Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-03-04
THE FRENCH ARMS DEBATE.

Don Piatt, of the Washington Capitol, one
of the most brilliant of Sunday papers, bitter
ly hostile to President Grant and to his re-
nomination, makes the following comments
upon the French arms discussion in the SEN
ate of the United States:
At the same time, as the calm chroniclcrs
Of current events. we are forced to admit that
these Administration people suffer more from
the ability of their opponents than from the
facts proven. Recognizing the melancholy
truth that the brain of the Republican party
has been alienated from its councils, and
holds an antagonistic position to its official
rulers, these people were thrown into panic
over the prospect of a loss of the German
vote. This seemed to paralyze them so that
they could not treat the charge OF fraud with
the Indifference it really deserved. For, after
| sitting with care all the evidences offered, we
are forced to admit that not even p7lma
facie case has been made out. At the close
of our late civil war, the Government found
| itself possessed of vast amount of material
| in the way of arms of all sorts, that were not
only useless but would not bear keeping. be-
cause of the improvements continually de-
manding acceptance if we wish to keep pace
with other governments in this respect. The
law authorizing the sale is sufficiently broad
to allow a general sale Of all material. 1t
lreads that the Secretary of War may sell at
private or public sale, as he may deem most
advantageous to the public interest, the old
cannon, arms, and other ordnance stones now
in possession of the War Department, which
are damaged or otherwise unsuitable for the
United State SERVICE" Now, whether to Sc
cure an advantageous sale the department
could manufacture ammunition to suit the
arms, 10 questionable. 1t is the only question
, in the whole affair.
s That the Secretary should seek to use the
O advantage given him by great war in Europe
is right and proper. lie 10 bound to know
y that the arms thus disposed of are to find tina
e market, for he is supposed to have common
a sense; but he is not prohibited from acting b,
such knowledge. The doctrine of neutra
~ duties sought to be established by Senator
of Sumner and Schurz is the same recognized
At by the infamous Washington Treaty that VI
20 have denounced as foreign to our practice il
- the past and fatal to our future as a nation
1t was not pleasant to us during the late civi
war to have England follow our own prece
E. dents, and under that impulse our representa-
h tives of the Joint High Commission sought tt
establish new rules: The result is remedy
- when too late to be of service, and recogni
is ton of international law that robs US of oul
> strength in the future.
Nor have we any respect for this confess
over the German vote. We are SICK and tree
IS of this humiliating submission to foreign
l. element in our midst that seeks to direct oul
= sympathies and control our conduct. We
= protest the German vote, the Irish vote, and
: the colored vote, and think it about time to
: find, if we can an American vote. Each in
turn save the last has served demagogues al
:. source of selfish elevation to power. In the
u beginning of the German-French war ouI
sympathies were with Germany. When,
however, an imperial despotism built On con-
a quest was developed on one side, and re.
public on the other, our sympathies swung
: over to France, and it was as much as ones
. political existence was worth to avOw such q
feeling. The offence of the Administration
in this case, if any is proven, seems to be a
8 kind feeling for the unhappy French Repub.
r lie and a very advantageous sale of useless
arms. We are not disposed to feel vindictive
on that account.