New-York tribune., 1872-03-11
THE MANLY WAY.

| A widely circulated journal lately published
| very damaging charges against the Hon. Geo.
| NJ Robson, Secretary Of the Navy. They
| were not confined to that vague, declamatOry
| abuse which public man ought TO disregard,
| but bTistied with specifications and circum-
! stantial averments. The gist of the arraign-
| ment was that Mr. RObesOn had cOuuptly con-
spired with Senator Catell, his negbbOr and
| next friend to allow the latter TO supply the
| Navy with some hundreds of thousands of dol
| lars worth of stores at whatever prices the
| Senator saw fit to charge, instead of adyertis-
| ing for proposals and awarding the contract to
the lowest bidder, as the law very properly
| requires.
We know nothing Of the truth or falsohood
of this accusation, but the SecretaIy's way of
meeting it ImpresSes Ia forciby. Instead of
wrapping himself in his official dignity and
treating the charge rs of No moment, he.
through a friendly member asked the House
of Representatives 10 institute an inquiry and
put his assailants to the proof.
The House, we regret to say, did not act so
wisely nor so gailantly rs the Secretary did.
Men whom we have been accustomed to respect
pooh -poOhed the charge as anonymous. and
talked as though it were unworthy of the
majesty of the House to order an investiga-
lion on a basis so frivolous as mere newspaper
inculpations. To make sure that we do not
Ovcrstate. we cite the reftdtim report
Nj BANKsIt is very Likely that the eerretay Of tho
Navy having been alcd may ts,'re an inyesil giton
But there is nothing alleged IN TINT resolution when ls
tes tne Inquiry and think Oh. not t. he made on
such allegation as that Every member OF the House
and every member of the Government. nas peel ant
have something more than oi That charac
ter TO justify an myeatigation by this House
TT pQp /. de ~
of the Secretary to avoid an investigation.
Mr GARFIELD OF Ohi0-I nope there will I've 10 objee
Mr. BlyGHAu-! object until know why It is offered
| ! DO not desire TO have star-chamhtr .rports.
Oiio Ir. BinghamJ will withdraw his Objection ana
allow tie Resolution to be adopted
Mr. BANKs-I join with the gentleman from Ohio in
Tie 3fEAKER-Objection having becn IIe, the reso-
lntiOn is not before the House
The TRIBUNE insists that III; is not fair
TO the Secretary, nor just to Che public, and
trusts that the resolve Of Mr. BAR viii to-day
be renewed and adopted.
The Press tPhiladelLhia) thus queries
"Haye any of fastidious ccnsors ever thought
what would have become Of an investigating committee
into the affairs of George Washington or Andrew Jack
sonl The first had his disappointed Attorney General
Randolph and Thomas Paine the second lis Du Green.
Yet even these thought OF drag-net to draw out
all manner OF oGonsyeness to disgrace their country
nves eating committees ma he good things TO purify
public morals but. like many other monstrosities they
often breed pcsilcnce which kills their inventors"
We'll: suppose it does: ii they are SANDER
crs why not Z What better could happen than
their destruction?
George Washington aud Andrew Jackson
were as bitterly opposed, as savagely de-
nounced, in their time, as any public man of
lay do bannpn IN
that either was ever accused of enrichlng
himself or his favorites by official jObbery.
But, if either of them had been so accused, we
are confident that he would have promptly
demanded an investigation, and asked that a
majority of the committee be given 10 his
political advers8ries. He would have refused
| to hold Office under the stigma Of perverting
| it into means OF personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT at
public cost. For. whatever the truth may be,
a charge boldly made, and not otherwise
refutcd than by the bnrc denial Of the party
| inculpated. does tend TO stain his reputation
and impair his usefulness. Thousands will
suspect that "wheTo there is so much
smoke, there must be some fire." and will
hencefOrth regard him as inpeached and
dishonored.
| II is common to speak Of time spent by
legislative bodies in vindicating the rcputa-
tons of incuipated functionaries as wasted.
THE TRIBUNE emphatically disscnts from this
estimate If n Committee of the House should
give week TO this charge with no other re-
suit than the establishment of Secretary Robe
sons perfect integrity aud scrupulous fidelity
to duty, we should consider that week most
usefully spent. "The times arc out of joint. u
and venality in official station is fearfully COM
mon. The ignorant and thoughtless multitude
hearing of defalcations and embezzlements on
every side, lazily conclude that every public