Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-10-04
Our Washington Letter.

40 q COllfcSSlOIl Oh 1ClT. lnclf
untutored minds see in every
concession made by the govern
ment an Invitation to ask for
more and an inducement to
seize by force, what is not gram
tied by treaty. Army officers
are probably the best agents to
deal with the savages, whether
we have treaties with them or
mot. Few will mourn if Con-
gress shall this winter turn the
Indian Bureau over to the War
Department. Money will be
saved, bloodshed prevented, and
the giant swindle, the Indian
ring, will lose many opportuni-
ties of plundering the nation
and the Indian.
The veteran statesman Alex
ander I'll. Stephens, arrived here
day or two ago, apparently in
better health than at any time
in the past few years. Mr..
Stephens talks freely on all sub
jects connected with politics or
the business condition Of the
country. The latter he thinks
is rapidly improving. In rela-
ton to the Speakership he says
he thinks Randall ought to be
and will be reelected. He will
vote for Randall, though his
choice two years ago was for
Cox of New York. But the
project that rouses Mr.. Stcph-
ems more than any other and to
which he has given much study,
and which will have his valua-
bic aid this winter, is that of
securing government aid to the
Texas Pacific Railroad. He
has his own ideas as to the NAH
ner III which the aid should be
given, but will not oppose any
scheme which will assist the
road and at the same time pro-
tect the government. The inn
provemcnt in Mr.. Stephens
health will crafty every one
North and South. The Repub-
licans of New York in their
State Convention yesterday did
themselves no credit. Mr..
Conkling made it appear that
his hide had been pierced by
the weapons of those who sup
port the Administration, and
his manner and language lacked
the dignity which has done SO
much for him among all classes.
The evidences were numerous
that further trouble in the par
ty may be expected.
The great fire at the Patent
Office building on Monday was
more severe in pecuniary losses
than was supposed. The actu-
al loss is now. put at nearly a
million dollars, and it is thought
a portion of the walls will have
to be torn down. The loss of
models, though great, is not as
large as at first reported. Still,
nearly a hundred thousand
were destroyed, and among
these the original model of the
cotton gin and many others of
real value as we'll as historic
in terest. The greatest actual
damage by the fire is to the
morals Of inventors. Such Is
poor, weak, human nature that
thousands, now the actual mod
Iel is gone, will imagine
that their invention embraced
points that they never before
thought of. Not only will they
bring themselves to believe it,
but will 60 to law to establish
it. When we remember how
slight an invention or improve
ment is often very valuable, and
that sometimes a slight change
i'll a valueless machine makes il
worth fabulous amounts, we
can understand the temptations
opened up to those who see de-
stroyed the only positive proof
of exactly what they originally
invented.
1t is thought the criminal
case against ex-AssistaEt Sec
rotary Sawyer, for defrauding
the Government by the pay
ment Of a fraudulent claim, will
close this week. The general
opinion is that the jury will
disagree.
The Silver Commission will
present an amended report when
Congress meets, and ask for
early consideration of the SUBJ
ject. In a talk with the very
intelligent Secretary of the
Commission, who, with Senator
Jones, it's chairman, has re-
manned here, your correspon-
dent was last night informed