New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-21
THE FRENCH ARMS FRAUD.
GREAT SPEECH OF SENATOR sCHURZ.
EXTRAORDINARY EXCITEMENT IN THE SENATE
PICrrRR OF THE SENATE CIAMBER-THE
ADMINISTRATION MEN REBUKED-PIrIABLE
SPECTACLE OF SENATOR CoNKLING.
Try TRI BGRAPH TO THE TRTBUNB.I


WASHINGTON, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 1874
Tho snectacle to-day in the u. s. Senate has re-
called those splendd conflicts which illustrated
Congress when the country hung upon the eloquence
of CLAW and Webster or the grand historical scenes
in the British Parliament, when Chatham, Sheridan
and Fox were at the summit Of their glory Inc
news had gone abroad that this morning the SEN
ator who of all men in Washington fulills most
nearly the ideal Of great deDater'
was to sum up the result OF the
last weeks discussion. For once, the customs ana
traditions Of Congress set asde Senators we're
promptly in their seats; newspapers and letters
were put away; men who make 1t point not 10 us
ten to speeches, prepared to listen TO carr
Schurz Every seat in the galleries, every inch OF
room in the passages and doOrways, was occupied
from an early hour. The clOak-rOOm was filled with
ladies' who soon pressed forward upon the sacred
precincts of the floor, seized the desks OF
absent Senator'S sat upon the steps of the das took
up all the SOFAS and brought chairs into the vacant
spaces in front. Mrs. Grant was in the diplomatic
gallery. with her daughter and her sister. Inc
foreign legations were literally represented. Mem
bers of the House of Representatives thronged the
floor of the Chamber and stood patiently for two or
three hours with crowd of other more or less Illus
ricus persons behind the Senators chairs. Secretary
Robson Gen. Dent Gen. Porter the aged I. r. Blair,
ST., Geo. William Curtis, Butler, Dawes, Hooper,
Shellabarger, Banks, Hoar Cox nearly all the
leaders of the House. were among these eager listen
eIs. Senators grouped themselves around the
speaker wherever they could best and hear, aud
gave themselves up entirely to the fascination OF
Mr.. Schurz's elOquence. Trumbull and Sherman,
who absented themselves all through last weeks
debate were in their seats to-day. Even the Morton
clique who hate Mr. Schurz rather more than they
hate tho Ku-Klux the devil, were compelled to
listen.
Mr. Conkling threw back his noble head and
smiled sardonically at the Missouri speakers pas
sion and Indignation and then ran anxlousy across
the aisle to Mr. Morton to consult about an answer.
Mr.. Nye came over to the front row and sat with a
gloomy expression, playing with his fingers. Mr..
Pratt having realizing sense of the solemnity Of
the OCCASION held his hand before his eyes if be
imagined himself in church, and afterward buried
his face in his arms in an attitude Of cOntrltion. MI
Edmunds Ieposed upon his spine and observed an
unusual silence aud Mr. Carpenter restrained his
customary bounce.
Twice or thrice only during the two hours speech,
was Hr. Schurz interrupted. Once, Mr.. Conkling
attempted to correct citation from his speech OF
Yesterday, and was instantly convicted of triting
with words. whereat q whisper ran around the
audience that the gentleman from New-York was
only clubbing. Once, Mr.. Morton put question,
and was senced by pertinent inquiry which he
had not the language To answer. three or fouf
times with increasing emphasis and finger pointing
scorn, Nh Schurz repeated the query, and Mr..
Morton held his peace. There was no more OF that
foolish souabbling about tries in which the Senate
usually wastes so much of its time, for every one
saw that Mr. SEIZURE to-day was dangerous.
do not attempt to give a synopsis of this great
speech-the most perfect piece OF rhetoric that Con-
Qress has heard for many O long day. Your regular
dispatches will perform that task better than can
Ostensibly it was an answer to Mr. COnklngf
harangue Of yesterday, and it was the subject OF
remark that Mr.. ConkIings effort was not printed
this morning in The Globe, but withheld for correc-
ton. Mr. Schurz, however, soon scared above Conk-
ling. and we forgot the small politicians to whom
he was replying in our admiration of the elevation
of sentiment and dignity of language with which he
treated the broad general principles of his discourse
I say nothing now OF the evidence upon which the
resolution he was supporting rests; but OF the man
ner in which the case was presented, all parties
unite in enthusiastic praise. Every point was put
with extraordinary clcarEess and force; and While
the tone of the speech was sufficiently calm and
subdued, every sentence seemed to burn
with an honest indignation, whose influence
ID was almost impossible TO resist. When ht
had finished the discussion of the resolution, he
paused a moment and then turned to the amend
ment This was the amendment offered by Mr.
Conkling calling for inquiry into the conduct OF
Senators supposed to have rendered themselves
liable TO fine and Imprisonment for holding i'm
proper communications with the agents OF
spies of n foreign government Everybody knew
that this extraordinary motion was threat to
Chas. Sumner, Carl Schurz, and the Marquis dc
Chanbrun, Solicitor of the French Legation, from
whom il was assumed that the facts in this case had
been learned Mr.. Schurz paid an eloquent and
tonehpg tribute TO the character of the Marquis the
chosen friend Of De Tocqueville, and husband of q
lineal descendant of Lafayette, and when he had
done this he took his adyersaries all aback
by announcing that the person from whom
he drew his information about the sale OF
arms was not the Marquis. but an American citizen
Then he showed, in a few passionate words, the real
character of Mr.. Conkllngs shameless resolution
&" How soon will the time come" he exclaimed
"when they who inxuire into the rascalitles
of Leet & Stocking, knights Of the General
Order shall likewise be threatened with
fine and imprisonment" i blush for the
Senator that he has offered such resolution, but
welcome it for myself and shall vote for it with
the dsdain which it deserves" There was
distinct sensation all through the Cham
Der when he closed this sentence and
several times in the course of his speech
that peculiar futteriug among the audience which
is much more significant than noisy applause, bore
testimony to the effect of his eoQuence and it car
hardly have escaped notice that the sensation was
most marked when he pointed to the abuses o.
patronage and denounced the tyranny of the party
whip.
He made magnificent point when he compared
the attitude Of liberal Republicans to-day with the
conduct of certain eminent English statesmen who
denounced the conduct of the English Government