New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-03-05
THE SALE OF ARMS.
Speech of Senator West.

luton in reference to the sale of arms tt
the Fyench was Presumed. After several
other Senators had spoken. Mr.. West, OF
Louisiana, said, as reported officially in the
Congressional Globe:
Mr.. President, as I understand, at the
present time it would not be III order 10
submit a substitute for the resolution now
before the Senate, inasmuch as the pendinig
question is on the reconsideration Oh 'he
vote on the amendment of the Senator from
New York (Mr. COnkling), but as design,
when the opportunity offers, to present 10
the Senate for its consideration SUBSTITUTE
for the resolution as it now stands ! claim
the indulgence of the Senate Tor Jew mo-
ments in the remarks | shall MAKE IL sup
port of that substitute.
In submitting the substitute for the TPso-
luton in its amended form now before the
Senate, | shall make an effort to recall this
body for q moment from the wide field OF
political debate over which it has strayed
and rambled, and to invite its attention TO
the fact that we may, in warding OF attacks
on the one hand, and in assailing the admin
istration upon the other, commit the Ameri-
can Senate to the unparalleled course Ut
fran NJ an indictment against its own
20 ernment for breach Of its own
neutrality laws, without instigation thereto.
against which a grievance is alleged. In
deed, the information upon which We are
called to act comes to us solely through the
power that, if any such breach has been
made, should be the last to question con
duct that may have benefited them and was
prejudicial to their opponents. Before com
hitting myself to such Il step, or allowing
the Senate to do SO without protest, how
ever feeble it may be, shall briefly endeavor
t1,, -, e -; bod TO hot
think should be deemed it's legitimate and
expedient sphere of investigation ofthe sub
ject of the sale of arms.
There has been a long, animated ana at
times heated discussion OF the resolution
under consideration. The debate has Its
explanation in the fact that in the under
standing of those who advocate the charges
made, as well as il that OF those who deny
them, the roposed investigation may affect
the approaching presidential nomination ana
election car not but believe that 1t would
be wiser for the friends OF the present ad-
ministration to permit any investigation
that NAV be seriously demanded than to
engage in a discussion in advance OF full
knowledge by the Senate and the country
of the circumstances such investigation is
intended to disclose.
In the present temper of the American
people it Is not prudent to oppose the full
abuse, as any hesitation evinced by those
who are regarded by the country as most
cOnspicuously the friends of the admins
tratiOn, is at once seized upon as evidence
of dread upon the part OF the adlnlnistra-
ton itself OF the consequences OF lnvestlga-
ton; and a ready inference of guilt finds
prompt lodgment in the popular mind. Thus
may the movers of inquiry, which if al
lowed without objection would come to
1arix fpnrv, hn init
all the advantages of creating in the popu-
lar action. Thus may the adversaries of
the administration succeed in destroying
public confidence, upon which alone can 1t
command success, not of any guilt upon Its
part, by sins Of commission or omission, but
because OF the. indiscretion of those whose
i'll, Judged opposition to inquiry has filed
the public mind with suspicion; and that
there are those in opposition to the admin
istratiOn wise enough to seize that advan-
tage has been more than once demon
strated by the debates upon this floor during
the present session.
The intensity of feeling evoked in opposi
ton to the resolution Of the honorable Sena-
tor from Massachusetts has its excuse,
however, in the extraordinary character
both of the preamble and resolution. prov
ing to be, as it was probably intended, a
very bombshell thrown among the Repub-
licans OF the Senate. Whether the Repub-
lican party had right to expect such hos
tile projectles from that quarter is not I'M
worthy, perhaps, of consideration; but Ger
tain it Is that his resolution, taken as a
whole, is couched in such language that he
could scarcely expect its adoption by the
Senate, and therefore is not to be excused
upon the theory that it was offered in the
faith that it would be accepted. doubt if
there is in the history of the Senate a parallel
fnr !, a fra pr, np4 m
In this matter the Senate stands in the
attitude of a grand jury to make inquisi-
ton touching the administration OF the laws
by the Executive Department OF the gov
eminent. In adopting this preamble the
Senate would prefer an Indictment in ad-
vance of the inquiry, and declare the guilt
of the parties accused before formal inves
tigation of the facts. To proper inquiry
concerning matters fit for legislative inves-
tigation no one would certainIy-at least
no one should-object: but to condemnation
in advance OF inquiry, it is equally matter
of duty for Senators to object. As, how
ever, if do not misunderstood the purpose
of Senators. this preamble can not be ac-
cepted, shall not detain them by discuss
ing it.
l said that no one would object to any IL
vestlgation Of matters coming within the
proper range Of legislative inquiry. In my
beyond the scope of matters proper to be
inquired into i'll this manner. III not i'm
proper under any and all circumstance
then 1t is at this time ineXprdient.
l accept the issue as proposed by tie hon
Oratle Senator from Missouri in the first of
the three questions into which he saws the
subject divides itself. Iquote his language:
D." First, las any thing done in connection
with the sales Of arms effected during the
rtfI Ia wal hat
with the rule laid down by this government
for its own action, that no arms should he
sold to any known agent of a bell igerent
power
Certainly IN matter of such Importance
the Senate should not institute an inyesti-
CATION without reasonable grounds for sus
picion and | fail to find such grounds in
anything that has been adduced i'll this dis
cussion The honorable Senator undoubt-
edly thinks differently concerning the
matter. But should the investigation result,
precisely according to his anticipation and
assertion. What then! We would, by q
senatorial inquisitiOn, have succeeded in
putting into the hands of formidable
power, now friendly and making no com
plant las | understand it as to the manner
in which our international obligations have
been observed), testimony against yourselves,
and testimony which they could not other
wise obtain. upon which to found a com
plant against the United States tor a breach
Of neutrality. If the fact were so, is it ex-
pedient for us at this time Of all others to
do So. We should at the same time fix
upon some executive officer or officers of
greater or less grade responsibility there
tor, and might insure their punishment, but
this qualification would be dearly earned
at tie sacrifice OF our friendly relations
with Prussia. The highest possible success
IL. IL n,,,ll e., i 1 I
involve the President in the conspiracy, but
the more perfect the success in this direc-