Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-08-03
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
FAentroToN, July l9, 1872.
srrron OF ofNhkAt A. P. cH1pMAx.


The reply of General Chapman, our
District delegate in Congress, 10 Hon.
Robert B., Roosevelt has just been print
ed Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Crels signed
a minority report, on the investigation
of charges against the Territorial Gov
ernment of the District. This repdrt alr
legged no fraud against the authorities, but
simply charged extravaganza and waste,
yet the speech of Mr.. Roosevelt is put
forth under the caption Frauds of the
District" and is man(estly gotten up
for use Of the Democratic party away
! from this latitude where the facts are un
derstood. In the twenty-five psges Of re-
ply General Chipman has thoroughly
ventilated the puerile character of this
effort to stay enterprise and improve
ment in the national metropolis. He
points out the fact that Mr.. Roosevelt
was absent most OF the time when evil
dence was being heard for the defense,
and declared when it came to this, that
he "did not Want TO hear any more tes-
timOny." He shows by the evidence
copiously quoted that TIE proof was ex-
acty opposite to the most important de-
ductions of this somewhat too easily per-
suaded Judge, and that by special plead
ing and the selection Of garbled testimo-
ny from mass Of 800 pages Of questions
and answers, no two hundred of which
is admissible evidence, or, if so, is worth
less upon its face, political document
may be concocted without modicum of
truth and fairness in It. lie has given
the negative to all the objections raised
against our Board of Public Works by
the testimony Of witnesses belonging to
both the Republican and Democratic
parties, and has conclusively shown that
the greatest amount Of care and the strict
est regard to economy was practiced by
the Government officials that the crcum-
stances permitted, with the exception of
the large amount charged for advertising
by SOME OF the papers of the District
which was Condemned by the majority
report. He says "no man who says the
Improvements in this District are more
injurious than beneficial can find many
to believe him. We hear of the new
Washington wherever we go, and the
whole people are awakening to u new in
terest in their seat of Government" He
closes with suitable appeal to the OBJ
structionists now that they have kept the
District Of Columbia in hot water for q
year, and Incurred enormous expense by
their investigation, only to meet a signal
and utter defeat, to cease their obstruc-
tion and opposition, ard allow the city of
the nations capital to be what its found
ers manitestly intended it should be.
GENERAL SHERMAN AND THE INDIANS.
A strong effort is just now being made
to discredit the Indian policy Of the adj
ministratiOn. General Sheridan having
lost caste AS a hero, since his attack upon,
and massacre of, large camp of Indian
men women and children, sick with the
small -pox, has just attempted 20 ride
this wave of opposition, and urged the
extreme war policy of treating Indian
troubles in report made to the Interior
Department. This exterminating policy
will no doubt prove popular with the
boder whites whose greatest boast is that
their women not only can, but do "draw
bead on an Indian at sight with IL rifle"
| had this boast made to me here in
Washington only yesterday by a settler
from Minnesota. Not only humanity,
but good policy and economy. as all our
Indian history shows, requires the appli-
cation Of the administration policy-using
war only as deInier resort, where the
circumstances render it imperative. The
idea OF General Sherman that Indians
acting under bloody provocation in re-
venging injuries are in all cases to be
treated as our criminals is simply absurd,
besides being unworthy Of a General of
such unquestioned renown.
CAMPAIGN SPEECH.