New-York tribune., 1875-12-13
CARL SCHURZ'S VIEWS.
TALK WITH THE EX-SENATOR FROM
MISSOURI.

A TALK WITH THE EX-SENATOR FROM
MISSOURI
HIS ALLEGED EFFORTS TO CONNECT THE PRES
DENT WITH THE WHISKY FRAUDS DENIED
TIE PRESIDENT not IMPLICATED BY TIE
TRIALS, But MEN ENJOYING HIS coNFI-
DENCE NyoLyED-REYIEw OF TIRE PREsr-
DENTS MEssAOE-THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
TIE NATIONAL FINANCES, THE THIRD TERM,
AND TIE CUBAN QUEsTIoSs-Ex-sEyATog
sCrrURz TO RETURN TO THE WEST.
For some time pass ex-senator Carl SchuB
Of Missouri has been making his h, headquarters
in this city. This fact has given rse to re-
ports that he had abandoned the West with
the intention of making bis permanent homo
in this city, and by m active participation Ia
politics prepare for his ultimate return 10 the
Senate from this state.
Later, the extraordinary developments Of tho
whisky trials at st. Louis prompted some OF
the members of the Presidents household to
circulate reports to the effect that Senator
Schurz was responsible for Senator Henderson's
alleged onslaught on the President, and was
the primary cause Of al the 0dium attaching
TO the White House. Il was also well known
that the ex-senator entertained pronounced
views on the subject of the Presidents message,
and TO obtain information on all these topics o
representative OF TIE TRIBUNE called upon
tln ex-senator yesterday morning at his resi-
dcnce, at No. DO West Thirty y-sccond-st. Mr.
Schurz appeared extremely well, and he
looked fresher and healthier than at any time
within the last few years Of his public career
He appeared to be in his best cOlOquial vein,
answering readily the questions pr0p0unded,
and occasionally ndllging in stoke of quiet
humor. Following is a report of the interview:
THE WHISKY RING CONSPIRACY.
"D.d you notice, Mr.. SchUrz. that Pre- ileut Grant
in conversation with ajelegationf from iinos stated
that Henderson prosecuted Avery order TO carry
out conspiracy with Schurz against him PD
81 saw that statement IN telegram from Wash
ingtOn. ] shOuld ike speak of tiis with respect,
but in1 it dilcult to DO it seriously. II had had
any connection at all with these whisky trials the
charge might appear Ineligible To those who
conspiracy in everything; but the fact il, tho
operations against the Whisky Ring in St.
Louis cOmncuced when was in Eu-
rope, and the first information | had about
them was through German papers When returned
here in September went West, not to take any in-
erest in the prosecution of the Ring but to help to
for nearly year, and have had communication
with him of any kind, nor with any one connected
with the prosecution, either directly Indirectly
As 10 Avery il had even escaped my attention that
any such man bad been indicted and learned of it
only through the papers when the trial had actually
commenced. The other day | read a dispatch in
7he HeaH stating that some member If the Presi-
dent. family hal said the prosecution of Gen. Bab-
cock conspiracy between bigh official
in the Tr asury and myself Did that
mean Secretary BFistowi IL seems 10 bo tho
general impression that Gen. Babcock got him
self into trouble by entering into teleerapl ic coe-
spondence with a set of men in 81. Louis who arc
row in the Pententlry; had he not done 50, sap
pose he wOnld not have been inflicted lwondor
whether that member of the Presidents iamih .3p-
poses that nstigatcd Gen. Babcock Ia wli.e tllo,s
dispatches aee in the papers, also, that IN War3
House circles Mr. Henderson, is talked Of as olsw0
politically co5peratcd with me in 1872. and hence
the conspiracy. The fact H. Mr.. Henderson was 70
far from cooperating with me in that year, that ho
was the candidate OF the Administration party in
Missouri in that year, and in January. 1873, was
nominated in the leg stature the candidate
for the Senatorship Of the same party against Mr.
Boy. Henderson has always since the war been an
active member Of the Republican party You SEQ
how utterly baseless that kind of talk s'
q.
stories atoati'
"None whatever, unless they have some night
marislP impression that whenever anything ia done
dislgreeatle to tcm must be at the bottom of it,
or they may think that out Of il capital of some
kind can be made. understand il was said, slno
time ago, that had first charged Gen. Flbcock with
being in Onphcity the Whisky Ring. This il so
far from truc that before the notorious dispatches
raue ont wrote to the managing editor Of the Sc.
Louis paper with which | am connected, ren0n-
strating against any charge against BabcOck or any
body else fvr which conclusive proof was not at
hand, aud have since insisted especially that no
suggestion If any completely Of the President him.
self with the Ring should be made bccausa sin
cerry believed there grOnnd for il. For IL
there any, the President would not have per-
mticd the prosecution Of the Ring to 90 50 far as
has been done"
THE PRESIDENTS PERSONAL INTEGRITY
80 You think the President is personally clear Of
those thingsW
"Of course do; and have always said so. Tho
real difficulty with the President is that no
has given his confidence 10 a set of mon who
turned ont to be great rascals, and he seemo
determined not TO with lraw that confidence
until they are actually convicted aud sent TO tho
p.nitentary. In that way the revenue has been
robbed the public service has been dsgrlced 10 an
unprecedented degree, and shaned before tho
world. But when these things come ont at last 10
charge Others with conspiracy against the President
il rather a weak lnyentlon. ! have an impression
that il is very small business for the pe aent Of tho
United States, and scarcely comparing wiih the dig
nifty Of the office 10 deaf in such baselrss Insiuua-
tions against private citizen who has absolutely
had nothing to go with the whole affair. | am
also inclined 10 think. when Gem Grant at sone
future time has leisure TO mediate on the events Of