Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-05-05
rHs RESULTS OF TIE BLAINE INQUIRY.

scraps OF lnlormaLion' Ane OoiLhohs-
Blaine incident, as described in the dis.
patches, was very different affair from
the actual occurrence. The reports Of the
New York papers. which occupy often as
much as q page daily, show conclusively
that Belmont was endeavoring to obtain
from Blaine fair statement in regard to
the reasons for the taking up Of the Lam
dresu claim by the State Department under
his administration. But though Blaine
constantly pretended that he was most
anxious to afford all the information
at his disposal to the committee, it was
impossible to get him to answer the ques-
tions put to him on this head. In fact he
lodged and twisted and made buncombe
speeches irrelevant to the issue, and at
length, realizing that Belmont could not
be put off the track in that way, he evil
IDENTIFY set himself in the most deliberate
way to put his examiner into q passion,
reckoning on the confusion "scene
rect answers to the really significant points
in the investigation. Nor did Belmont, as
certainly appeared from the telegraphic
synopsis, make fool of himself. His
examination was marked by aeuteness,
dignity, and patience. and it was only
when Blaine, while alleging his determine
ton to say nothing unparliamentary,'
contrived to convey the most stipging in
suits to his interlocutor, that the latter
became heated for 3 moment, and used the
very plain language attributed TO him.
Blaine no doubt succeeded in evading the
main purpose Of the examination, bat at q
heavy sacrifice, for the New York press
with only one exception pointed out the
palpable thickness of his action, and drew
from it the obvious Inference that . man
who took SO much pains to avoid giving
straightforward answers must have very
strong motives for concealment. And this
incident has served to draw public atten-
tion all the more strongly to what is well
understood to be the real object of the
present inquiry. which, as the New York
Herald plainly puts it, is, "to ascertain
"wbether there was conspiracy, last
"summer and fall, to draw this ooun-
"try, without its consent, into war with
"a friendly South American power !;
"whether Mr.. Blaine, then Secretary Of
Estate, was party to the conspiracy, and
whether one of the objects Of the con-
"spirators in proposing war was to enrich
themselves or certain of them by using
"the influence and treasure Of the United
States to procure the recognition of Ger.
"tain otherwise worthless and long re-
"pudiated claims against Peru" This is
clear enough, but it cannot be said that
Mr.. Plaine, with all his professions OF
desire to "enlighten the public and Con.
gress, has shown any real disposition to
dispel the clouds which envelope the mat
ter. He has in fact signslly failed to eI-
plain his motive for instructing Minister
Hurlbut to press the Landreau claim upon
the Peruvian Government at time when,
according to his own statements, it was
utterly and notoriously unable to deal
with any such question. He has failed to
explain how it came about that the United
States Government was made to figure as
the potential hacker Of claim which had
been thrown out Of Congress year before
as having no basis. and which has been
shown to be Of the very himsiest character.
Instead Of explaining these matters Mr..
Blaine has become very angry whenever
they were approached, and has sought to
cover himself with q cloud of confusion,
after the manner OF the cuttle-fish Of ira
dition. Now it is possible that but for
this marked unwillingness to clear up the
suspicious points, most people would have
been willing to acquit Mr.. Blaine of any
personal pecuniary interest in the matter.
But the peculisrity of his tactics has had
a very bad effect upon public opinion. As
the Herald says His refusal to explain,
land his embarrassment and fury when
pushed on this head. have impressed the
"public with the suspicion that there are
pecuniary speculations here concealed in
(which Mr.. Blaine was concerned" 1t
seems probable, however, that he has
covered his tracks so skillfully that moth.
ing tangible will be brought to light,
though up to this time his own conduct
has been the strongest evidence against
him. The publication Of all the dispatches
issued from the State Department when
he was at the head of it has nevertheless
given consistency to what was before only
general surmise. In the light Of these
dispatches it seems now scarcely doubtful
that his foreign policy really did embrace
not merely one but series of foreign wars.
In fact it is almost capable ofdefnite demon
stration that he would have brought the
country into hostile relations with Chile, with
Mexico, and lastly with Great Britain.
He had already laid the foundations for
these three quarrels, and he had done it,
in every case, by the most amazing def.
ancs of facts and treaty provisions, and
by ignoring past history in way scarcely
credible. From such foreign vars great
army of adventurers and speoulators would
have grown rich. A new era of army and
navy contract robberies would have been
inaugurated. All the most dangerous ele.
ments would have come to the surface.
And men in high position like Dir. Blaine
could no doubt under those circumstances
have amassed enormous wealth. This is
what the late Secretary is much more than
suspected of having contemplated, and
the evidence in support of the belief is
altogether too substantial to afford room
for the thin pretense that he is being made
the victim Of political persecution, or that
"the stalwarts are seeking TO ruin him.
If Mr.. Blaine is ruined, depend upon it
the cause of his downfall will be found in
his own conduct, and not in the machina-
tions Of his enemies.
AMERICAN JEWS IN RUSSIA.