The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-03-23
Kill Grant ut any Cost.

1t is as well to get occasionally from the
qucksands of false accusations in which the
enemies of the administration revel to the
solid ground of fact. Such an opportunity
is afforded by the recent prolonged debate
i'll the Senate on the sale of arms to France.
The charges as drawn up by Schurz, pre-
scented by Mr.. Sumner and eagerly echoed
without the least inquiry, by the Nation
and Tribune, were substantially these
a. That our Government was guilty of Il
breach Of neutrality towards Germany i'll
selling arms to France during the war of
1870. ~ That-we had better quote Mr..
Summers own wordS:-"lt appears from
the official report of the Secretary of War
that in the year 1901, the sale of ordnance
stores reached the sum Of $40, 900, 900, from
which, according to the report, only a small
sum was retained to meet the expenses of
preparing other stores for sale: while the
official report of the Secretary of the Urea
sury for the same year acknowledges the
receipt of only S. 2S6. 1910, showing diff
ference of over 81. 700, O00."
The second charge was dwelt upon with
the utmost delight by the papers which
have fairly embarked on the campaign of
SANDER and the Chicago Tribune immed-
lately took up the wondrous tale and eXag
gerated it-saying that "millionS had
been embezzled.
We call the public to witness that the
time of the Senate has been occupied for
weeks in listening to the outlandish invec
tives of Schurz, and the drivel of Upton,
over these charges. The "anti- Grant
papers have spoken of them as if they were
proved. And yet, all this while, a single
inquiry addressed to the Secretary of War;
General Belknap, would have suf1iced to
elicit the truth, and to blow Schurz's mess
of ISLANDERS into the air.
Listen again to Secretary Belknap's evil
dence on the money part of the question:
g The amount realized from the sale of
arms, etc, was SO, 74S. 942: of this sum So,
400, 236 so has been deposited in the Trea-
sury as per certificates on file; $3.50, 900 was
reported in the hands of depositors on the
Both June, 1871; the balance was expended
for preparing stores for the sale, fitting
them up" etc.
Schurz, the other day, called some man
4 liar in the Senate, and all this was
considered by his admirers to be a proof of
true genius. Having insinuated, and caus-
ed others to insinuate, that millions"
were stolen on this arms affair, and the
proof that he uttered falsehood being per-
fectly indisputable what are people to call
him? Would it be very wicked to apply
his own epithet to himself?
Secretary Belknap's testimony is equally
strong with reference to the alleged breach
of neutrality. He shows conclusively that
the charges concocted by Schurz were ut
terly without foundation. This being so.
of course, the New York Tribune cries out
80 We don't want this investigation to 60
any further. 1t is all cheating. You are
pack of swindlers. Yah - In the same
spirit the "AIr. Pecksniff" of the novel
not the real one-was always especially
bitter on people to whom he had done some
gross injury.
This Investigation " having led to such
disastrous results for the investigators, the
public are of course waiting with the great
est eagerness for Schurz's next move. a
man without shred of conscience in his
composition, and who does not know what
principle in politics means, is not easily
made ashamed of himself. Schurz has an
other mares nest in his pocket, of that we
may be very sure. He will get up, or per
haps get Upton to get up, and demand an
investigation of an "enormous abuse"
which he has just discovered, and by which
the President and his friends will be prov
ed to have pocketed millions. If anybody
objects to this move the obiector will be
told that he is trying to cover up ''thieves'
because he is a thief himself-with many
other compliments of the season. The
investigation will 60 ONT will stop
all public business-but it will give Schurz
another opportunity of airing that Won
drous eloquence which has already filled
the world with admiration and astonish-
ment. And this little game is to be con-
tinued all through the session. Is it too
much to believe that the people, by this
time, begin to "see through it, and are
about sick of the whole performance
". !. Times.