New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-17
THE INDIAN RING.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY COwEN REPLIES TO
MR.. WELSH

ASSISTANT SECRETARY COwEN REPLIES TO
MR. WELSH.
Mr.. wELSfIs REFUsALs TO fESTIFY-MR. DETANO
AND TIE NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD STOCK
Il. Il. COwen, Assistant Secretary of the In
terror sends us q reply 10 Mr.. William Weshs :" Open
Letter to the President The first part is devoted 10 the
character Of Mr. Samuel Walker the author OF the very
damaging report Of tue state of affairs at Red Cloud
Agency year and half ago; but we did not think
worth while to publish those parts Of Mr. welshs de-
Tense of Walker to which Mr. Cowen replies We may be
excused from printing the Assistant Secrcarys rejonder
The rest Of his answer is as follows
And now, in regard Mr.. welsh's method Of making
charges aud mis- unfO failure TO sustain them when
offered the opportunity to do the following facts are
soner p. Smith of frauds in the sale of certain pine
lands in Minnesota while he was Indian Agent. At Mr.
Commission to investigate those charges The personnel
of the Commission was nc objected TO ny MI Welsh Who
account of hfs assertion that he bad the most con
elusive evidence of the guilt of Mr.. Smith regarded
u very important witness
because the witnesses generally resided In that state
before that Commission at 1t. Paul, but declined.
Having finished their lab0rs in Minnesota, the Com
mission came TO Washngt6n and again summoned Mr.
Welsh to appear and testify. He again declined in let
ter in which he again claimed to he in possession u eN
members Of the Commission then waited on welsh in
person in Philadelphia, when he again declined to ties
5 h"s n rdear fnV ss .:
In to the sent TO Mr Welsh from this
by letter herto slsShe ne 1ng pm.e N w bs han
printed the letter above mentioned o. bis attorneys declining
a1e % W properly
cate he constrneon that might be placid upon
Ie ngd he aa' every
upon him at Philadelphia AZ an interview which ensued
q p and s IT, & ,ss
@ se na ss OF ali f% Ma
urged could fairly justly withhold evidence
whcb ette, he insisted would placed in our
Essft TO say G that Mt Welsh sui ncsp
S Ss Sesaon Of crime % h
ssS Ss upon Of melting it, and the
enabled II te accusation was supported to deal with the Grim
s snans STSaS % EYER TT the eSqny Of hse
gard whom NAY entertain withou, regard Is
aPH s G ss nafs s BY M %f
the ordinary incidents connected with the public service
method oi handling facts would Ss adadgs%
sta s%s ss hait GHfs as
mental pecqaIt his conduct should be thus seriously re-
that While the general prevalence Of his inexcusanle
Suites Of tbs busy life harmless there
f 90 sp T a@ % sene as to be- Unable 10
withstand their poison ,., . - . -.
acaittal then MI Welsh, who claims have in his pos
conclusive evidence OF Mr. Smiths guilt clearly
responsible for the failure and has virtually hndered ILL.,
But this is not the only case in which Mr. Welsh failed
to give proof Of the charges he had made against the
Indian Office The Standing Committee on Indian Affairs
of the at se ID o 6 The a
dian Office; Mr. Welsh had then been indulgng In open
letters the President and was supposed To be III pos
session of valuable information in regard to the Indian
business. lie summoned before the Committee and
the wing is his testimony taken from the official
WASHINGTON. b. C, April 2, 1874;
Committee and affirmation, the following statement
reside in Philadelphia am merchants my age 49,
Question DO you know Of fraud unfairness irree
porta,lcn the hsca years ending 1s
EXECUTION Of any such CONTRACT lending snow fraud unfair
ness, or irresGarty IN the making thereof mad.
My lTowsse relates c"trsS,s for supplies contracts
III a"U Without notice q Indian
sea fmean III Sat End Tes"y Is m
ke question whether you know Of any fraud unfarness
in the or efe1 qt n s S
a. answer that outside derived from the Board Of
india? SP c@on nave no AA0"oS0 Oh 'Ha' 'u''"
know Of any iTTs reg or alta, s" IN the
Tie Goyernmen or s agents ahIae contracting paio''
Here again H. ms he claims he IL In possession Of con-
elusive evidence of The guilt Of officials by REFUSING to
testify he has yrtualy screened those guilty officials and
IL himself gully OF obstructi ling investgaton. -
Yet in the of both these failures 10 make good his
charges he Ienews these charges III the public prints Of
Mr. Welsh charges that Mr.. Delano published state
in his annual report for 1872 that stock Of tine
of 500 600 600" while at the same time lie knew that
a. there hardly dollar OF legitimate Subscription
10 the stock" IL true the Secretary did use the Ian
guage attributed to him IN his annual report for 1872
The Railroad reports, as made by the Secretary OF the
Interior are ely cOmp alton OF the reports OF the
Presidents of the several land grant roads made to him
under oath, according to law. In thc above ia
found on examination that the Secretary used the den
cal Language that used by j. Gregory Smith, Prcs
dent North Pacific Road, under cath, in his report
to the Department. -
The law and tIe regulations Of the Department require
such reports made To the Department. aud the Sec
Ietary mas been in the habit Of publishing in lis annual
report synopsis Of these reports. III PIesdent Smith
made such a sworn statement, the Secretary had eI
non under the law and regulations but publish the
repults before HIM II Mr. Welsh knew tie report in that
rcspect 20 be false he has slept II too long be
tirey free from blame himself in the nutter, especially
as he has evidently constituted himself general censor
of rublie morals aud Onlclal virtue
Many of the newspapers that are publishing Mr..
Welsn's letters have somehow fallen into the error Of
suIrosng that Mr. Welsh driven from the Board OF
Indian Commissioners by Secretary DelaiO, and The GIN
rim matt Gdsec paper that - usually very careful in Its
u act said in its issue Of the 12ih nstSut
He AIr Welsh served until he found he could not
prevail upon Secretary DeIno 10 defeat the scheIpes OF
The Indian King when lie resigned" .
The fact is that Mr. Welsh resigned in May 1869, dur
ng the term Of Secretary Cox. and has never since been
Connect with the Board kr. DclanO was appointed
Secretary In October 1870 about eighteen months after
Mr. Woslfs rcsigna:On
Mr. Welsh's account OF the inquiry OF 1873 may he
Yesterday.
HUE NLU VHER YACHDC At NEHpHRT