The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-30
Charges Of Corruption That May Result in an
Investigation by Committee Of the Ma
tional House of Representatives.
N. De Lesseps' Visit TO Washington
and His Rebuff by President Hayes.
His Dicker with New York Bankers and Offer
10 Gen Grant-Senator Frye's Recollec,ions
Suspicious Actions of the Engineer.
WHO GOT THE MONEY?

NEW YORK, Doc. 29.-In three-column
article this morning the World alleges
that the Panama canal corruptlonists and
shelves expended over $4,000, 600 IN bribina
American legislators. In brief. the article
says: There is an American end to the
Panama scandal. Two million five hun
dred thousand dollars was sent to this
country, and no explanation has been Civ
en- of what use was necessary or was made
of this vast sum. The bribery and cor
ruption practiced In the United States was
just as fagrant. although less III extent
and in the amount of money used. The
French speculators obtained their rights
from the United States of Colombia and
purchased the services of Ferdinand
dc Lesseps to give their scheme
reolat. The farce of q canal congress
which met at Paris on May IS. 1879, was
enacted. and in the face of intelligent op-
position packed committee on the seleo-
tion OF location chose the Panama route
from sea to sea. Soon after the Paris ca
nal congress dissolved Gen. A. E. Burnside.
Senator from Rhode Island. introduced
resolution on the subject in Congress. 1t
cad that tn Q United States views. with
serious disquietude. any attempt by the
powers of Europe to establish, under their
protection and domination. q ship canal
across the Isthmus of Panama. General
Burnside, in private conversation with
friends, indicated that he toresaw that an
attempt would be made to influence Con-
gress, and stated that he introduced the
auti-canal notice with the intention of an
ticipating any work its promoters might
attempt at Washington.
mo sooner was the Burnside resolution
made public in France than there was much
discussion in financial circles and by the
press. The investing public soon formed
the impression that the United States gov
ernment would not tolerate q canal built
by Frenchmen. The remembrance of the
occupation of Mexico by Napoleon III. and
of the prompt withdrawal OF the French
troops in response to the request of Mr..
Seward-a request that was made after an
order for the concentration of 100. 900 sea-
soned veterans of the army of Texas W as
lssued-was fresh in the minds of the men,
ehaking. and friends of De Lesseps advised
against the attempt to float the canal pro-
ject.n
After this follows q review of the PAN
anna canal project. including the arrival OF
Nj. De Lesseps in the United States. The
article then continues: President Hayes
received the Frenohman cOurteousiy, and.
after listening to the compliments and the
plausible assertions of the canal promoters
patiently. responded that the people of the
United States were convinced that they
must have the Drep0nderating influence
over tho canal. whoever might build 1t.
President Hayes was stirred by the pres
ence of De Lesseps, and he fastened to send
of Feb. IL, 1880, called on the President for
copies of correspondence between the gov
ernment and foreign countries respecting 9
q ship canal between the two oceans.
PRESIDENT HAYEs's MESSAGE.
"In the message President Hayes thought
he had struck radical blow at the French
scheme. He stated that the policy of this
country is o canal under Amerl can control.
The United States cannot consent to the
surrender of their control TO any European
powers. If existing treaties between the
United States and other nations. or If the
rights of sovereignty or property of other
nations stand In the way of this policy, q
contingency which ls not apprehended
and establish the American policy on this
subject, consistently with the rights of the
nations to be affected by it,
The Presidents message to the Senate
those he had gathered about him. He
waved his arms above his head, uttered q
series of voluble invectives, and then paced
the floor. endeavoring to comprehend the
extent of the assault on his big money
making plans. He WI as at Washington tC
produce effects that would quiet the appre
hension of the French investing classes
that the United States would interpose
objections to the progress of the work nj
Panama. No sooner had he reached Wash.
<haw, hn hAa1 1<,Ef n Ax,.a
eminent issued q proclamation against
foreign control of any canal. To think
was TO acL De Lesseps banked on
the confidence his country placed in
himself. Among those who accom- panied
the Count to America was his friend NJ.
at the isthmus. Turning to M
De Bionne De Lesseps quietly
said; Gable Charles de Lessepsl that say
the message of the President assures the
to give out TO the newspapers my message.
The sublimitY of this piece of bounce wal
inconceivable, but the success which fol-
lowed De Lesseps's coup of march was mar
velous. The select committee of the
House was In session and the day before
President Hayes issued his message De
Lesseps appeared before it. His good friend
Appleton engineered the invitation and
acted as interpreter for the Count. whS
could speak little or no English. From the
mislead the COMMITTEES.
"On July z, 1850, De Lesseps organized in
New York that w hich ne regarded as O mas
ter stroke of policy. and called il the
American committee. The alleged purpos'
OF this association was to protect the IN ter
ests of the company In everything tina
concerns the Observance of the neutrality
of the canal as defined by Article 5 of tn,
Law of Concession of the United States o
Colombia. This was to confirm the i'm
pression he had created in France tha
America was friendly, as we'll as to lea<
the people of the United States to thinl
that the interests of their country were be
Ing favorably considered by the canal com
pany.
THE ALLEGED BRITISH FUND.
'Soon after DE Lesseps returned Il
France he announced that all problems ha,
been solved and difficulties smoothed over
The opposition IN America. he announce
had been qusshed by the formation of
committee with rhe following agreement
The American CO mmittee shall represen
in the United States the interests of tn
company in everything that concerns tn
Observance of the neutrality of tn
canal and, moreover, the commit
teo shall represent she company il
any other matters for which the compan,
may request cooperation. not only durin
canal The American committee was no
disposed TO work for nothing. and De Les
| sops agreed to make, when the compan,