The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-29
Che 99ailg Argns.
Continued from second page.


stated his claim to be for about $500, 900,
and he proposed to place the matter in the
hands of some English firm that had great
influence with the government, the firm
on recovering the amount to receive the
proceeds. but in the mean time the firm
were to advance him 100000, not neces-
sarily in cash, but in goods suitable to the
Cuban market We need hardly say that
Don Juan did not find any one in England
ready and willing to accept his tempting
offer, and he shortly afterward returned to
New York, having, we believe, failed in his
mission. The fact is notorious that some
years ago ships with any suspicious car
goes and proposed ports of destination
were allowed to leave the port of New York
by the supposed connivance of the custom
house officials. Whether a share in the
venture or direct bride led to this result
we cannot say, but the strong desire OF
Machado to place his claim in the hands
of a firm having great influence with the
government leads one to the conclusion
that he supposed such practices prevailed
in England Machado's claim appears to
have remained in allegiance until shortly
after the appointment of Gen. Schenck
United States minister to England. Gen.
Schenck appears to be a most credulous
and unfortunate individual-in fact, an
easy victim to designing men, if we are to
take the Machado claim and Emma Min
ing Company as a specimen. A CORES
pondence between Gen. Schenck and Mr..
Norman Wizard has just been made public
throughout the length and breadth of the
United States, and is commented upon by
the press in the most severe terms From
this correspondence it appears that some
time anterior to 1870 Gen. Scheuck be-
came associated with Mr.. Norman Wizard
in patent speculation for the manufacture
of ordnance, and that also, anterior to
ISL, Wizard had entered into contract
with Juan n. Machado 10 reference to the
latters dormant claim on the British CIV
ernment. BY this contract Wizard was
Ito receive one third of the sum obtained
providing it was not less than $500, 900
and was secured during the time that Gen
Schenck held the post of minister to Eng
land. In 1871 Wizard addressed letter
to his friend and associate, Gen. Schenck
on the subject Of the Machado claim, with
request that the minister would bring
the matter before the British government
Wizard disclosed to Gen. Schenck the
terms and conditions of his contract with
Machado, and the minister. in reply, pro-
missed to look into the subject of the claim
| forthwith, we are not aware with wharre-
suit, but we apprehend the British govern
ment have not paid the claim The press
Of the United States characterize this
scandal in the strongest language, and
charge Gen. Schenck, the minister of the
United States, the sane as in the Emma
Nine, with having sold the influence he
could exert on the British government, to
Machado.
Gen. Schenck's excuse for being led into
the Emma mining speculation was that
Park, the vendor, was introduced to him
by an eminent and respected friend, MIR.
Evarts. We are not told if the minister
has the same high opinion of Mr. Wizard,
his friend and associate in the ordnance
patent, but, whether he has or not. his
knowledge of Wards contract with Ma
chado ought to have led him to decline
taking any proceedings in tie matter ex-
cept through the ordinary channel Of the
secretary OF STATE at Washington. Had
this course been adopted great scandal
would haye been avoided, the high and
dignified Office of envoy of a great nation
would not have teen degraded, as in the
case of tie Emma Mining Company, and
the character Of Juan n Machado and his
claim would have come before the minister
in its true light.