No matter, says the Senator,
this great American republic of ours
understands her good faith and inter-
prets her neutral duties upon strictly
"cash principles" Laughter,l Proud
}ly the standard of our national moral
ity and honor was borne aloft by the
Senator from New ork with a dollar
mark in cash as the coat of arms of this
great republic of the United States
| Laughter Seriously speaking, are
we sensible men? Are We honest men
Is this our rule of, neutral duty? Is
this the rule 10 be observed not only by
us but towards us !? Let me warn Senators
to pause long before they commit them
selves to any position SO absurd, so
mean, so utterly dish2norable. Let me
tell them it is not safe for nations to
Iplay
| LITTLE TRICKY GAMES
and endeavor to cover themselves up
with little quibbling technicalities. MI.
Schurz discussed this at great length,
and as additional evidence that there
was ground for suspicion and investi-
CATION, read passage from the testi-
mony given by Jules Lecesne who was
president of the Armament Committee
at Tours, in France, while these sales
were going on. The question was upon
a certain overcharge on lot of rifles,
and this witness said, There was no
expense beyond the percentage allowed
4 to Remington, SINCE WE HAD TREATEt
DIRECTLY WITH THE FEDERAL
lGOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED
ESTATES, which delivered these arms
free of charge on board the vessels. -
After this and the other statements he
= (Mr. Scburz) thought the Senators
should cease to talk about the want o.
patriotism Of those who called the at
tention of the Senate and the countr,
y