New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-16
WHAT THE SECRETARY SAID.

MR.. GALPIN SAID TO HAVE BEEN HEARD FOR IWENli
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15.-The following is an ac-
count of the interview held with Secretary Schurz
to-day upon the subject of the recent Indian ounce
investi CATION:
Odd you see the dispatch OF Professor sceye and
other newspaper statements criticzng the conduct of
your Indian investigation
Al have seen them and think Professor seelye's dis
patch shows that he has knowledge whatever OF the
OF the investigation that was held by the Board
Of Inquiry It Is that certain charges were brought
by persons, Of whom connected with Eastern
Cherokee affairs in North Carolina Mr. Galpm himself
asked for investigation Of these charges ana ordered
it. but as 1 had for some time intended
thorough inquiry into the conduct OF lhd"h
business. enlarged the scope OF the investigation ac
cordngly To make it perfectly impartial and RELIABLE
asked the Secretary Of War and for the
detail OF one officer each belonging to their respective
departments, to serve members or tile commission
The Secretary Of War gave me Major Bradley
OF the United States Army, and the Attor
ney-General Mr.. McCammon, both officers OF
the highest character in their departments
added Major Lockwood chief clerk OF the Interior De-
partment also an officer of excellent character and
ability for the purpose OF having on the Board one men,
Der with the routine business OF tue Once
IL the course of the investigation 1t was soon
found that the charges brought, and the testimony
given, by the persons connected with the Eastern
Cherokees of comparatively little consequence
Most Of the charges were thrown out early in the in
ycsgation irrelevant and the testimony given by the
persons referred 10 was In most pr considered az OF
little value and Importance In fact, but very few state
mcnts In the report Of the board OF inquiry
are based upon that testimony, and the whole
subject OF Eastern Cherokee affairs Is disposed
Of in one short paragraph, in which the
board recommends that the President appoint COM
mission for the purpose OF settling disputed claims OF the
eastern OF that nation Professor secye seems to
have received some boastful Letters from the Eastern
Cherokee men, but In fact they formed together with Mr.
Galpin, but a snail item IN the Investigation.
The statement that Mr.. Galpin convicted and dis
missed on the ground Of charges brought and testimony
given by persons connected with the Eastern Cherokec
u.s. therefore. absolutely without foundation IL IL said IN
promnant newspaper that dIsreputabe per
sons, meaning probably those who had made the
charges were in close intercourse with the Board, and
In constant attendance at its meetings This statement
Is absolutely They present only when they
were examined Witnesses and they had no standing
before the Board other han ia the characterof Witnesses
when of the witncsssiand they were strictly excluded
from the sittings OF the Board.
II also said Mr.. Gapin dismissed withouta hear
NJ The truth IS that he before the Board for moro
han twenty days gagged in his own defence examining
and cross-examining witnesses upon the charges
brought against him, which were considered OF
any importance at all and irregularities which had been
discovered, aud with which he was con nected but
the charge that Mr. Gapin dismissed upon the teS-
snrd when it Is considered that he was dismissed
principally upon the testimony OF one person alone ana
nlticd that he had nearly months withheld from
the knowledge Of the department charges and specica
tions. supported by numerous aldavits showing cor
practices the rOsset character on The part OF IN
dian agents and Indian CONTRACTORS without gYlhg any
satisfactory reason therefor it being his plain duty to
communicate them al once 10 the mead OF the department
posSibe' lie withheld them while he was himself in
temporary charge Of Indian affairs ana actingc0ins-
rnsmittnd 10 the Department Of justice the parties
concerned were indicted without difficulty.
PROFESSOR sEELYE CRITICISED.
Q.-How DO you think Professor sceye came to put
forth such an unwarranted statement in the news
| papers
Att Is difficult TO account for It; have upon
my desk n letter from Professor seelye. dated
on the Ist Of August, at very early stage
Of the investigation In that letter. he stated
that, as member OF the Indian COM
mttcc of the House he had looked into the condnct OF
business in the Indian office himself and found il all
rect on the part of the responsible managers of that
bureau When he denounced the Investigation Orderedby
me- and said Il hardly conceive Of any testimony
which would shake my conviction OF their untrust
worhincss," meaning the Commissioner and Mr.. Gal
pin Thus he pronounced judgment when the nvesti
CATION, OF which he knew nothing. bad hardly
commenced: aud under ordinary rules would have
DISQUALIFIED himself as juror Professor Seelye
might have thought that he could not find any serious
irregularities in the Inian Bureau. nobody else could,
and when other people did ind them he have jumped
at the conclusion that IL "trayesy OF justice, and
brought about by vilainous Tho professor was
only ore Of many who did not discover things
81 have n very high respect for him. his scholastic
attainments and his integrity and purity Of character;
but can conceive Of testimony which would shake my
conviction to his fitness for the Office OF COM
missioner or chief clerk OF the Indian Bureau.
H. for instance, lie should argue that chief
,iasfnn Wi bni IN for
two months Important and weslbstaniiatcd informa-
ton showing corrupt practices the part of agents and
| contractors from the knowledge of the Department,
should not be dismissed. should consider him very
dangerous man AT The head OF Indian affairs.
o. IN va, Ia hcIicve to he an honest ,nno and
whose personal integrity is not reelected upon by the
report dstictly remember when Mr. Smith came
into my private office In state o eat eNcltment hoid
inc payers in his hand and saying: Here Is some
thing vcy astonishing that can't understand The
papers were those above auded TO- SHOWING it hn nl
Galpin had had them in MA possession for nearly two
months. and now had given them up to NM t,l aSaeI
holding information of such Importance for so long
wo Sne Won ,rT mot d., dinss Sm lie nnswsrcd think
possibr explanation that might he satisfactory 4 ana
he answered, can't think OF any,.
SECRET INVESTIGATIONS PROPER.
There Is something very significant about the camor
raised by gentlemen about this Indian nyejtga-
ton When investigation was held that led TO no i'm
portant disclosures it denounced as an impotcnt
md withdrawing affair Now that an investigation is
held that does disclose things and goes SO far
that 1t reaches 10 the bottom, hands IRE held
up in holy horror with the exclamation fittings must
never be done by such methods II Is matter OF ex-
p,r.ncc that Investigations OF Indian affairs held with
opca doors, giving persons interested IN covering up
day To day. everything that happened ana what
they have sS as method SIsr ad leu 20 hs
Is mUS ro, e wrong to purify the service the method
of Is