Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-02-15
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TO THE
Daily Kennebec Journal.
WASHINGTON, IA.
SENATE.

SENATE.
Mr.. Summers resolution to inquire into tn,
government sales of arms and ammunition Il
the French, and the use Of government work
shops to make the same, was taken up, ant
Mr.. Sumner addressed the Senate on thu
subject.
He said that the subject was an interesting
and important one in two aspects, as it con
cerned ourselves, and as it concerned foreign
powers, and all must unite in the desire t
reduce our country from suspicion, especial,
suspicion of moral obliquity. He would
speak not of men but of facts, and if anybody
should be pointed at by the statement he wa
about to make, it would be their fault ant
not his. He had brought forward this sub
ject with great reluctance and after long de
lay. The main facts were brought to his
knowledge before Christmas, but he post
poned bringing them into the Senate because
he knew they had been laid before the Presi-
dent and Secretary of War, and he had rea-
son to believe they would institute an in
quiry. They had not done so however, but
the Secretary ef War had made the House a
report upon this subject. The character of
that report would appear as he proceeded.
and the Senate would judge whether it did
not fall under some of the suspicion which
dItdCuSu IL 10 Tue VIII tEanSdcllOn. In SET
ting forth the facts he must introduce two
characters upon the scene-Mr. Place late
Consul General of France at New York, and
Samuel Remington Of lion, N. Y. Place
had been accused of fraud and on second
trial convicted, mainly on the testimony of
Remington, who was authenticated as witness
in the French courts by a certificate from our
Secretary of War.
At the expiration of the morning hour the
legislative appropriation bill came up as I'M
finished business.
Mr.. Trumbull moved to postpone ii and
continue the discussion of Summers resolu-
ton.
Mr.. Sherman appealed to the Senate not to
allow themselves to be drawn into political
debate by taking up this resolution. If they
did he would not be present He warned the
ma crity that it was unwise to permit minori-
ties to drive them into a wrangling political
debate every time they choose to move the
red flag in their faces Everybody knows
there was no objection to any proper inquiry
into this matter, but the Senate ought to OBJ
ject to this attempt to get up political de-
bate in advance upon alleged facts which had
not yet been investigated.
Mr.. Upton reminded Mr.. Sherman of the
storm which greeted the tactics of those who
opposed the resolution for inquiry at New
York, and said that the real motive for OPP
posing this one was not because it had a pre-
amble, but because it proposed thorough,
manly and bold investigation. He did not
wonder at it, because the majority had got
enough of investigation, but they must take a
little more, and could not escape it by any
political subterfuge.
Mr.. Wilson favored an immediate and full
Of this subject, and did not fear
it would injure the administration. Mistakes
might be committed, but the people were
generous and charitable and always ready to
forgive mistakes of the head. He did not
fear the results of the investigation, either for
the administration or the great republican
party. The people were now more aroused
than ever before against fraud and pecula-
ton. This was not good time for thieves
in the United States. The Senate must ex-
pect such resolutions as this when the coun-
try was engaged in a political campaign. The
people understood it all and were substan-
TALLY unmoved by anything done in Congress
this session.
Mr.. Morton was ready to, vote upon the
resolution without debate, but he had no
power to avoid debate. Here was a resolu
ton involving the most enormous suspicious
of members of the government, reaching even
to members of the Cabinet, if not higher. He
believed that there was nothing in it, thought
it was mere blank cartridge, but he knew
very we'll if the Senate should refuse to con-
slider it now, no matter for what good reason,
q refusal would be made the basis for the
most infamous calumnies. The Senate,
therefore, had better let the cartridge ex-
plode at once.
Mr.. Trumbull thought that Mr.. Sherman's
speech was remarkable, and wondered what
he meant by speaking Of our anniversaries"
and 'red flags
Mr.. Sherman said he alluded to the Sena-
tor from Massachusetts who introduced this
preamble and resolution, and he appealed to
Mr.. Trumbull to say whether he had ever
known of Senator moving an investigation
to insist ofputting into the preamble the facts
to be investigated.
Mr.. Trumbull replied that the basis of the
proposed examinations must be set out in
some way, aud it was a mere matter of taste
whether they should be stated in writing, in
preamble or orally in the Senate. In either
case they would 60 before the public. But
what did the Senator mean by talking of adj
versaries. Surely the Senator from Massa-
chusetts was not politically an adversary of
the Senator from Ohio, and why did the Sem
ator expect political debate on the ques
ton? Surely this was not political ques-
ton.
Mr.. Sherman-My Honorable friend is very
innocent. Can there be any motive under
heaven in passing this resolution now except
to invite political discussion? My friends
from New York and Indiana (Conkling and
Morton) are eager for the fray, and my
friend from Massachusetts (Sumner) is eager
for the fray.
Mr.. Summer am not. l give notice to
my friend that am not going into political
discussion. l leave that to those whom the
Senator calls the adversaries.
Mr.. Carpenter said that the country was
on the eve of political campaign. 1t was
we'll understood that the President was to be
renominated, and it was also understood gen.
orally that three or four Senators had long
been preparing a bomb-shell which at the
proper time would be exploded and blow
Gen. Grant and his friends out of water.
That the bomb she'll had been introduced into
the Senate, the Senator (Sumner) had just
lighted the fuse, and he (Carpenter) was in
favor. of having the explosion take place at
once.
Mr.. Scott welcomed the resolution as an