The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-24
THE GERMAN GIANT.
GREAT SPEECH OF CARL SCHURZ IN
THE q. s. SENATE.

GREAT SPEECH OF CARL SCHURz IN
THE o. s. SENATE.
A Cool, Calculating and Iron-GrIpped
Arrafgnment of the Grant Ring
How French Gold Bought the Admin
;,1fstratfon to Stab Germany In the
'Back--An Audience Unprecedented
Since the Days Of the Impeachment.
Correspondence Of the New York Trlbupe.l
WASHINGTON, Tuesday, February 20.
The spectacle to-day in the United States
Senate has recalled those splendid conflicts
which illustrated Congress when the country
hung upon the eloquence ofClay and Webster,
or the grand historical scenes in the British
Parliament, when Chatham, Sheridan and
Fox were at the summit of their glory. The
news had gone abroad that this morning the
senator, who of all men in Washington fulfns
most nearly the ideal Of great debater, was
to sum up the result of the last weeks discus.
sion. For once, the customs and traditions of
Congress were set aside; senators were
promptly In theirseats; newspapers and let.
ters were put away; men who make 1t point
not to listen to speeches came prepared TO
listen to Carl SchGrz..- Every seat In the gal.
doorways, was occupied from an early hour.
The cloak-room was filed with ladies,
who soon pressed forward upon the
sacred precincts Of the floor, seized
/ the desks of absent senators, sat
upon the steps of the dais, took up
cna t0hf 1ha1r
vacant spaces IL front. Mrs. Grant was In the
| diplomatic gallery, with her daughter and her
! sister. The foreign legations were literally
Represented. Memoersof,the House of Repre-.
ser, ,atIyes thronged the floor Of the chamber,
and stood patiently for two or three hours.
with crowd Of other more rless inustrlous
persons behind the senator's chair, Secretary
aged F. P. Blair, Sr., George William Curtis,
Butler, Dawes, Hooper, Shellabarger, Banks.
y Hoar, Cox, nearly all the leaders of the House,
were among these eager listeners. Senators
grouped themselves around The speaker
wherever they, could best SEE and hear, and
gave themselves up entirely TO the fascination
oil MIR. Schurz's eloluence. Trumbul and Sher.
last weeks debate, were In their seats to-day.
Even the Morton clique, who hate Mr.. Schurz
rather more than they hate the Ku-KluX or
the devil, were compelled 10 listen.
!, Mr.. ConkliDg threw back bis noble head and
smiled sardonically at the Missouri speakers
passion and indignation, and then ran anx-
iousIy across the aisle to Mr.. Morton, to con-
suit about an answer. Mr.. Nye came over to
the front row and sat with gloomy express
sion, playing with his fingers. Mr.. Pratt,
having realizing sense of the solemnity OF
the occasion, held his hand before his eyes,
as If he imagined himself In Church. and at
terward buried his face In his arms In an at.
titude of contrition. Mr.. Edmunds reposed
upon his spine and observed an unusual
silence, and Mr.. Carpenter restrained his Gus.
tomary bounce.
+. Twice or thrice only, during the two hours
speech, was Mr.. schurz interrupted. Once,
Mr.. .Conkling attempted to- correct citation
from his speech OF yesterday, and was In
stantly convicted OF triflng with words,
whereat whisper ran around the audience
that the gentleman from New York was only
and was silenCed by q pertinent inquiry, which
he had not the language 10 answer. Three or
four times, with Increasing emphasis and fn-
ger pointing scorn, Mr.. SGhurz repeated the
query, and Mr.. Morton held his peace. There
was no more OF that foolish squabbng about
tri1es, In which the Senate usually wastes 80
much Of Its llme, for every une cav that Mr.
Schurz to-day was dangerous.
do not attempt to give synopsis or this
great speech-the most perfect piece OF rhelo-
flc that Congress has heard for many long
day. -
In his peroration, Senator schurz really out
did himself. He regretted the Introduction
of Conkling's amendment for the movers
sake. It was au Insult to France, since intl-
mated that France had sent spies 10 the
United States, In time OF peace; aud the
speeches of Conkling and Morton were equal
" Insulting to Germany, becanse they had In
sinuated that the Emperor William was likely
to be Influenced In hls decision In The San
Juan question by base motives. 1t was aimed
at Senator Sumaer, the Marquis of Chambrun,
and himself. His own record and that of Mr..
Sumner were before the country, and he paid
glowing tribute TO the character Of hls friend
the Marquis. Then, In burst of eloqnence,
he exclaimed: HAS IL come to this, that he
who boldly sets his face against corruption
and fraud must be threatened with dungeon!
On the paths of duty have walked he said;
II have seen men much more dangerous than
the senator from New York, but can tell him
that thousand such never made me quake"
His plea for Lhe Germans TOO, was trny
grand. "The Germans of America he said,
'sbelopg to nobody;l Of all, do they belong
to that class of politicians who desperately
cling to the sklrts Of power, 40 matter through
what filth 1t may drag them"
The result of the debate may be 10 few
words: The charges Of the Sumner preamble
are sustained by one of the most forcible and
stirring speeches Schurz has ever made, and
Conkling is exhibited to the world shaking o
pair of handouts In the face of Charles Sum-
npr, and threatening him with dungeon, be-
cause he hates fraud In the Republican party
as we'll as the Democratic.
A,~sha~ Acro-n<