New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-02-21

tnpn here on thai GRAND that the interview h Mace
@ s ofSTpea h az r Mortonl had objected
TO his (Schurzs statement the other gay men whom they
ment only bound not to s eel but also TO
knew TO he agents of either belns of Information i'm
satisfy themselves by all the me ne for arms were not
the sgepts 81 one or the but ne Sha he
was willing TO accept i m Government had reason to
believe that the buy ing sS arms Was an e the
sS fae5 5 thai All the called upon no
know Was o , Of The 6eeercns aud he Insisted that Inc
Government had failed to do It's duty judged eve" "
rule. ,.r,cs A
| coNKLINGs INTERPRETATIONS OF OUR DUTIES 80
NITRALs. ~,
The Senator from New-YorR tMr. ConSnnsI 1''' ~
that Cash " was the purchaser That my" y.
provided this "Mr. Cash " was not the rep
a known agent Of the French G0vernhoIt. ,l' :,
GAYS the Senator from New York Mr ConkhnH, O"sn
-. =. - n, hnys and we look 40 nothing but cash.
H.. ,,o vbcre Is our reasonable diigencef Wheie IL
60 "a t,ttb9 No matter, says the Senator, this great
American Republic Of ours understahas n1T goou Mn
her eutIal duties upon strictly CASH pm
cinles IiAughterl Proudly the standard OF our ~
ona morality aud honor was borne ol H s' tbc cont
of arms Of this great Republic W the Ohl'Eu ,cn
augtsr Seriously Tee bs Our az" rule Of neutral duty
T. This the rule Ia observed not only by MS pt ~
nsi let me warn Senators to pause long before ,nS
commit themselves 10 any position so absuIu SO le,
an utterly dshonOrabc. Lei me tell them IL IS NV. ,o
cover themselves up With little quibbing teceSh""s'
| MD THE WAR DEPARTMENT TREAT DIRECTLY WITH tht
FRENCH GOVERNMENT
Mr. sehurz discussed this at great length and rs addl
tiona evidence that there was ground FOR Suspicion anu
investigation read passage from the testimony gwen
nv ules Iecesne who was President OF the Armament
Committee at Tours IN France, while these sales were
going on The question was upon certain oVercnarso
ON lot CT miles, and this witness said: There was ~
since we had treated directly with the Fedora,
Government Of the United states %heh ue aseis
these arms without charge ON board inc ' SbnS1,
After this and the other statements ne Ont, scnurE
thought the Senators should cease to tax a9o e the
Senate and the country to this matter II was 9ne fD
dentthat foreign governments were as Thnse state.
mcits made under oath in foreign courts cit no COURSE
o ib taements to be false il they or, II
| they were true, to punish the guilty.
The SALES OF REECHLoADERs ILLEGAL
rrhe second question was the laws OF our own
country volaedl And he argued that it was at least
Drocecdng of doubtful legality to sell the breechoadhe
rifles at all The statute authorized the sale OF old
cannon, arms, and other ordnance stores when were
damaged or otherwise unsuitable for the Untcd STATES
military service for the militia of the United states
and under this the Chief Of Ordnance had assumed the
right to sell large number OF breecn-iOag r iitia
throughout the country were armed WIN oiu ihuNH0
% rSoRTON cp indy said that the breech-oaders
sold were discarded pattern and that IL was tn1 IN
tenon Of the Government to arm Inc S d
caTded rifles did not propcry come under inc casscs VI
Mr sRZ said thai the secretary OF and the
Chief OF Ordnance had some doubt about the Proprey
Chief Of Ordnance to Gen. Belmap, stating that ne
sold were M for the United states serve int
and manifest breach Of law He charged the show
a e of onH tine o Gdsi nbon this point Would
to hear it at Possibly an attempt w0u1 oe maui
to cxplain il away too, but he would ask me senate
what would become of popular respect doF e thsir
the WSa woud become Of CONSTITUTIONAL govern
men I'm this If the executive Oncels OF the uV
ornIent we're to allowed feel that they might DIS
regard the plaincst provisions of law and that like
Caesar Augustus, they could always rely upon suoms
slve ana obedent Senate He begged the senate to re-
that there more at stake than cartridges OF
| cash
| INDUBITABIE EVIDENCE OF CORRUPT TRANSACTIONS.
on the third point SchurZ argued that the facts
already shown enough to justify suspicion or
corrupt transactons-the testimony of Remington and
of the French officials already referred to- the anxiety
| OF the Chief of Ordnance 20 aid Remington In set
Ting his accounts in France relating to the
same transactions Tor which he bennington
| had been ostensibly driven out OF the
paid by the French and those received by onr Govern
the ieopardzng OF our national reau0ns d Ine
fcssed violation law by the War Department and the
mvsterious disappearance Of largo sums OF money
these facts and circumstances went to show mat
there ground for suspicion ana for % t ~
The Senators the other side knew TINS ana ley ~
keenly, was shown by their attempa TO GiteI,
charging those urge this resolution win acting as
French agents, and with want OF patriotism Ihes so
the Government TO investigate TINS matter anu u
the wrongs charged upon me @ ot The
nenarfment Of the Government to frankly and boldly
disavow them That was the only course worthy oi to
crss these matters IN the senate anu de-
ReTaG that cobGen and Bright when they warned
British Parliament OF the cohscaneCttS "i s @ to
during the Rebellion were far better patOs cah tnose
who dccTied them for it.
COMBINES AMENDMENT.
Mr. sCHURZ then spoke OF the amendment oheFed by
Mr. Conkng ordering the Committee to inquire whether
any Senator or American citizen had been III cOHuslon
with any foreign agent as spy, &C. and said u was
subiect Of rather painful character He regetted that
the Senator had introduced that amendment for his own
sake He reminded him that spies were used only in
nine Of war and suggested that he should strike out that
word from the amendment, as likely to be offensive to
the French Government Mcssrs Morton aud Conklng
, assuming that the agitation OF inns question
might affect the decision OF me German Emperor
ain aud now the Senator from New-Y0rk was gong 10
insult the French Government also Ii thls amehGeho
meant ANYTHING il meant collision OF an improper ma
ture and for improper purposes, ana everybody knew
that it aimed at three perSonshlF sumner hns, ~,
| MIR. SchurZ) and the Marquis dc Chambrun lie (Nlr
SchurZ) would vote for the amendment, ana wouId give
the Senate evidence In advance OF the inVesgau9
! INC Mar1us De Chambrun spy. He was the
legal adviser of the French Legation; French gentle
man distinguished family and OF high character ana
| attanments. Further, he was not the man who mad
given Mr. SchuTz the first Information on thc SUBJECT
| IIaughtcrl But, said Mr.. Schurz, what Is the
spirit of this amendment have said that regretted
Tor the sake OF the gentlemen who introduced IT, do
not know that make myself intellglble to his mind
or to his moral feeling except in one way, by supposing
that had introduced amendment directing the Com
ntee to inquire also whether al those who gave letters
were guilty OF corrupt practices in connection with these
not do iti 1t because considered it infinitely be-
meath me- lAPpauIe m ne gHier rI o had mt vo,
merely addressed note to Mr.. Remington himself the
puTpOrt of which he had stated on former occasion
| Mr. SCHURZ-If the Senator had given Mr.. ReHlng-
ton note stating that he had investigated all these
| From Cove nj