The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-03-05

| rooms.
Mr.. Schurz (Rad, Mo. then address
ed the Senate. He said: The weakness
of cause is apt to disclose itself by the
nature OF the argument used in its sup.
port. When we ;heara case advocated
by insinuation and inuendos with regard
to the motives of those who have taken
the other side, we are very apt to sup
ipose ssthat there must be something
wrong. Nobody who has listened to the
speeches of the Senators from Indiana
aud New York Morton and Conkling)
would deny that the general rule applies
to the present matter. The Senator
from Indiana (Morton) tried to con,
vince the Senate that there could be no
fsuspicion connected with tho sale OF
arms by this government to certain per.
sons, because every road out of the Re.
publican party led into the Democratic
-(aug ghter) )-and because the platform
Of the Missouri Liberals does not accord
with lis views, and must therefore be
lunrepublican and radically wrong, and
because he is in favor OF the
REFLECTION OF GENERAL GRANT,
and is sure TO have it. Laughter. y
The Senator from New York (Mr
Conkling,) whom l very sincerely re.
gret not to see in his seat after his gal.
liant exploit of yesterday, followed in
the footsteps Of the Senator from Indi-
ana He tried to convince us that the
sales Of arms must necessarily be free
| from blame, because there SIS, no impress
sion abroad that there is military ring
in this country; because there is an i'm
preston of the existence of Senatorial
cabal bent upon destroying this admin
istralion, and because the Democrats are
circulating in New Hampshire the
speeches of certain Republican Senators
in order 10 defeat the administration
party there. Now, sir, l will not deny
that these things were very eloquently
expressed, and might have been very
proper elsewhere, but certainly they did
not throw much light on the question
now under discussion, and l should be
glad to pass them over, did l not desire
to devote very few remarks to one
thing said by that Senator.
WITH AN AIR OF TRIUMPH
be held up pamphlet purporting to
contain one Of my speeches, saying that
it was circulated by the Democratic par
ty in New Hampshire, and was produ-
cling a greater effect than any other doc
ument have since inquired into that
matter, and what do you think that PAM
phlet contains? 1t contains the speech
es Of the Senators from Illinois, Mas
sacliusetts, and Nebraska and myself,
and they are speeches denouncing the
corruption prevailing in the ,Custom5
House in New York If such things
work against the. success. Of the admin
istration party, then the fault does not
lie with those who denounce corruption.
1t is those sycophants, who by cover,
ing up every abuse, ever SO glaring, and
defending every violation Of law ever
so scandslous, who have brought the
commonwealth to the pass where we
now find it. Yes, there is Senatorial
cabal upon this floor. 1t is that cahal
which defeated the Santo Domingo
scheme. 1t is that cabal which forced
the investigation of the
CORRUPTION IN THE NEW YORK. CUSTOM.
~+t HOUSE
1t is that cabal which exposed those
abuses and rendered necessary their re
formation; and let me tell the Senate
that those speeches of ours would not
have produced the least. effect upon the
Republican voters OF New Hampshire
if it could have been said at the same
time that those abuses, which were laid
open in all their defol nifty a whole yeal
ago, had been abolished, and if it could
have teen denied that Leet & Stocking
were at that moment still plunderiug the
merchants of New York Mr Schurz
then said that the subject before the
Senate stripped of all personal matters
raised three questions The first was
what was done in accordance with the
rule of conduct laid by the 9overnmen,
for its own action--the rule that nc
arms should be sold to any known agent
of any belligerent? Second was, what
was done in accordance with the laws
of the country? Third, is there in the
facts rs they stand before us any
GROUND FOR SUSPICION OF CORRUPT PRAC
H TICES
connected with the transaction? In
discussing the first he said it was absurd
to assert that these sales were made un
der the ordinary circumstances surroun
ding previous sales. 1t was true that
the government had been selling arms
all along since the end of the rebellion
and nobody found any fault. But when
the great war between France and Ger
many had broken out, and the Presiden,
had issued his proclamation OF neutral.
| ity, would anybody say that no extra
ordinary precautions were then neces'
sary in the sale of arms? individuals
might be pardoned for taking refuge
behind technical ignorance Of the des
tination Of the arms, but nation could
! not afford TO do that. because its honor
and its character among nations were al
stake Mr. Schurz read letter writer
by the Chief of Ordnance, describing
he said, the operations Of the War De
partment in making sales Of arms a
that period. The letter stated that bid:
had been invited by sending cut letters
to the principal dealers in arms. 1t was
remaI Ikahle, however, that Baker d. Co
the only very great arms merchants il
New York were not notified, and only
LEARNED By ACCIDENT
that the sales were to take place. Upoi
making the discovery Baker came t.
Washington and notified the Prussia
minister. The minister, went to tn
War Department and asked that th
sales should be put off for a few days
and it was done. The Senator from
New York (Mr. Conkiing) had sal
that Baker Il Co, bought arms whic
afterwards got into the hands of Gel
many. That was mistake. He (Schulz
had been in communication with ths
house and had saseertained the fac
| which wass that thew had bid unon