Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-08-04
r.vs REn C1.0TD COMsIusSIoN

THE RED CLOUD COMMlSSION.
Ex-Governor Fletcher, the Prcsi-
dent of the Commission appointed to
investigate the charges of Pro. Marsh
against Secretary Delano and Com
missioner Smith, in connection with
the Red Cloud Agency, in a letter to
the Tribune, dated the 22d inst, cor
recting some Of the misstatements of
the reporters concerning the action of
tho Commission and the declarations
Of its members, Gays:
al cannot now undertake to correct
all the errors into which they have
fallen in attempting to detail these
conversations, by specific reference to
each of them, but will merely say, by
way of general correction, that /
have only expressed the opinion that
1t seemed to me, from what we had
gathered here, that tho supplies and
annuity goods shipped from the East
were of quality and quantity cores
pondiug to samples upon which bids
were made and accepted. have also
stated that we 60 West to begin the
examination there, and to follow It
back here, determined to find tho
wrong, II any, wherever 1t may be,
and to fix 1t where it belongs. Both
the Secretary of the Interior and Com
missioner Smith have desired us, while
in the discharge of our other duties,
to examine carefully the charges and
insinuations of Professor Marsh, go
far as they effect the Secretary of the
Interior and the Commissioner of In
dian Affairs, and to report clearly and
explicitly on all the charges made d.
rectly or inferentially by Prof. Marsh's
statement, and this we intend to do
without fear, favor or affection, 80 far
as the evidence and facts we may
gathar shall warrant or require. We
are in this matter the servants Of no
branch of tho Government, but repre-
sent the people of the Republic In this
investigators, and mean faithfully to
perform our duty to them, and to do
exact justice to their officers, servants,
and agents who may be implicated
The total unfairness and rascality of
the opposition journals is freshly ex-
hibited in tho manner in which they
jump at the conclusion that Secretary
Delano and Indian Commissioner
Smith are plunderers and rogues, be-
cause Professor Marsh has arraigned
them and Indian agent Saville ss such,
through the aid and cennivance, as we
believe, of the New York Tribune.
At once Democratic journalists, who
have not sufficient reputation to get
the loan of ten dollar bill, ON their
own pledge of payment, charge with
ont reservation, that these parties are
all corruptionists. The journalist that
will thus pronounce man guilty, and
teach the public to SO believe without
awaiting any hearing or investigation
of the case, only shows the baseness
and corruption Of his own heart. Sec.
retary Delano had literally nothing
to do with the appointment of Saville
more than to commission him upon
the recommendation of one the lead
ing Christian denominations of the
land. In this manner all tho agents
are appointed, and with their selection
the Secretary has nothing to do. Mr..
Delano requested of Prof. Marsh that
he should present his complaint against
agent Saville in due form, and prom
ised that they should be thoroughly
investigated this Prof. Marsh failed
to do, but now that he has saw fit TO
write letter to the President, making
charges, still the investigation is pro-
vided for, though the course of Prof
Marsh is in no wise defesinble. The
situation is evidently the work of
shyster politicians and corrupt cormo-
ranta, hanging around the public crib,
who have been unable to influence the
Secretary to bend in his rectitude that
they might fatten at the public ex-
pense.
Foul birds themselves, without char
acter to present to the public, in max
ing the charge, they have deceived and
deluded Professor Marsh into their net
for cats paw. We have no heaita.
ton in believing that this bug g-bear of
corruption will turn out to be like
nearly all the stock in trade OF q trait
GUS crew heretofore has, viz: it will
be found to be but another of the hun-
dreds of falsehoods unblushingly sown
broadcast over the land as truths, by
men who pretend to seek the rsforma-
tion ofa government that they rebelled
against or aided those who did, only
I ew years ago. It 10 q common and
! 'nthful saying when one would most
athfully characterize the highest i'm
pdence in man, to say she has the
lnudence of the devil" AS those
WI rebelled, or sympathizcd with
the who did, in this country descend
ed oil down on the rounds of the
iaddr that led to Satan's dominlons,
so tho also became well schooled in
the lie sud impudencs OF tho Father
Of liesi
-
ibis Awhat tho homo paper of Mr..
II n