, 1874-01-15
Puget Sound Jispatth.
Col. KembIe and his ILibelIers.

Col. KembIe and his ILibelIers.
Every man who attempts to ferret out
wrongs and correct abuses in public
office subjects himself to the vitupera-
tive and ibellous assaults of an unscru-
pulous press specially subsidized to that
service. This has been the case in every
instance of the exposition of official
fraud, not excepting the enormous thefts
of the "Tamany Ring" the wholesale
bribery of Members of Congress by the
Credit Mobilier" conspiracy, or even
the robbery of the Government subsidy
to the N. P. Railroad by an equally in;
famous Land Ring. 1t is not strange
then, that Col. Kemble, a gentleman
heretofore above reproach, should be-
come the object of this character OF. per-
sonal assault the moment he found it
necessary, in the conscientious discharge
OF his duty as supervising officer, to
take measures to reform the civil service
in a case of notorious public scandal by
summary removal and appointment.
The source of these assaults are alike
characteristic. Ben. Holidays paper,
the personal organ Of John Hippsll, the
apologist for bigamy, the journal which
used all its influence to defeat the ends
of justice in the prosecution of election
frauds, to procure the removal of Gov.
Gibbs, the Prosecuting Attorney. for
procuring indictments against election
"repeaters, and habitually assails the
U. 8. District Judge-the man to whom
the editor owes all he possesses of pro-
fessional or social respectability-on the
same grounds, leads the assault in an
article the coarse brutality and menda-
cious effrontery of which characterizes
the paid assassin of private reputation
in the interest of public offenders; and
local paper in this Territory, with no
reputation but as the mere instrument
of cabal of political hacks who claim
support from the public treasury solely
upon the merit Of party fidelity, right or
wrong, follows the lead.
The Oregon organ calls Col. Kemble
90 first class pretender;" says he "came
here impressed with the idea that all
our people are border ruffians;'" sis
certainly man of as narrow mind as
one ever met. When here he affiliated
only with those who ministered to his
prejudices. He belongs to the Church
of England, is man of Democratic
procli,lties, is one of those prim old
hard-shells who have no capacity for
business, no faculty of looking az any
matter except through the colored glass
es Of prejudice, and no adaptation for
anything except fussiness and blunders.
In Washington Territory he removed
Superintendent NIilroy without conde-
scending to furnish a reason for it,
General Milroy is man whose honesty
has never been impeached, and he has
served his country in situations which
men like Kemble always take care TO
avoid. The old soldier was removed by
the praying hypocrite, and fellow
screecher Of Kemble's, a man named
Marshall Bllnn, renegade Republican,
who did all he could to beat the party
in Washington Territory, in 1870, and
who was as much responsible for its de-
feat in 1872 as any other man, was ap-
pointed to the position. Without pre-
ferring any charges against Milroy, or
giving him any intimation of his 1nten-
ton, Kemble took Blinn up to the Office
and put him in possession. If it be
true, as we learn, that Blinn is mem.
Der of the religious sect to which Kem-
BILE belongs, this it may be supposed is
eemed by the latter a sufficient reason"
The Olympia echo endorses all of this
foul slander upon the President for ap-
pointing man thus characterized, with
the exception of that portion relating to
Marshall Blinn, of whom the vast pre-
ponderance of local public sentiment
compels the aGmif sion: "as q man and
a citizen no one enjoys higher reputa-
ton for integrity" There are probably
not dozen men in this Territory who
would not cheertully endorse that state
ment.
Every man who knows Col. Kemble
knows how utterly groundless are all the
charges impugning his personal characs
ter, capacity, or motives. No public
man ever manifested less the character
of pretender; his pretensions or as
sumptiors being far less than his public
distinction. That he should beimpress-
ed with the idea that all western people
are 'border rufians," is inconsistent
with the associations of his early life.
AS child and youth he lived in one of
the new settlements of Illinois. from
whence he emigrated to California in
1S49, before he had attained majority.
He certainly could have no prejudices
against class associated with his best
recollections; and surely California is
not the country to develope or foster
class prejudices. "a man of as narrow
mind as one ever met" says the Bulle-
tin. No old Californian would ever
dream of recognizing Ned. Kemble, the
founder of the Alta newspaper, the
noble, liberal and genial gentleman, by
this description. He belongs to the
Church, that is true; not to the Church
of England, as is stated, but to Protest
ant Episcopal Church of America; and
-what,is more, he manifests in his daily