The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-02-24

| 4, nc nus s"o osner statements he fSchurzl
.Houeh the senator's should cease 10 talk about
'ue want ol pS'riotism OF those who called the
80. =, ~ .mo senate and country to this
.n".. ""s quite evident that foreign
governments were as well-nformeI .s H.,
were, or even better. ILauoh-sr, H.
| statements, made under oath in foreon 80"
lett no course open for the United Sto,.,
except to Investigate and show the sta,ements
to be false II they were, OF, If thew were trne
to punish the guilty. 'u''
The second question was, were tha ,o,.. r.
our country violated, and he arourd ,h.s ~ :.
was at least a proceeding of doubtful lc.a,;.n
| to sell breech-loading rifles at all Tho go
ute authorized the sale Of old cannon. arn.s
| and other ordnance stores which were d,r,
aged or otherwise unsuitable for the Init
States military service, or for the militia of
the Inited States, and under this the chief nj
ordnance had assumed the right to sell n
large number of breech-oadine rifles of the
pattern OF 1866, and that at time when Tho
militia throughout the country were armed
with old muzzleloaders.
Mr.. Morton said that the breech- leaders
sold were OF discarded pattern, and that it
was the intention OF the government 70 arm
the militia with an improved rifle. In view
OF this fact, Therefore, the discarded rifles did
properly come within the classes of ordnance
stores mentioned in the statute
MIR. SchurZ said that the secretary of war
and Chief OF ordnance had some doubt about
the proprety OF their q ton at the time. and
he had Letter from the chief of ordnance To
Gen Belknap stating that the arms so sold
were mt for the United States service. He felt
authorized, therefore TO charge the haprant
and manifest breach Of law. He CHARGED il
on the showing OF the chief at ordnance him.
sell, and II there was to be any clubbing
about this point, he would be glad 10 hear i
at once. Possibly an attemp. would De made
TO explain it away too, but he would
ask the senate what would become Of popular
respect for the laws il the lawmakers thus
recklessy quibbled away their meaning.
what would become Unconstitutional Govern.
ment in this country ifthe officers Of this gov
eminent were allowed 10 feel that they might
disregard the plainest provisions Of law and
that, like Caesar Augustus, they could ALWAYS
rely upon the submissive and Obelicnt sen.
ate He begged the senate to remember that
there was more vt stake than cartridges o.
cash
On the third point Mr.. Schurz argued tina.
the facts already shown were enough to Justify
an investigation OF corrupt transactions. The
testimony OF Remington and of the French
JIM "ltAuy Itlclleu 10, the aCN.cfy OF the
CHI ordnance to aid Remington in set.line,
h accounts in France, rellinr TO some
transactions for which he Bennington had
been os'ensltly driven out of the war depart-
meut; IN" difference between the amounts
psih toy 'hc French and those received By oar
gov-rnm' mt; the jeopardizing OF our na,iona.
relations the rlsking ofour internal harmony
the ii.gr mt aad confessed violation of law by
the war department, and the mysterious dis
appearance oflargc sums OF money all these
facts and circumstances went TO show that
there was ground for suspicion and for inves.
tigalIOn. And the senators on the other side
knew 1t and felt it keenly, as was shown by
their attempt 10 divert the senate and country
from the true question by charging those who
urge this resolution with acting a. French
agents, and with want OF patriotism These
charges were limsy and absurd /. was the
duty OF the government; 10 investigate TIN.
matter, and il the wrongs charged on the
executive department have been committed il
was the duty OF the legislative department O.
the government ~ frankly and boldly disavow
them. That was the only course worthy oil
the American republic and therefore he was
not AFRAID To discuss these matters in the senate
and denounce the wrong in them, for he re-
membered that Golden and Bright, when
they warned the British parliament Of the con.
sequences OF its conduct during the rebellion,
were far better patriots than those who de
cried them lOr it.