Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-01-18
CLEARFIELD, Pa, WEDNESDAY JANUARY I8, 1871

In the meantime that person had lob
bied vigorously, and, in spite Of thr
Opposition of Attorney General Bate
had almost persuaded President Lin
coin to sign his patent. 1t was nevcl
Signed, however, and now lies void il
the Lhnd Office at Washington Why
II did not get issued during johnson
term does not appear hut It did MOI
though in 1868 the House OF Repre-
sentatives granted the petition Of Nc
Garraham TO buy the land ut Sl2i
per aero. The bill failed in the Senate
and so the job descended TO the pres
ent administration. Since then, th,
Dent and Forney people at Washing
I'm seemed to have formed a ring Il
carry McGmrnham's claim throug
Congress, finding that they could d.
nothing with the Interior Department
and the Attorney General They
succeeded so far as to induce Secreta
ry Cox to wait until the House Judici
airy Committee had passed upon Nc
Garraham' business, which was done
last summer, by vote of seven tc
three, rejecting his claim. About lhi.
time, Mr.. Cox, having seen n letter
from one of McGarraham's attorney,
Offering to dispose Of part of his claim
for "innuencc" in the department
thought it time to act upon the re
peated decisions Of the courts and ol
Congress and to dispose of the case
finally In this decision he was
strengthened by the opinion Of Judge
lioar, which, though dated juno %,
was probably known in substance to
Dent a fortnight before, may have
helped Gen, Grant TO make up hi.
mind as TO when his Attorney General
should resign. 1t is, at any rate, very
singular that both Hoar and Cox
should have resigned 50 near their de-
cisive action on this job of Louis Dents
0n,the 18th Of August last, Secretary
Cox wrote to Mr.. Wilson, Of the Land
Office, long letter on the subject OF
the claim, closing as follows:
"You will therefore proceed in the
ordinary course of business to take up
and dispose Of the application of the
New ldra Mining Company for a pat.
eat, notifying McGurrahum or his at.
torncys that the same will be done at
an carly day, to be fixed by you, prior
to which time testimony orargumcnts
may be flcd by either party, and at
the expiration of which period your
decision may be rendered as your
views Of the law and the facts may war.
rant, and proceedings had thereon IN
tic usual manner
No sooner was notice of this served
on Dent, one of the attorneys of the
svindler, than Off he posted to Long
Branch, where General Grant was
bathing, driving and smoking, and
called him to interfere, which he did,
in the letter Of August p. already
puOnshed. To tLis tne Secretary re.
piled in a private letter which Gen.
Grant has seen fit TO publish, also, aud
in which the President was urged to
consult the Attorney General, IL not
the whole Cabinet, on the point at
issue. But, apparently, Gen. Grant
was satisfied with the advice OF Don't,
for he took no notice of the letter
whatever Six weeks after Secretary
Cox, resigned, carrying with him into
retirement tho respect and good wishes
Of nine tcnths ofthe American reopie.
but followed by the "littlo digs from
Dent and Forney, who, httcrly, seem
to have enlisted the President in their
service Ifall this : calculated to in.
crease the public confidence in Gen
Grant, we are very much mistaken
When he finds such Spokesman rs
Butler on the San lomingo question,
Russell Young ON ihc Alabama claims,
Chandler and Cameron on the Indian
policy, and Fornry on the McGarra.
ham claims, he suffers loss OF respect
which it is di.liralt to measure accu.
rately He hus no experience as a
politician, and he is in a bad school for
learning il in the right way. There
is something to be said in excuse for
him, but little or nothing in his justi.
6caiion The sooner he learns his
blunders from the impartial voice of
the public, the better it viii be for him
and his administration --SPriHQ6eid
tlHdss) Republican.