The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1872-02-22
THE SALE OF ARMS.
rRnNoH DIPLOMACY.


- n L
rgs. sumner che Oatspaw Of The
French Government.
Just what Mr.. Sumner means by
his resolution Of Monday, attacking
the faith of the ADMINISTRATION and
the honesty Of Government officers
in sale Of arms and ammunition during
the Franco German war, ia what
everybody wants to know. The
Senator from Massach is notorl-
GUS for the careful elaboration be-
slowed upon all bis work before be
brings it into the Senate, and it is
always expected that he means more
than appears upon the surface whom
ever subject is brought in by him.
But in the issue he has raieed this
time certain discontinue awaits him,
and much discredit is likcly to fall
upon the French Government
through its charge d'affaires in
Washington.
During the late war in Europe the
French Government found itself sore.
" pressed for arms and munitions
Of war, and was obliged to seek in
tho United States for its supplies OF
this character. It appointed as it's
agent in this country the firm Of B
Remington 4 Sons, of lion, New
York. The Ordnance department
of the army has, since the close of
the rebellion, had on hand large
surplus Of material, which, from
time to time, has been sold "a ad
vantageous opportunity offered, and
these sales were greatly stimulated
by the war in Europe in 1870-71.
As the United States was at peacc
with both combatants no sales -were
made to known to agents Of either
beligerent. Int were made solely to
citizens of the United States, with
out question as to the ultimate desii-
nation of the arms. In the case oil
Remington 4 Sons the War Depart
ment discovered, about the middle
of October, 1870, that this firm wore
acting for the French Government,
and the Secretary Of War immedi.
ately ordered that no bids be receiv.
cd or sales made to them. However,
Messrs. Remington 4 Sons con.
tinued to purchase through
outside dealers and furnished the
French Government with material
in large amounts, at the same time
representing to that Governmen,
that they purchased directly from the
United States. In settling mp &C
counts the Fronch Government dis
covers that the sums charged BY
that firm we're largely in excess q
tho amount wi ich the ordnance de
partment reported as received from
its sales to private parties, and there
upon sets itself about to discover
who has rocketcd the difference.
| The paragraph of Mr.. Sumner
preamble tells the whole story. i
I 1t Is as follows:
i "Whereas it.appears from recen
cable telegram that the committe'
of the French National Assembl,
Ion war contracts has adopted : reso
luton asking the United State
Government TO furnish the result Q
inquiry into the conduct Of Ameri
can official suspected of participa
ting in the purchase Of arms for th
French Government during the wa
with Germany"
| II is q pertinent question just her
as to who informed the French Ma
tional Assembly that an investigs
ton had beeh. made '.into the con
duct of American officials" Th
subject was never heard of by tn
War Department until the announc
ment above quoted was made OF
Monday last. II appears, to use
homely phrase, that it - put ri
job on the part of the French Gov
eminent TO avail itself of the bin,
hatred of Senator Sumner agains
the Administration, that it may oh
tain information not to be gained il
any other way. 1t finds itself una
BILE to get the evidence desired, il
consequences Of inability to summon
to France the witnesses who bough
from the Government and sold I,
Remington, and intrnsts it's Legation
at Washington with the task Of pro
curing this evidence.
1t is first necessary for the Frencl
National Assembly to insinuat'
that officers Of our Governmen
have been, like theirs, guilty Of NAL
feasance 10 order that there may b.
some foundation for the attack Mr.
Sumner proposes to make on tn
Administration. 1t will be remem
bered that Victor Place, formerl,
French consul-general, NJ New York
has been sentenced by the courts o
his Government to several years
imprisonment for frauds and pecula
tion while intrusted with funds TO
the purchase of arms. The evidenc
for his conviction was mainly turn
ished by the Remingtons, one O
whom was the. principal witnes
against him.
1t is now claimed by the Frencl
Government, and repeated b.
Mr.. Sumner, that the arm
shipped to France were sold by thi
Government through the infnenc
OF American officers whose service
could only have been obtained b,
use of money. On the 4th of Janu
airy last, in pursuit Of this idea, thu
French charge d'affaires addressed .
letter to the State Department GOV
ering copy of communication
from Mr.. Remington to the proper
French officer at Tours, which dis
tinctly implied that he was dealing
directly with the American Govern
ment in purchase Of war material
The French Government, believin,
these representations to be authentic
and still being indebted to theil
American agents, deemed it proper
to inquire into certain swindlin.
transactions that somebody had Ger
tainly perpetrated on them.
The answer OF tho Secretary o
War to the communication of thu
charge d'affairs, received through