Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-03-23
.oRCEsTER
SATURDAY. MARCH es, 1s.s.l


The sale of Arms Business.
Il the secret history of the "sale Of arms inves-
tigation'' shall ever be brought to light, it will
doubtless appear that The Frenchman, Cham
brun, is chiefly responsible for the charges and
insinuauons pat forth in the senate so freely
against our war department; and, also, that he
was in pursuit of something that might be Oh
service to that villanous swindler, Place, late
French consul at New York. We have previous
" stated the reasons for this belief, and circum-
stances tend more and more to confirm it. This
Chambrun would have failed to influence the
mind of any senator, if there had been no sena-
TOR predisposed 10 assail the administration. As
it was, he found two or three ready listeners,
and connived to have his insinuations and allie
cations recited in the form of a preamble to the
resolution proposing to have the matter investi-
gated. After weeks of debate which spread the
falsehoods all over the country, the preamble
was withdrawn. Then came the investigation
which has shown that every allegation of that
preamble was un(ounded.
1t was maintained with great vehemence that
there must have been atrocious swindling in the
war department, because there was an unac-
countable discrepancy" between the accounts
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Itappeared at once, however, that the assumed
discrepancy did not exist; and, as Secretary
Boutwell, has testified, this might have been
seen by those who made the charge, if they had
taken the trouble to inquire at the treasury de-
partment; they had Numbered badly; and they
now admit freely that the accounts are correct.
This shows that the charge was made up with
more eagerness than justice, and proclaimed to
the senate and the country with more passion
than candor. A senator who can make and pro-
claim such a charge as this, should Immediately
have the ministrations of sharp investigating
committee. Think a moment of senator pub
fishing such charge to the country, without
inquiring at the departments whether there is
any foundation for it!
Another clause of the preamble stated that "a
committee of the French national assembly"
had passed a resolution asking for enquiry
into The conduct of American officials" who were
Suspected" of having acted fraudulently. 1t
appeared singular that any sane man could be-
lieve this; for our war department has had no
dealings with the French government. Yet
there were senators capable of believing it, and
Carl Schurz explained it to mean that ''the
in question by the French government" Never
theess, the statement was false; there was no
foundation for it, and nothing whatever to eX-
cuse it, save paper purporting to be telegram
which Chambruu, and very likely, Schurz him
self, could explain if they saw fit But the
statement went to France and was Immediately
contradicted by the French committee; letters
have come from France bringing their testimony
10 the fasehood of the representation; and
now we have the contradiction repeated in q
communication from Mr.. Washbume, our min.
lister to France Neither the committee nor the
assembly have eveithought of suspecting Amer
lean officials of misconduct.
So it is with all the allegations put forth in
that preamble, and in the debate which it pro
voked. From beginning to end, they prove to
be unlounded and inexcuslbe, so far as relates
to what they say or iusinuate against the adj
minisuation. Such complete exposure was moi
expected so soon. We have no doubt that Mr.
Schurz would now be glad to withdraw large
part of his speeches on the subject and have il
forgotten. He manilests painful conscious
ness of being in a tight place. Yesterday, he
was on the stand as a witness, and made a very
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what he had been told, and then refused
to name the persons who had giyeI
him information. This is his method of adm!
investigation. But we are not surprised TO Sc
him COMPOUNDED and troubled by the complete
annihilation of his Cease against the admins
tration. He naturally feels this as an afiictior
very hard TO bear, and very likely begins t,
suspect that he has injured himself. Personally
he is by no means a stranger to us; but we con
TESS feeling, that, in this business, he has giver
us a new revelation OF his character. Here, OF
our table, are his recent speeches; and, taken in
connection with what has befallen his cease
and with his notable method of aiding invest.
cation, they do not show us the Carl Schur2
with whom we supposed ourselves acquainted
These men profess that they desire to defeat
the denomination of President Grant Doubt
less, this profession is sincere; but they have
done more to secure it than was possible to those
who desire to see him renomiuated. They have
not allowed this to be an open question. They
have allowed only the possibility Of choice be
tween Grant and the proposed Missouri mass
meeting. Their policy is to menace the repub
lean party in order to compel it to sub
init TO their dictation, which, OF course
is a submission that will never be made
The impulse they provoke to repel thi
dictation, does more to secure President Grants
denomination, than would, in our view, hav
been possible if they had conducted the discus
sion like honest, candid, loyal republicans
They have made a very grave mistake whicl
will be more disastrous to themselves than Il
anybody else. They do not own the republican
party. They can not rule it. Their menace
can not give them control of its movements
They over estimate their own importance, and
will now learn a lesson of which some of them
have long stood in need