Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-11-20
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

Cosion 10 lay oelore the puplic u compieto anu
triumphant vindication Of the action Of the
President and Postmaster General in selecting
the southern route for the overland mail to
California, in the shape of a brief truthful so-
count Of the result Of the 1--WE trips already
made by the contractor, with even . briefer
statement Of the circumstances Of the route as
he found thsm-the water, fuel, roads, cross.
ings of rivers, grass, climate, &c-whch bore
out all the statements of the scientific and the
practical men, on the faith of whose official re-
ports the route was selected, rather than "on
the appeals of politicians for sectional ends"
As was universally represented by the Repub-
lican party press up to short month ago. The
public will never again hear a whisper against
the action Of the Government here in that mat
ter-not whisper; for those whose personal
disappointment growing out of the failure to
select the route that would have benefited
them individually, are left without a peg on
which to stand. They gave the cue to the OPP
position press Of course. The latter is too
shrewd to continue q contest over point where
upon all must henceforward comprehend that
the President and Postmaster General were
clearly in the right, and the cavilers as clearly
in the wrong
To-day we have an opportunity of quite as
effectually spikeing the other similar gun of the
oppositon-the gun they have been playing
upon the sale of the Fort Smelling reservation.
Though the facts in connection with that sale,
long since published, made it apparent to all
who looked into it with any other interest than
to seek haws in it, that the Secretary of War,
by his arrangements, secured sale embrace
ing many more signal advantages for the pub
lie interest than were ever before achieved in
disposing, in any way, of similar Government
property, there, too, disappointed specula-
tors set up hue and cry, which was instantly
re-echced with exaggerated additions in the
Republican party press. The fact that the
aggregate sum realized for the property was
enormous in cotnpar ison with the result of the
sale OF any similar public property made in
any way, was secuted by them, under pretence
that it failed to prove that the amount that
would have been realized by sale at auction
would not have been far greater. Such an ar
gument, however unfounded, could hardly be
answered in words so as to close the mouths of
objecters seeking only to cavil
Fortunately, already it has been answered
by facts. By occurrences which prove past all
hope of further successful denial, that Score
tary Floyd decided correctly in authorizing
the commissioners for the sale of Fort Smelling
and its reservation to refrain from putting that
property up at auction, if, in their judgment,
its value could not be in that way obtained.
They saw clearly that combination of specu-
lators likely to prove successful had been made
to prevent independent and fair bidding, and
that If the sale was made at auction it would
certainly prove unsuccessful. So they made
such sale as secured for the Government an
unprecedented high price for the property
Now, few days since, in compliance with
law, it became necessary to sell Fort Ripley
and its reservation, situated in Minnesota also
property worth perhaps dollar for dollar as
much, in proportion to extent, as the Fort
Smelling property. That there should not be
an excuse for the renewal of the hue and cry
in this case, those entrusted with the duty of
disposing of the property were directed from
Washington to sell it at auction, with the con-
dition annexed that the sale should be subject
to ratification or disapproval by the Secretary
of War.
The Wheeling Times, bitter enemy Of the
present Administration, says of this attempt to
sell
Through an arrangement entered into be-
tween the claimants and the land agents the lat
ter bid In the whole domain at an average of four
cents per acre. Some Of ii, for the fun of the
thing, was run up TO twenty-five cents per acre,
and greater portion at one cent per acre.
Thus, at public auction, through the combi-
nations checkmated by the arrangements at
Fort Smelling, the aggregate highest bids OBJ
tain 20 tba l,lo
81, 2sO-instead of being made to bring into
the Treasury 1926, 900, its valne at the Fort
Smelling sale price.
We need scarcely add that Secretary Floyd
instantly, on receiving the account Of this
g Sale of Fort Ripley by auction" cancelled it
with dash Of bis pen. .
Does it not embrace an entire vndication of
the propriety, not only of his act in leaving
honorable commissioners the option Of selling
Fort Smelling at private sale, but also proof of
the souDdness of their judgment in 80 doing?
HE PUBLIC PRINrISG.-The organization of
special bureau for the regulation and govern
ment of the Public Printing distinguishes the
present printing system from all previous ones,
and upon severe and decisive trial of several
years, besides resulting in a marked economy
in its relative cost 10 the country, the printing
under its administration, has steadily improved
In mechanical execution and style, and has un-
doubtedly attained to something more than the
questionable distinction of dead tax upon the
public treasury. 1t has become an active and
useful department Of the Government, reflect
ing great and deserving credit upon the bureau
itself, and upon the ability and enterprise of
the Public Printer. This is conclusively shown
in the high and important character of the nu.
merous scientific and other works executed BY
the Public Printer during the last three years;
such as the Report Of the Pacific Railroad
Survey" including the scientific papers of the
Swans of the commission upon the natural his
tory, geology, mineralogy, &C., of the route, in
nine large quarto volumes Gillisss Nara.
tive Of the Astronomical Expedition to Chile
including his elaborate report upon the scien-
tific objects of the expedition, in six or seven
largo m arto volumes parrv,a ono-t 90, II,