The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-02-24
The Sale of Arms to France.

The Ottawa Republican publishes the speech
Of Senator Conklin. of New York, on the new
scandal that has been dragged to light against
the present administration in regard to the
sale of arms to France during the great Fran
co-Prussian war. As that speech consists en-.
| tirely OF an arraign ment of the motives Of
| those republican senators who have asked for
IN investigation Of this disreputable business,
and carefully conceals the facts of the case
| such of our readers as may have seen the
| Conkling speech will doubtless be glad to see
what was said by Senator Shurz on the other
side. Our great regret is that our limited
space will only permit US to give few para
graphs, from what was one Of the most mag.
nfcent speeches ever delivered in the senate
The extracts are taken from mere telegraph
synopsis of the speech, which occupied some
two hours in its delivery:
Mr. SHURz said the weakness of a cause Is
apt t" disclose itself by the nature of the ar
guments u.ed in its support. When We hear
. case advocated by insinuatiOn and innuen-
does with regard to the motives of those who
have taken the other side, we are very apt to
suppose that there must he something wrong.
Nobody who has Listened to the speeches of
the senators from Indiana and New York
Morton and Conklingl would deny that the
general rule applies To the present matter,
The senator from Indiana (Mr. Norton tried
to convince the senate that there could be no
suspicion connected with the sale Of arms by
this government to certain persons, because
every road out of the republican party led in
to the democratic, laughter, and because the
platform of the Missouri liberals does not &C
cord with his views, and must therefore he
unrepublicsn and radically wrong, and be-
cause he Is in favsr Of the reelection Of Gen.
Grant, and is sure to have it. Laughter |
The senator from New York (Mr. kling)
whom | very sincerely regret not TO See III h, ;
seat after his gallant exploit on yesterday. fol-
lowed in the footsteps Of the senator from In
diana. He tried TO convince US that the sales
of arms must necessarily be free from blame,
because there is Oh impression abroad that
there is a military ring in this country; be.
cause there is an impression OF the existence
OF senatorial cabal bent upon destroying this
administration, and because the democrats are
circulating IN New Hampshire speeches of
certain republican senators in order to defea:
the administration party there. Now, sir, !
will not deny that these things were very eo-
quently expressed, and might have been very
proper elsewhere, but certainly they did not
throw much light on the question now under
discussion, and should be glad to psss them
over did not desire to devote very few re-
marks to one thing SAID by that senator With
An air Of triumph he held up pamphlet pur-
porting 10 contain one Of my speeches. saying
that it WAS circulated by the democratic party
in New Hampshire, and WAS producing greater
effect than any other document have since
inquired into that matter, and what do you
think that pamphlet contains 1t contains
the speeches Of the senators from Illinois, Mas
sschuseits and Nebraska. and myself, snd they
are speeches arnounciDg the corruption pre-.
valiing in the custom house in New York. If
such things work against the success OF the
| administration party. then the fault does not
lie with those who denOunce corruption. II.
10 those sycophants who, by covering up every
abuse, ever SO glazing, and defending every
violation OF the law, ever so scandalous, who
have brought the commonwealth 10 the pass
where we now find it. Yes, there is sena-
torial cabal upon this floor. It is that cabal
which defeated the San Domingo scheme It
Is that cabal which forced the investigation of
corruption in the New York custom house. Il
is that cabal which exposed those abuses and
rendered necessary their reformation, and let
me tell the senate that those speeches of ours
would not have produced the least effect on
the republican voters OF New Hampshire if it
could have been said at the same time that
those abuses which were laid open in al, their
dctormty whole year ago had been abolish
ed and if II could have been denied that Leet
and Stocking were at that moment plundcring
the merchants of New YORK.
Mr., Shuz then SAID tina; the subject before
the senate, stripped OF all personal matters,
raised three questions. The first was: What
was done in accordance with the rule Of CON
duct laid down by the government for ii.
own actlon-the rule that no arms should be
sold to any known agent of either belllgerent.
The second was: What was done in accord
ance with the laws OF the country The third
was Is there in the facts as they stand before
Us any ground for suspicion of corrupt prac-
tises connected with the transaction?
Mr.. Shurz then gave in detail the evidence,
based on the statement of Remington, the
agent of France, and others, showing that
they had purchased these arms directly ofthe
L. s., and then proceeded:
The senator from New York (Mr. Conkling)
had said that cash was the purchaser. That
might be well, provided this Mr.. Cash was
not a representative Of a known agent of the
French government. No matter, says the
senator f.om New York (Mr. Conkliug) Cash
Is the man who buys, and We look at nothing
but cash. But then where is our reasonable
diligence where is our good faith No mat
ter, says the senator, this great American re-
public of ours understands her good faith and