New-York tribune., 1875-07-14

Collccc. who had communicated to President
Grant the complaints of Red Cloud and his
tribe. Prof. Marsh has certainly not retorted
in kind; for a more definite article than
the Professors detailed statement, when
we publish this morning, and which, with
out aiming at description. does describe
Secretary Deano and his Department,
could hardly be imagined Possibly when the
Secretary in his letter of May 10 to the Presl-
dent of the Board of Indian Commissioners
Informed that functionary in lofty ana
superior way that he was deslrous OF appoint
"ing Commission to investigate GER
"tain reports put in circulation by Mr.
Marsh" he supposed he had finished
the whole business, and that the large
indefinite article with which he had pointed
out Prof. Marsh's insgnifcance would dismiss
him back to obscurty. That seems to have
been the purpose. For though more than two
months have elapsed, and The TRIBUNE has
felt compelled in the interests OF the puDlc
service to remind the Secretary of the matter
once twice, the Commission has not yet been or
ganizcd. Ifthc Secrctary's purpose wos to dispose
of Prof. Marsh with an indefinite article he has
been woefully mistaken, as our readers this
morning VIII ODstINt. WIN 'ht S""' "'"'
born persistency with which he pursued his
quest of fossils in the Bad Lands i'll the face
of hostile Indians and the same disregard
of everything but his own notion of
duty with which he fulfilled iii spirit rs
well as to the letter his promise to
Red Cloud, he has followed up his line
of investigations in the administration of Indian
Affairs III the Interior Department. 1t might
be said indeed that the scientific habit OF
thought and method of inquiry by which he il
enabled on the evidence of il mOlar to bring
together and construct whole anatomy, have
been applied here so that with only the orjgi-
nal clcw of a few bad samples he has uncov-
cred the dry bones of a whole department.
Nothing could be palmer or more simple than
his narration of the manner in which the Govern
mcnt is dcfrauded and the Indians are wronged
bv the vampires of the Indian Ring. All the
processes are detailed with surprising minute
ness and the Professor has taken the precau-
ton to fortify himself at every point from the
records of the Department and the testimony
of unmpeachablc witnesses. That cOrrnp-
ton and fraud have been the rule and
honest dealing the very rare and almost un-
known exception in the administration of
Indian affairs for many years has been more
than suspected No one who has been at all
familiar either with the character and bust
ness methods of the agents and contract
ors, or with the conduct of affairs in
the Department at Washington, has had
the slightest doubt upon this subject
And yet, notwithstanding the absolute
conviction in the minds of all who had i'll
oil tI,.tt tIn NJ
ment was honey -combed with corruption, the
Ring has managed for years to ward off
official investigation and maintain its hold upon
the sources of dishonest gains till, like the
Canal Ring in this State, i'll the confidence
that it was imprcgnable, it became utterly
reckless in the extent and the unblushng
effrontcry of its transactions. Charges of
fraud in the contracts or dishonesty at the
agencies were sometimes followed by n feint
of investigation, but whenever an unfavOrable
report was received from an investigation, it
was pigeon hOlcd in the Department, and no
notice was ever taken of it. Several
such reports IRE known 10 be in the Depart
Inent pigeOu-hOles some of them relating to
this very Red Cloud Agency, and exposing the
transactions which Prof. Marsh describes. The
only serious attempt at reform was in the ap-
pontment few years ago of Il Board of In
dian Commits by the President with the
express purpose of supervising the contracts and
purchases for the Indians This Board, composed
of intelligent and conscientious men, was 80
hampcrcd and harassed by Secretary DclanO
and his Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Mr..
f. p. Smith, that one after another of its mem
bcrs was compelled, by his own sense of self
respect, to resign, until the Board was filled
again with majority of the Secre-
tary's tools, who were always ready
to do his bidding. This triumph en-
boldencd the Ring more than anything else
that had happened. The stages of legislation
by which it was accomplished the successive
qualifying acts, and the ingenuity exercised in
their preparation, make an interesting chapter
of themselves in the history OF the Indian
Ring.
All the well known methods of the Depart
ment for suppressing inquiry, misleading the
people, forestalling public opinion, and discred-
iting unfavOrabc testimony, have been re-
sorted to in the effort to escape the damaging
effect of Prof Marsh's disclosures. He was
first given to understand that he had incurred
the hostility Of branch of the General Govern
mcnt, and that he would be wise to retire
from so unequal contest he was then re-
preached with not having brought these abuses
TO the attention of the Department 80 that
they might have been corrected without pub
licty; he was afterward besought with unctu-
Gus picty by Secretary DelanO to consider
praycrfuly whether it was not unchristian be-
hayior to put obstacles i'll the way of
the elevation of these savages to civiliza-
ton and Christianity, and finally an
effort was made to draw from him the extent
of his charges and the testimony supporting