Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-21
CONGRESSIONAL.
Our FrancO-PruSSlan ImbrOgliO.
Carl SChUrz' Reply to COnkling.
A Powerful and Pointed Effort.
Norton Accuses Him of Perfldy,
? Reply to COnkling.
SENATE.

] TIGUCn.
galleries were completely filed, and on mo
ton of Mr.. Fenton, the ladies were allowe
to occupy the cloak rooms.
Mr.. Schurz then addressed the Senate
He said the weakness of cause is apt Il
disclose itself by the nature of the argu
ments used in its support. When we hea
a cause advocated by insinuations and inu
endoes, with regard to the motives of thos,
who have taken the other side, we are very
apt to suppose that there must be
Something Wrong.
/ Nobody who has listened to the speeches O
the Senators from Indiana and New Yorl
(Morton and Conkling) would deny tina
the general rule applies TO the present mat
| ter.
The Senator from Indiana (Morton) 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 into the Democratic. daughter
And because the platform of the Missouri
Liberals does not accord with his view il
must be therefore unrepublican and rad.
ically wrong, because he is in favor of the
reelection of Gen. Grant, and is sure to
hayeit. Oaughter.)
The Senator from New York (Conkling),
whom very sincerely regret not to see in
his seat, after his gallant exploit yesterday,
followed in the footsteps of the Senator
from Indiana. He tried to convince us
that the sales of arms must necessarily be
free from blame, because there is no impress
sion abroad that there is a military ring in
this country; because there is an impression
Of the existence Of a Senatorial cabal bent
on destroying this administration, and be-
cause the Democrats are circulating in New
Hampshire the speeches of certain Republi-
can Senators in order to defeat the admin
istration party there.
Now, sir, will not deny that these things
were very elOquently expressed, and might
have been very proper elsewhere, but GER
tainly they did not throw much light on the
question now under discussion, and
should be glad to pass them over, did not
desire to devote a very few remarks TO one
thing said by that Senator. With an air of
triumph he held up pamphlet purporting
to 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. l
have since inquired into that matter, and
what do you think that pamphlet contains?
1t contains the speeches of Senators from
Illinois, Massachusetts and Nebraska, and
myself, and they are speeches denouncing
the corruption prevailing in the
CustOmhOuse in New York.
If such things work against the success
of the administration party, the fault does
NJ rr-ifl T1,n 10
ruption. 1t is those
SycOphants,
who by covering up every abuse ever so
glaring and defending every violation of
law ever so scandalous, who have brought
the commonwealth TO the pass where we
now find it. Yes, there is a Senatorial
cabal upon this floor. 1t is that cabal
which
Defeated the San Domingo Scheme.
1t is that cabaI which forced the investiga-
ton of corruption in the New York Gus
tOmhOuse. II is that cabal which exposed
those abuses and rendered necessary their
and let me tell the Senate that
those speeches Of ours would not have pro-
duced the least effect on the Republican
voters of New Hampshire if it could not
abuses which were laid open in all their de
formity a whole year ago, had been abOl-
ished, and if it could have been denied that
Leet & Stocking were at that poment still
plUnde-ing the merchants of New York.
Mr.. Schurz then said the subject before
the Senate stripped of all personal matters
raised .
Three Questions:
The 1st was, what was done in accord
ance with the rule. of conduct laid down by
the Government for its own action, the rule
that no arms should be sold TO any known
agent of either belligerent.
The second was, what was done in &C
cordance with the laws of the country.
And third, is there in tie facts as they
stand before us any ground for suspicion of
corruptiOns connected with the transaction.
In discussing the first he said it was alb
surd to assert that these sales were made
under the ordinary circumstances sur
the previous sales. 1t was true
the Government had been selling arms
all along since the end Of the rebellion,
and no one found any fault, but when a
great war between France and Germany
Ind broken out, and the President had iSs
sued a proclamation of neutrality, would
say that no extraordinary precau-
tons were then necessary in the sales of
arms? individuals might be pardOned for
taking refuge behind technical ignorance of
the distinction of the arms, but a nation
couldn't afford to do that, because its
honor and its character among nations
were at stake.
Mr.. Schurz read letter written by the
Chief of Ordnance, describing, he said, the
operations of the War Department in
making the sale of arms at that period.
The letter stated that bids had been invited
by sending out letters to the principal deal
ers in arms. 1t was remarkable, however,
that Baker & Co., the only very great arms
merchants in New York, were not notified,
and only learned by accident that the sales
we're to take place. Upon making the dis
cOvery Baker came to Washington and
Notified the Prussian Minister.
The Minister went to the War Depart
ment and asked that the sales should be put
off for a few days, and it was done. The
Senator from New York (COnkling) had
said that Baker & Co. bought arms which
got into the hands of
Germany. That was a mistake. He
ySchuTz) had been in communication with
hat House and had ascertained the fact,
which was that they had bid upon guam
,ity of arms for the purpose Of keeping them
from the French, expecting to be recon-
Densed by the German government, but
hat government declined to have
anything To do with the arms, and
hey passed into the hands of
Hartley & Graham, and after
wards into the hands of the French. There
we're new calls for bids to be opened on the
10Th of October. On 0 t. p, at / 2. NJ,
sales of large amount of arms to several
firms were completed, and according TO
dispatch of the French Consul, all those
arms had already been partly paid for by
he French government on the 22d. just
)ne day after the sales from the Depart
nent were completed Certainly the bust
ness was
Done Promptly.
Laughter And the question was natU-
ally suggested whether when Squires was
discovered as a French agent the sales were |
not postponed in order TO give him an OPP
to make arrangements with other
DarJies. He did not charge that this was
he tact, but would ask every fair-minded
nan whether suspicion did not lie dread |
ally near?
Then came the sales TO Richardson.
When the War Department was not offer |