New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-03-09

NEW ORLEANS ]
several claimants to the honor Of beipI
first to bring about tho reinforcement 0
Belknap. M. g. A. Arms an honest req
estate agent at Washington. some week
since. intimated that he III ew enough tx
make tho Secretary Of War resign. H,
told this to Congressman Lewis, and .h,
work Of piling up evidence commenced
MI. Arms was not an entirely disinterestei
witness. He had been dismissed from th.
army, wholly without cause. as every de
graded officer asserts he is, and the Score
tary of War could see no reason for rein
stating him. Mr.. Arms knew of othe,
men who knew something against the Sec.
Rotary. He named an incorruptible &C.
quaintance. Mr.. George T. Robinson.
Mr. Robinson was Baltimore gentleman.
He was born in Maryland, and tool
service a. q captain of General
Griersons Tenth Regiment of colored
cavalry. Robinson wa not up to the
moral standard required of officers Of
colored troops, and he was cashiered from
the United States army April Is, 1875.
Like Arms, MI. Robinson bad been dis
missed from the army for nothing. He
bad been crushed bythe Secretary Of War,
and was in Washington lobbying to get
reinstated BY Congress. Mr.. Robinson
knew all about Fort Sill. He testified that
in 1868 he was ordered with his regiment
to the Indian Territory as engineer of the
military district. He selected the site of
Fort Sill and superintended the erection
OF the fort. A little further on be says {:
At this time, 1860, the post leadership
ct Fort Sill was controlled BY the firm of j.
s. Evans 4 Co. Complaint having been
made to tho firm that extortionate prices
were charged. they replied that the diff
Guilty could not be remedied, ~ for tho priv.
ilege OF trading ct the post SIS, 900 per year
tsry of War. This, a. wss shown, VA tho
contract price.
How many years that sort of thing had
been going on the good captain does not
say, but it is on record that General
Belknap was appointed Secretary Of War,
October IL, 1869. What wa known to
Captain Robinson must have been known
TO other officers and soldiers, and they
punishment for not stating the
acts to the Democratic members of the
military committee years ago. 1t appears
hat the truth a only come through
ulcers who have been cashiered.
The principal witness, however, is C.
:. Marsh, junior member OF the sutling
irm Of j. S. Evans 4 Co. Mr.. Marsh is |
man of. the highest principles known to
sutler. He is the mutual friend" of
family. His own language shows how
GOD he was, for he says when the Secre- !
.ry urged him to remain, and tell the
investigating committee what he knew,
1 told him I thought I had better leave
nd get out of the country, for I would
ot perjure myself for any one; that 1
ould afford to have my throat cut, but
.ot to perjure myself" This good man
'as ~overAowing with the milk of human
lndness. He had been extremely kind
the family during the illness of Mrs.
'eiknap's sister; he had wound about
i'm the affections of the family; the lady
ad asked the Secretary to give him
ne of the trading appointments
the West, and the good man
ould not be ~ungrateful. He would
lake money and divide. When the blow
anne. and charges Of bribery filed the
II, MI. Marsh, Who had paid the money,
ished to 60 to Canada. He was a Casa
ianca who wanted to shake the burning
eek. There was stern stuff in this sutler
no had helped to ruin q family by
riding the weaker half. George WASH
'gton had stood up before his parent and
id, ''Father, I can not tell a lie." Sec
'tary Belknap had asked Caleb P. Marsh
override the delicacy he had about con-
letting a friend, and to make a clean
reast of it. The good man struggled
18th himself, he did not sleep nights, he
ould have his throat cut sooner than be-
az the Secretary, and yet he feared he
!ust do so if he testified, Tor Caleb had
i'd 81 can not perjure myself"
There is something wrong in all this. y,
he disgrace IS not on an individual, or a ,
'litical pa-ty. It is American, and
axes men iistrustful. If Christ could
1t pick ou: welve men without a Judas, ,
w can the executive head of our coun-
= expect to find twelve thousand men
a weak n among them. A mans
rtue should be protected as carefully as
S property. The briber should be pun 8
he'd equally with the bribed. If they {
Q not the law officers are to be blamed. t
1t of first importance is the right of all I
be fairly tried, when accused, and the : :
9 danger is that judgments through g
will march in advance Of the l
A LITTLI KNOW NOTHINa-ISM.
Some Of or journals have the gift of :
nouncing the riches and the virtues of all il
~ oro about - lo,n-k 60. c..~~ 49, d