The Republican journal., 1875-12-09

|
ship. 1t is loaded down with it. And
| the worst of the bad business is that this
sort OF reputation is not kept at home.
where it might be in some degree smoth-
cred, but is Haunted in the faces of foreign
nations. While the scandalous transaction
in which money was paid to procure the
dismissal of the Barings, the old and tried
| friends of the country, as its London bank
ers, is fresh in the public mind, the old
Emma mine scandal, involving Minister
Schenck, becomes again prominent 1t
will be remembered that our minister at
the London court gave his certificate as
to the productiveness of the mine and
that upon the strength thereof a large
quantity Of worthless stock was sold in
that market. 1t was transaction utterly
damning, and that should have brought
the immediate recall of the minister-but
nothing was done about it.
Minister Schenck's official position pro-
tected him from the operation of the law,
but Mr.. Park, one OF the manipulators of
the affair. has got caught in its meshes
and through his trial the facts are coming
to light. 1t seems that Mr.. Park, vendor
Of the Emma Mine, lent Gen Schenck,
American Minister and trustee for the
vendees, $50 900, and guaranteed him in
writing, unknown to his colleagues, IS
per cent. on his stock, was one of a num-
Der Of facts which We're stated officially
to the shareholders of the Emma Mine.
They are contained in letter from the
solicitor Of the Company to the Chairman
and Directors OF the Company. This let
ter was forwarded by order of the Drec-
tors to the shareholders, inclosed in a
communication to them from the Secre-
tarv, marked private. The Secretary was
| intrusted by the Directors to acquant the
| shareholders that the information con-
tanned in the solicitors letter had been
obtained from each individual on oath,
and from the signed dispositions Of each
party referred to. 1t saw the light in the
| financial columns of the Hour, conser-
vative daily paper published in London,
accompanied by the remark: I'VE do
not understand why this circular has been
sent out to the Emma shareholders mark
ed private. This is not the sort of thing
which ought to be kept private" The
statement is made in the Hour that upon
evidence received on oath-besdes other
persons named-''th American Minister
at the Court of st. James, upon the
strength OF whose name many English
families subscribed, has been brbed to
the extent Of $50, 0O0r
This is indeed beautiful condition of
affairs, when a foreign Minister will en-
| gage in transactions that would disgrace
curb-stone broker. Mr. Smalley, the New
York Tribune's London correspondent,
who is disposed to let General Schenck
off as lightly as possible, still regards his
conduct as anything but commendable.
In recent letter on the subject Of the
| | am far from meaning to adopt this as Il cor
| rect description OF the transactions in which
| General Schcnck was engaged. | repeat once
| more that. in such comments as | have had to
make most reluctantly from time to time on
| this unhappy business, | have desired to be-
| lieve, and have assumed that the current re-
| ports about General Schenck We're untrue, or
| exaggerated. The fact that there were such
| reports, and that other people believed them,
was quite enough to make him unfit to repre-
| sent the United States as Minister. The ap-
| pearance OF the present statement, with such
| comment upon it, does not improve the Situa-
| ton. General Schenck is certainly entitled to
| such credit as may be due to his voluntary APP
| pearance before the Commission to testify.
| His diplomatic position would have shielded
| him, had he preferred to refuse. l fear ii must
| be said that-judging by resuts-he would have
| done better to refuse; better than to give evil
| dcnce tending to create such an impression as
| is quoted above. This is, so far as | know, the
| first time that the accusation of bribery has
| been brought against General Schenck in an
English newspaper, based OH solicitors let
| ter, which itself purports to give the result of
| legal proceedings.
Mr.. Smalley also says further that it is
due also to Gen. Schenck to state that
there are people-or, at any rate, there IS
one newspaper-which takes very dit
| terent view of the loan to him by Park.
thinks Gen. Schenck a "vctim," indeed
the chief victim among all those which
1.-THE undertaking inclosed in it's net. :"
This is the AngloAmerican Times. But
| this-like the contrary view taken by the
| Hours the statement of an impression
No explanation is offered of the undisput-
| ed facts. No effort is made to meet the
inference drawn from the awkward cir
| cumstance that Park was the vendor of
the mine that he stands accused of effect
ing its sale by a gigantic fraud; that one
means he used to get the stock taken was
to advertise Gen. -Schenck's name as Unit
ed States Minister. Director and Trustee,
and that the means he used to enlist Gen.
Schenck in the business was loan to him
OF sou, 600 and secret guarantee to him
of Is per cent. interest on his stock.
The General signalized the first year of
his residence in London by the production
of a book containing rules for playing the
American game of poker, which was
widely circulated. He now takes hand
in another game which our English kins-
men will have reason to believe is not
only American. but one that receives Off
cial sanction-that of using the position
and influence Of a foreign minister to
bolster up worthless stocks. When the
trial comes on, and all the correspondence
is produced, there will be some revela-
tions of interest to the American people.