New-York tribune., 1871-09-25
COL. OLCOTT DIsPOSEs OF MR. MURPHYs
DEFENSE.

"a sethsEditor Of The Tribune.
s1R: Thomas Murphy has had the imperh-
nance TO address personally in his card Of yesterday
and 70 parade my before the Republican party in
an offensive manner as If that were the proper way to
answer the documents and charges that you saw ut to
publlsh tn your columns have never exchanged a
word with this person in my life, and barely know him
BY dght have neither sought TO know him, nor had
any favor TO ask Of HIM. While the one hand have
shunned his society, have not, the other, either
feared his malice nor the weapons OF his bene-
dcisres, nor the power OF his political friends
In debAuohed state OF the public MORALS when 100
many prominent men become peculstors, and se-seeK-
ng seems to be the rule rather than the exception II ap
pears incredible to people Of this mans stamp that such
a thing as public virtue should exist They cannot un-
derstand that private gentleman OF good character
should be willing devote himself 10 the interest OF MS
country performing disagreea0e duty without reward
beyond meager salary, attacking almost single
monstrous wrongs bostered by apparently Irresistible
power merely he felt his duty to do what lay
within his power for his country In her time OF need
And CO. for apparent want Of ability to meet the ugly
facts that he presents against hem they fall TO calling
him scurrllous names, and imputng to him unworthy
motives But Murphy knows very well that In bis
dres extremity in 1885, when In tears he was oeseechng
his friend Murray to save him, and when his other
friend, L. d. Webster, kept me up all night at
Wizards Hotel, in the vain attempt to make me
cease my prosecution he dared TO hint to get
any one else 10 hint to that could make money by
Withholding my hand. And he knows In his deceitful
heart this moment, that have never received from any
pOn enemy friend Of his, penny for doing what
an doing now. He knows what herculean efforts were
made by the New-York Contractors Ring. In common
with the similar cabals in other cities, to have me
slcnced, and suppose he knows-and II he don't can
tell him where he set the evdence-of the purse Of
%aeoe that Wa raised to buy influence to secure my
ofheAl decapitation.
He speaks Of holding these papers against all solic
fstions OF those who seeking his rejection at the
time his continuation was pending; and he is right.
dld % hold them, and, moreover when threatened
% hh enemies mot mine) that should be summoned
oetose Tie senate, told them they might summon Is
naea ~ they liked but that would not open my mouth
ays the charges would then and there have been
immediately and successfully answered why did MT
"ne his many friends in the Senate call for themi
Wa SUBJECT 70 process, just much II issued the
oeOo q Mr.. Conkling upon that Of Mr. Fenton, and
nc could have swept al my case away with his clean
OH OF health, he had nothing to fear from Was his
e to do this attributable to the fact that many things
~ could not bring to the notice Of the Commission,
would have been laid before the Senate that the Quar-
ermaser General and Gen. Perry, who had Of his
"'Oeung3aper hats and caps to examine, before they
sen' tnat letter you printed Friday, close at
no 70 give their evidence that the files OF the Depart
en could have furnished such letters protests and
es~ rom me In this wOud have scandalized the
government to have brought them to light; that the
record OF the Special Commission ITSELF reproduced from
e sonographc notes Of the sworn reporter would have
snOwn how protested when we opened the case
against being forced to try it, unprepared as was and
SsAnst such an adversary William N. Exarts, and
O"' whe they forced me TO the role OF prosecu
ng attorney, was not allowed to reply 70 Mr. Eyarts
Oo made to state my whole argument then listen TO
ScVeraAry's reply, and then take my hat and leayei
nave carefully avoided charging this person
win the oounmission Of any crime, and IT was be
cause have no right to pronounce upon his eut or I'm
n0cence simply ssy that the evidence that furnished
Joa was such as 10 my mind warranted the
o brief and the request that the cause should be tried
n the proper way before the proper tribunal ha6
dreamed that would have been forced 20 myself be-
ofe special Commission with my proof and show that
NE afm should he tried; and that when 1t was siuplv
Pnyca inpOssiby todO justice to the case personally
would be denied the legal assistance. which in every
other Instance given q matter OF come: ana
nAt mon as apparently respectable the
noIr. would have come to the stand my witn,ss,s
Saa AatJ eOatrsdIet what stenoEraDher had taken