New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-27

Presidential ceCtnlcutt INC law +,
not appear in the correspondence 49, 'l,a' h'
has actually been driven from his place oy al
awakened public sentiment when even no
could not longer fail to recognize Du. 10 may
at least be said of him that he retrea'eu sur
lenly with his face to the foe after eA'iaus,"s
all fine resources of modern MISUNDERSTANDING
the Chinese.
Mr.. Delano thought himself well intrenched,
and as things had been going. he was. lie
did not consider that every investigation or
dered by Congress and demanded by the
Deop!c. every inquiry into official corruption,
every step taken i'll the education OF tne
people to higher standards OF political
morality, were but so many zigzags and par
alels by which the position he held, though
not Immediately attacked, was seriously weak
tned. Damages from occasional shot and
shell had been easily repaired, or at least
whitcwashed, and the Secretary no doubt felt
confident that what with his own facility at
appointing investigating committees, ana the
case with which adverse reports could be
pigeon-hoed, and the known determination OF
the President to defend officials "under fire"
his place and all its lucrative opportunities
were secure. The campaign has been long
one, and if the Secretary is disappointed III
its results, it is not from any failure on
his part to bring all his forces into the field
and avail himself of all the appliances OF
civilized and the cxpcdents OF unciyilized
warfare. If he has failed at all, it las been
in not comprehending public sentiment, and
learning from its drift, and from the fate OF
other statesmen of the period, the futility OF
resistance He would have saved something
had he quietly retired from Office when, as he
says, he FIRST proposed it to the President.
In his treatment of Prof. Marsh of Yale
College, the Secretary has at different times
adopted three different policies, all OF them
very vigorous, none of them very wise. 1t Is
amusing to notice how he has advanced from
one to another of these policies, and his
method under each. The readers OF HE
TRIBUNE are familiar with Prof. Marsh's re-
Iations to the investigation. How he stumbled,
in the course of his scientific explorations III
the West, upon the operations of the Indian
Ring: how, almost before he knew 1t, ana
without any motive or purpose except 10
accomplish the Objects of his expedition, he
became the bearer OF Red Clouds complaints
to the Great Father; how, to his great
amazemcnt, he was at once attacked by
the Secretary of the Interior and his
satellites; and how, having been drawn
into the controversy, he has borne himself
with modesty and dignity as scholar and
gentleman, are things of which our
readers are fully informed. That he
deserves great praise for his manly bearing
under the most shameful and indecent assaults,
and for the consistency with which he has dis
charged his duty, regardless a. well OF blandish-
ments as of abuse, will not be denied by any
candid mind TO a scholar of his tastes ana
pursuits, with no interest in politics and but
little acquaintance with politicians and their
methods. nothing could have been more rcpul-
sve than the idea of engaging i'll such con-
troyersy as this has been. He was given to
understand in its earliest stages that lie would
encounter the virulcnt hostility OF one OF the
great departments of the Government. If he
did not withdraw from it at once. lie
knew that every one who had attacked
the notorious coriuptons OF the de-
partmcnt had been by some means discom-
fted and that even army officers WHO iiad
Witnessed the rascalties of the Indian Ring
and did not hesitate to denounce them pri-
yatelv, confessed that in the existing condition
COMPLAINT was useless and silence wise. The
friends of honest administration owe Prof.
Marsh a debt OF gratitude that he was not de-
TERED by these circumstances, but went
straight forward in the performance of his
duty rs a citizen, leaving the consequences to
take care of themselves.
Mr. Delano in his defense has, as we have OBJ
served, adopted three different policies. First,
the policy of contempt; second, the Pecksniilian,
and third. the mud throwing. The first was
brought ont when Prof Marsh having fulfilled
his promise to Red Cloud and communicated
that warriors complaints to President Grant,
the Secretary of the interior lifted his nose in
the air and ordered the appointment of COM
mittee to investigate the " statements made by
"a Mr.. Marsh "a commission, by the way,
which was not appointed until the press OF the
country had persisted for several weeks in
calling for it, and when appointed finally was
mt up not to investigate the Indian Ring
but to try Prof, Marsh for making
"insinuations" The second plan was tried
when the Secretary laid his magnetic fore
finger on the Professors knee and begged
him "as a praying man" not to do anything
to interfere with or obstruct the process OF
civilizing and outstanding these unfortunate
red men. Ii was continued in the appeal of
Indian Commissioner Smith to the "Chri>tian
"Publc,r and its last echoes fi0aed family
back to us few weeks ago from Cheyenne,
when Boser, the beef contractor, protested
that he was a God-lcaring man. and Savil!e,
the Indian Agent expressed the most pro-
found solicitnde lest the efforts of the
Church in behalf of the Indians might
suffer injury from the prosecution of the
investigation. And the last policy is now
in full blast. The Secretary opened it week