Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-03-09
THE CovsplRAT0RS FOIL ED.

THE CONSpIRATORS FOIL ED.
Sufficient light has been shed upon the
recent charges made against the President
to show that there is no foundation for
them. The conspiraters against him prob
ably did not expect to find him guilty. |
They hoped to succeed in blasting his req.
utation by assertion, knowing that if they
once started the SANDER 1t would be taken |
up and sent over the coantry by the oppo-
sition as truth. For this they occupied
the Senate with causeless debate, aud
furnished the democrats with ammunition
to be used in New Hampshire and Con-
necticut. But if the accusations were
bold, they were gallantly met and trium-
phantly refuted. At first there was feel
ing that the friends of the administration
were treating the subject too much as a
political matter, but as the debate opened
up more and more the exact state of the
case. it became evident that they were
right. TWAS part of the conspiracy to
defeat Grants denomination. 1t was
meant for the browning stroke ; fortunate
ly it has recoiled upon the heads of the
conspirators themselves. "a
The facts in relation to the sale of arms
to the French appear in the evidence
brought out in the investigation as rem
deredby Secretaries Belknap and Boutwell,.
These facts were accessible to Messrs.
Sumner and Schurz. They could have
had them at any time by asking or looking
for them. Had their object been to know
the truth their first step would have been
to examine the records Of the War and
fEreasury departments. But their purpose
was to kill Grant as candidate for Presi-
dent, and SO they had no desire to look up
facts which would be inconvenient and
averse to their plan. The evidence of
Secretary Belknap as to the money part of
the question is contained in the following
paragraph:
"The amount realized from the sale of arms,
ETC., was IS, 748, 942; of this sum So 409, 1856.
80 had been deposited in the Treasury as per
certificates on file; Sl20, 900 was reported in
y the hands of depositors ON the Both June,
|. 1871 the balance was expended for prepar-
}. ing stores for the sale, fitting them up, etc.
This sinnle statement lets in flood of
light upon s.le matter. Here is the money
: accounted for that has raised such poth-
er in the Senate. And if this is not
enough to establish that no fraud or dis
. honesty has been practiced in the trans
action we can take the testimony of Secre-
torv RoufxuolI ffpI - toll
telegraph. A special to New York pa
per says:
Secretary Boutwell, appeared before the
House Committee on the Expenditures of the
War Department this morning, and testified
at some length in reference to the financial
phase Of the sale Of arms during the year
to alleged French agents. The Secretary
said that all money derived from such sales
had actually been turned into the Treasury
and accounted for, except $S7, $50, and this
amount would be satisfactorily accounted for
when the Department made thorough ex-
animation of accounts.
We take it that the evidence of Secreta-
ry Belknap that he has paid over the mon
ey, and of Secretary Boutwell, that it has
been received into the Treasury and is &C
!: counted for is enough to settle this bust
5 ness among fair minded men. But it will
not, dare say, stop the clamor and accu-
sations OF fraud against Grant. The dis
appointed republicans in Congress will
=, probably continue their attempts to weak.
en- and destroy confidence in the Presi-
dent, and in this unprincipled task they
will have the hearty cooperation of all the
democratic papers in the land. Their sig
nal failure. however, in this grand at
tempt to make the French arms question
serve to bring down ruin on the President,
viii be rather damaging in future enter
prises of like kind.