The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-20

I The Reign Of tho enasesues-Natiosai
Honor Sacrificed 20 Party Expcdieucy-
Time for the People to Act.
Another day has been surrendered by the
Senate to the demsgogues. Mr. Conkling
made a brilliant and, in some respects, q
necessary speech. and when the Senate
adjourned Mr.. Schurz had the floor; 80
we shall have another day of Schurz with
intermittent attacks of Sumner, most prob
ably, and Morton and the wild Upton. The
debate has taken so wide range that we
should not be surprised to see it continue to
the end of the session. When a debate of
this kind begins 1t is like the Mississippi
River breaking through a levee. In the
meantime public business has come to stand
still. The Appropriation bills await
action; necessary business languishes |;
nothing has been done towards crys-
tallizing civil service reform; the taxes
remain as they were. The qualification
of party hatred and political malice will be
the main business of this grave and reverend
body, and bills involving the expenditure Of
hundreds of millions will be hurried through
| in a few days. at the end of the session, with
| out thought, revision or care.
This is a most deplorable condition of
affairs. Instead Of a Senate gravely delibe-
rating upon national and international ques-
tons, we have club like the Jacobins or the
Cordeliers of the French Revolution. AS
Senator Conkling aptly said, ''We do not have
military ring, as Senator Schurz declares,
but Senatorial cabal, composed of dsap-
pointed and disaffected Senators, who have no
| means of gratifying their ambition but by the
overthrow of President Grant; all means
must serve that end. With consummate selfish
ness they bend every department of legislation
to that result We are in the third month Of
| the session, and this cabal of reformers has
virtually blocked the wheels of government.
| We had q committee Of investiga alton here,
which proved what everybody knew. that
| there was a general order business in New
York, and that instead of giving this business
to the time honored rats, who have grown
gray and fat on Custom House plumber, it was
| given to couple Of young men whose only
merit was that they had served in the army,
and whose principal demerit was that they did
not divide with the politicians. And now we
have what is called an investigation into the
sale of arms to the French, in violation of our
neutrality obligations to Germany. The an
nails of our legislation show no proceedings
more unworthy, and the darkest feature is that
Mr.. Sumner lent the weight of his great name
| to the conspiracy.
When the armies of France and Germany
were in conflict our government was en-
gagged in disposing Of its military stores. We
had the remnants of an enormous war estab-
lishment-cannon, firearms, powder, cart
ridges, artillery and monitors. The statute
provided that the Ordnance Department might
sell any portion deemed necessary, especially
the guns that were useless or such portions of
the powder as threatened to be wasted In
pursuance of this statute and General Grants
desire for economy, large quantities Of arms
| were sold to the highest bidder after public
notice. Some were intended for Denmark,
some for Turkey, others for Sweden. A con-
siderable number were sold to Spain and are
now used to arm the volunteers in Cuba
When Napoleon's army was broken at
Sedan and Gambetta came into power, as the
military chief Of the French army of national
defence, it was necessary to find arms
speedily. Large purchases were made in
England and Belgium. The Enfield works
were kept working day and night to supply
Gambetta. The French appointed Mr.. Rem
ington, an American citizen and the head of a
great arms house, to be its agent. He applied
| to our Ordnance Department for some of the
arms that were offered for sale. AS known
attorney of the French, our government
refused to make any sale, and this refusal it
continued. Mr.. Remington then applied
through an attorney, whose connection with
| him was not known-an American citizen,
complying with the law-and to him the arms
were sold. The point now made is that the
| sales to the attorney" Of Mr.. Remington were
made with the knowledge that the rifles were
| intended to arm Gambetta's soldiers against
the Germans; that there was a corrupt COM
binaton of military men interested in the sale I;
| that President Grant was cognizant of it, if, in
deed, he was not partner in the profits of the
guilty transaction; that for sheer gain our
obligations of neutrality were broken, 60 far
as Germany was concerned; that we supported
France in war upon q friendly Power, just
as we complain that the Confederate States
were supported by England in their war upon
! US. These grave allegations are sustained by
no evidence. They are recited ia preamble,
deliberately drawn up by Mr.. Sumner upon
information furnished by the French Legation,
and emphasized in speeches by himself and
Senator Schurz.
Let us show the mischief that lies hidden
in this preamble. Of course we recognize the
necessities and the ambitions of Sumner and
| Ccbur1 Graalau and Eanton oa ropuh1icon