Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-02-21

first, he SAID it was absurd to as
scrt that these sales were made under
the ordinary circumstances surrounding the
previous sales. Ii was true that the govern
ment had been selling arms all along since the
end Of the rebellion, -!iobOdy found any fault;
but, when The great war between France and
Germany had broken our, and the president had
issued a proclamation Of neutrality, would any
body claim that 10 extraordinary precautions
were then necessary in the sale of arms. lndi-
viduals might he pardoned for taking refuge be-
hind technical ignorance OF the destination of
the arms, but the nation could not afford 10 do
that, because It's honor and character among
nations was at stake.
Mr.. Schruz read letter written by the chief
of ordnance, describing, he said, the operations
of the war department. in making sales of arms
at that period. The letter stated that bids had
been invited by sending out letters TO the prlnci-
pal dealers in arms. 1t was remarkable, how
ever, that Baker & Co, the only very great
arms merchants in New York, were not
notified and only learned by accident
that the sales were 10 take place, Upon
making the discovery. Baker came to Wash
int ion and notified the PruSsIan minister. The
minister went to the war department and asked
that the sales be postponed a few days, and it
was done. The senator from New York, Alr
Conklng, had said thar Baker Co. bought
arms, which afterwards got into the hands of
Germany; that was a mistake. He, SchurZ
had been in communication with that house
Il quantity of arms for the purpose of keeping
them from the French, expecting to be recon-
pensed by the German government; but that
government declined to have anything to do
with the arms, and they passed into the hands of
Schuyler, Hartley 4 Graham, and afterwards Of
the French. There were new calls for bids, to
be opened ON the Goth OF October. On the 2iSt,
mt 4 P. NJ the sales of large amount of arms
to several firms were completed, and, according
to dispatch of The French consul, all those
1 E-,t.
French government, ON October 22d, Just
one day after the sales from the department
were completed Certainly the business was
done promptly, taughter) and tue question was
naturally suggested, whether, when Sqnires was
discovered rs Il French agent, the sales were nor
postponed in order 10 give him an opportunity
to make arrangements with other parties. He
did not charge that this was Il lact but he
would ask every fair minded man whether the
suspicion did not lie dreadully near. Then
came sales to Richardson, when the war depart
ment wasilot offering TO large arm dealers; did
it address one of It's letters to Mr., Thomas
Richardson, counsellor at law, at Lion, New
York. (Llughter) The senator from New
fork had laid great stress upon,-what he as
sumed to be lact,-that Richardson need not
have appeared personally at the depart
ment Gu negotiating his purchases, ard
that it could have been done by
merely sending in his bid, accompanied
by twenty per cent. of the purchase money
The record showed, however, that the business
could not be done i'll that way, because some
effort was necessary TO satisfy the conscience OF
| the war department about the prUprletv Of
making the cartridges, and it showed, Also that
| an effort was made, not by Richardson IN per.
| son, but by another gentleman, Remington; the
| same Remington who, on the 18th of the pre-.
| ceding October, had been discovered TO be the
| agent OF the French government. As further
| evidence that there did exist just ground fol-
suspicion, and, therefore, for the investigation,
| Mr. Schurz read TWO extracts from the testimony
| given by Remington in France, on the trial OF
Place. Remington, beng Il witness Jude" oath,
| sad: II did not regard myself obliged to make
advances; and this still less inasmucn as bad
myself to pay the government Of the UGftcd
| States and advance ten TO twenty per
cent. Again, before the investigating
committee OF tne French assembly, he said
by the French government | was charged TO
treat with the government of the United
States" This last statement also showed what
brought Remington back to this country in De-
cember OF that year. He came to transact DuSi-
ness connected with the purchase ostcnslbly
made by Richardson aud it was after his return
on that GRAND that the interview and negOtia-
| tons described in his letter took Place.
Mr.. Schun continued, making a long, able
and bitter speech. TO the point that there was
| ground for suspicion and Investigation he quoted
| from the teS timony of jules Lecesne, president
| OF the armament committee at Tours The
HuNollOu wa uIOu d CCttdiu ufGlCutu1C ull Il lOl
OF rifles, and this witness said there was no eX-
pense beyond percentage allowed to Reming-
ton, since we had treated directly with the fed
eral government Of the United States, which de-
| hVered these aims without charge on board The
vessels. After this and other statements he
| tSchurz) thought senators should cease to talk
about the want Of patriotism of those who called
| the attention OF the senate and country TO this
matter.
On the question of the violation of our own
| laws, he CLAIMED that the proceeding was at
least of doubtful legality, because the arms sold
were breech leaders of the pattern Of 1866, while
our militia was still armed with muzzle leaders,
and he had seen Il letter from the chief Of ord
nance TO General Belknap, stating that the arms
sold were MT for tue United States service. He
maintained, also, that the facts shown were
enough TO justify suspicion OF corrupt colIu-
sion between Remington and officers of the war
department. He was particularly severe on Mr.,
Conkling'S amendment, proposing an inquiry
whether any senator or citizen had been in col
fusion with foreign agent or spy. The admin
iStration senators, he said, had already inSutcd
the German government by suggesting that this
matter might prejudice the emperor in his ca
pacity of arbitrator between the United States
ard Great Britain, and they had insultcd the
French government also, by intimating that it
had employed spies in this country. He defends
the Marquis de ChambruG, who, he said, was
the legal adviser of the French legation, French
gentleman of distinguished family, high charac-
ter and atainments; further, he was not the
man who had given Mr.. Schurz the first inform
alton on this subject.
10 the charge that the resolutions were in
tended to influence the German vote Mr. Schurz
replied with much energy. The Germans he
SAID, were owned by no man. Least of ali were
they owned by that class Of politicians who
cling to the skirt of power. The Germans had
fought Iammany in New YORK, and they would,
in solid array, fight every rammany, great or
small, on whatever side it might appear An
attempt had been made to suppress this inyest-
CATION by cracking the party whip; but those
who made that attempt gIieyOusy mistGOk the
time and spirit of the people The Deople could
no longer be deceived by Misrepresentation of
the motives of those fighting against corruption
When the motives were called in question: they
knew the motives of the henchmen OF power
were at least as open 10 suspicion
as the motives of those who opposed
them. Let me tell these gentleman
said he, that we knew the road to patronage
just as well rs others did, if we had chosen to
walk Ill it. The crack Of the party whip has
lost its power in these times, and party cant
lies stale and nauseating upon the stomach Of
the people. Ii you think the movement now
spreading all over this land is mere plot OF
politicians, you will soon discover your mistake,
II is reaction against easy political morals,
and the spirit Of iObbery developed in times OF
war aud great political excitement
1t is an earnest uprising for honest and pure
So,olulhSut' ~ CdHlloI IcpICss IL Oy party Uls"
cipline. You cannot kill it with penal statutes.
Ii may be mere commOtiOn to-day; undertake
to resist it aud you will find il a great moral
and political revolution tomorrow. Whatever
Others may do, he said, | have taken my lot. It
is to tins cause my heart is devoted, and with
this cause will stand or fall
MIR, Morton replied at length making some
effective relorlS which provoked interruptions
from MIR. Schuz and Mr. Blair, and, without
voting, the senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
Mr., lynch introduced n hill IN define the