Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-23

81 1leQ JlaU lHe SeueIdl plan VI CauipdiSu
was traced out, and the American Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoten-
tiary received his final instructions from
the agent and protector of the Peruvian
Company. Shipherd seems to have made
up his mind to tell good deal, if not all,
of what he knows. Possibly he perceives
that his undertaking is ruined, and is
therefore not unwilling to sacrifice those of
his colleagues in the speculation who did
not exert themselves as actively as they
might have done. His ostensible defense
of his friend Hurlbut indeed is practically
malicious, for while apparently trying to
soften as much as possible all the awkward
features of the case, he allows it to be seen
quite clearly that he believes the very con.
trary of what he is saying.
Shipherd states that Hurlbut, at the
interview above referred to, told him that
the President (Garfeld) was prepared to
indorse the Peruvian companys claim if
it could be shown that it was possible to
collect it without GRIPPING Peru. OF
course this attempt to involve the memory
of President Garfield in the business rests
upon no sufficient evidence. Neither
Shipherd nor Hurlbut are to be believed
upon point of that kind. If Hurlbut
really did refer to the President as Ship
herd states, the presumption is that he did
so without any authority. There is indeed
nothing to show that the President had
even read the documents with which Ship
herd piled him, or that Blaine had taken
counsel with him at all about the Peruvian
matter. Ali the evidence IN fact seems 10
SHOW that Blaine ran the foreign policy of
the Government from purely private and
personal standpoint, and that even at
Cabinet Councils ne never admitted his
colleagues into anything like full knowl.
edge of what he was doing. Shipherd
says he concluded that Hurlbut was pur-
chasable, but as he had never supposed
that it would be necessary to buy anyone
in pushing SO eminently righteous claim,
he did not think of purchasing the Envoy.
Something, indeed, he did think it neces-
sary to do. but it was very different
matter from bribery.
All he desired to do was to prevent Cen
eral Hurlbut from "setting himself vi.
"ciously and determinedly against" the
Peruvian Company, and Mr.. Shipherd
recognized the fact that it would be rec
"essary to assure him that it would in the
culture result advantageously to himself
"and friends if he did not oppose US.
This was all. There was no bribery. There
was nothing but the proffer of an assur.
ance of this kind to the effect that in the
future his friendliness to the scheme would
"result advantageously to himself and
friends" In the technology of the le-
gal profession that would be called an ar
rangement for contingent fee, and under
the circumstances it would be regarded as
constituting so close a resemblance to
downright bribery that it would be impos-
sible to distinguish between them. In fact
Shipherd evidently desires it to be under
stood that he found General Hurlbut hun
gering and thirsting for brides, and that he
threatened him with strong opposition to the
scheme unless he "made it square The
effect of this testimony of course is to sub
ject Hurlbut to an unequivocal charge OF
venality, and it will be necessary to inves-
tigate him thoroughly now, whatever may
have been thought possible previously.
Shipherd had an interview with Mr..
Blaine also, at the house of the latter. The
good offices of mysterious United
States Senator (who may perhaps be identi-
fed with Blair, were called into requisi,
ton and this Senator having introduced
Shipherd to Blaine, discreetly retired, and
left them to talk without a listener, &C.
| cordipg to the we'll rule in all
such cases made and provided 1t is ex.
tremely pleasant, however, to observe the
almost girlish bashfulness exhibited by
Shipherd when it became necessary to refer
to this United States Senator. He at once
declares himself embarrassed" and is
only relieved from his embarrassment by
the assurance of the Chairman that it is not
the present purpose of the committee to
investigate United States Senator'S and
that therefore he need not give the name.
As, however, it is already evident that this
Senator will cut an important figure in the
inquiry, it will probably become necessary
before long to remove the vail CT secrecy
from his august presence. even at the risk
Of exposing him also to embarrassment.
Why there should be any embarrass.
ment" at all about claim which it has
been asserted is perfectly fair and equit-
able, remains to be seen but it is obvious
that in all the preliminaries Shipherd
acted precisely as he would have acted
if his scheme had been a steal There is
flavor Of venality and corruption about
the whole business, indeed, which adds
significance to the Colonel Sellers-li
conduct of General Hurlbut throughout,
and which shows him to have been Just the
kind of adventurous and INSCRIPTIONS poll.
tician any shrewd observer would have
concluded after reading the account of
what he had done. The statement of
Shipheri about his transaction with Mr..
Blaine, however, will possess very much
more interest and consequence than his
arrangements with Hurlbut. So far as the
Department correspondence is concerned,
Mr.. Blaine certainly kept himself we'll
clear of any entanglements with the Peru.
Wan Company, and it remains to be seen
whether he was as cautious and careful
in all other respects. The inquiry, how
ever, has already proved that Hurlbut
was not recalled too soon, and that the
change in the State Department was Ger.
tainly not advantageous to the interests
of the United States.
UNREASONABLE OPPOSITION.