Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-17
CONGRESSIONAL.
Our FrancO-PPHSSian ImbrOgliO
Its Presidential Bearings, Etc.
Beck'S Respects to BrOWnlOW.
His PandemOnium In Tennessee
Bullock, Scott, Reed and Davis
CrOuChing behind the 9mbeCiIe'
Beck's Respects to BrOWnlOW.
CrOuching behind the TmbeciIe
SENATE.

CrOuChlng behind the TmbeCiIe
SENATE.
| WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.-Mr. Logan pre-
sented a petition of heavy lumbermen of The
| Northwest, in favor of the Chicago relic
bill; also resolutions of the Illinois Legisla
ture for the same.
The Alabama Argument.
twenty-five thousand copies of the case
OF the United States against Great Britain
were ordered to be printed.
The BuHaIOea.
Mr.. Cole introduced bill to restrict the
killing of buffaloes on the public land.
Summers BOmbsheII.
Consideration Of the resolution as to sales
Of arms to the French during the Franco
Prussian war, was resumed.
MIR. Morton said Mr.. Sumner would have
| great difficulty in convincing the country
that the introduction of this resolution was
not a move on the Presidential chess board
intended to affect the next Presidential
Convention or election, by
Alternating the German Vote
from the Republican party. The preamble
assumed that there was a discrepancy OF
over 81, 700, 900 between the accounts of the
Treasury and those of the War Depart
ment. That was not true.
Mr.. Sumner said the preamble didn't as
sumo the actual existence Of discrepancy.
1t only asserted there was an apparent
Discrepancy I'm the Official Reports
of the two departments.
Mr.. Morton was authorized to saw that
the charge that there was a discrepancy,
was frivolous and without foundation.
Mr.. Schurz said the Secretary of the
Treasury had admitted to him that all
monies paid into the Treasury from the
sales of arms did not appear il the reports,
for the reason that some accounts had not
been settled when the report was made.
Mr.. Sumner said the Secretary had told
him that it had taken some time to look
into the accounts at the Treasury to sift
this matter TO the bottom.
Mr.. Morton-Yes and he told you in the
same conversation that it was all right.
Mr.. SumneT-YeS.
Mr.. Morton-Then we will consider the
discrepancy out of the case.
Mr.. Sumner said that in his remarks the
other day he had contrasted the figures in
the report Of the Secretary of War for the
fiscal year with those in the report of the
Treasurer for the same fiscal year, and had
said that discrepancy was at least a reason
for inquiry, andhe insisted on it. The fact
three days discussion was necessary to ex-
plain the discrepancy fully justified that as
sertion.
Mr.. Morton said it was admitted that
there was no discrepancy at all. The next
question was whether there had ever ex-
listed any sufficient ground for suspicion to
justify its introduction, and he insisted there
was not. All great governments were al
ways selling arms for which they had no
use, and that was what our government did
III this case, and cartridges were manufac-
tured because arms couldn't be sold with
ont ammunition. Besides it might safely be
assumed that there was always powder Oh
hand which was liable to get damaged I'M
less used in that way. He said the officers
of the Ordnance Department had power to
do that, and Mr.. Schurz's narrow cOnstruc-
ton Of this law showed the desperate straits
into which be had been driven.
Mr.. Schurz said he would undertake to
take care of himself. He reminded Morton
that IN this case the cartridges were man
ufac ured not for the purpose of getting rid
of damaged powder or pig lead, but be-
cause it was asked for by agents of the
French government.
Mr.. Morton said that when the Prussian
government permitted arms to be sold by
our government, and shipped openly to
Brest and Havre, without objection, it was
very extraordinary that an Intervention on
behalf Of that government should now be
made in the Senate.
Mr.. Schurz asked whether he meant to
insinuate that either Sumner or himself
(SchurZ) was acting on behalf of the Prus-
sian government.
Mr.. Morton did not mean that, but there
was no occasion for American Senators to
try to convince Prussia that it had cause to
complain.
Mr.. Sumner-I know nobody who is try
ing to convince the Prussan Government.
We are trying to convince the Senate that
something has been done which ought to be
inquired into.
Mr.. MertOn-BUt if you can convince
the Senate you will convince the Prussan
Government at the same time, and you will
do it at the very hour when that Govern
ment is sitting as an arbitrator on a very
important question between the United
States and Great Britain. To show how
Indifferent the Prussian Government had
been, Bismarck declined to authorize Baron
GerOlt to negotiate for our arms, saying the
Germans could get them cheaper by taking
them from the French on the banks of the
Loire. Laughter
Mr.. SChurZ asked Mr.. Morton to state his
authority for this.
Mr.. Morton replied that after all the vague
-
French newspapers in which the movers of
this resolution had INDUCED, they need not
now be so particular in demanding authOri-
ties.
Mr.. Schurz-Will the Senator be kind
enough to indicate any important point in
my speech that is not based on documenta-
ry evidence?
Mr.. MOrtOn-I cannot undertake to re-
hearse the Senator's speech. The Senate
| has heard it, and it is in the Globe.
Mr.. Morton again said the object of the
resolution was to ALLEVIATE the German vote,
! but didn't think the attempt would succeed.
| The Germans were an educated people,
and did not belong to anybody, nor could
they be carried in anybody's breeches
pockets, however capacious they might be.
Even if there was anything wrong in the
sale of arms by the Ordnance Department,
| the President was not to blame, as he had
never ordered them.
Mr.. Morton in conclusion, said the re-
suits of this administration were
So Magnificent,
that nothing was left to its enemies but to
raise prolonged howl of corruption. Be
fore the meeting of Congress he had heard
of this mine that was to blow Gen. Grant
out of the Presidential field, but now the
mine had been exploded, and instead of the
President it was the engineer that was
blown up. He
Warned the Liberal Republicans
against the delusive idea that they could or.
gdnize a new party which would take in
the Democrats. The contest was to be
between the nominee Of the Philadelphia
| Convention and the nominee of the Demo.
cratic convention, and if any man hated
Gen. Grant so much as to wish to see him
defeated in that contest he could contribute
to that result in two ways, by going over to
the Democrats or by going TO the Cincin-