Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-01-10

tsrsciAL DisrArcxrs TO rHs COLD Hill
DAILY Naval
sCaURz AFTER SHERIDAN.
How the Secretary Answers the
Charges or the Genaral.

How the Secretary Answers the
Charges OF the Genaral.
WASHINGTON, Jan. ~ scrstary
schurz's reply to General Sheridan is
published. It Is devoted largely to
showing that inconsistencies and con-
tradictions exist in tho lattsr's docu-
msnt. He says al feel warranted In
saying that General Sheridan. after an
evidently mos. diligsnt search OF the
records OF his correspondence. has not
been able to sustain his general charge
with regard to q single n Of the forty
three agencies in his department during
the period named in his annual report,
and I am confident every iair.minded
man carefully reading his supplemental
report will agree with me IN this con.
clusion. General Sheridan nov says
that he did not mean his statement as /.
from q literal Interpretation Of his Lam
guage. had construed 1t. This dis.
claimer must OF course be accepted"
The Secretary here recalls several OF the
statements "a large majority Of the
statements contained In the supple.
mental report refer to q period Of sew
srai years auteoedont to the present i'd.
ministration. The task OF answering
the allegations contained therein l might
fairly leave to my predecessors. In the
statements referring to tho period
commencing with the present admins.
tratiou, only fifteen OF the forty.
1--we Indian agencies In his military d.
vision are alluded to, aside from some
Indian tribes that have no agents. OF
two.thirds OF them 1t seems General
Shsridau's records contain nothing that
can be turned 10 account In the way OF
censure, and In what 10 said Of these
fifteen agencies I discover nothing that
is new to me. In fact, the supplemental
report warrants tho conclusion that this
department 10 far better and more COM
pletely informed than General Sheridan.
This correspondence has not been OF my
seeking. Il Is especially distaststul to
have been forced into n controversy with
q military officer whose services in the
field are 30 conspicuously recalled In the
history Of this country. 1t 10 due to
you, sir, M well as TO the public. that
should state the reasons which CON-
PEELED me to take II up. Gen. Shsridan's
annual report was made not only for the
information OF the General Of the Army.
as he represents IL. but II was an official
document to DO placed on the records OF
tho Government, and IL was spread
broadcast before the public. In fact. i
saw II first in the public prints. That
an officer under one executive dc.
partment should, In such an official doc
ument. publicly arraign another depart.
ment in unmeasured terms, may DO 70.
garded as o performance unprecedented
In this Government. Still, l should not
have objected to II had the grave charges
thus made been confined 10 the guilty
parties, without casting unjust imputa.
tations upon honorable men, and with.
out emitting circumstances essential to
q fair representation Of the truth. But
such not being the case I considered IL
my duty to call for proof. I did not do 30
for the purpose Of 'lecturing army OH.
GERS into silence as General Sheridan
intimates with somewhat questionable
proprieiy. for / very pointedly and re-
pestedly asked him NOT to be silent, but
to speak. and the reply came only siI
weeks after my first request. In this
case, n in others, I wanted the truth.
the whole truth and nothing but the
truth. II has never been my desire to
conceal anything With regard TO the In.
dian service. l may justly say that /
have dore all l could by instituting In.
quiries and calling for reports to bring
its defects to light. lhave not only not
repealed but ! have invited information
from army officers. and ! shall always
be grateful to them for cooperating with
me- in this respect. But when In official
documents vague and sweeping charges
OF so grave o character. involving the
whole branch OF the service, are put
forth. such as appear In General Shsri.
dams annual report, 1t is my duty to
protect worthy officers under this De.
partment, 40 that they may not suffer in
the public estimation with the guilty. i
have to protect the honor OF tho De.
partmept itself. Earnestly endeayoring
to elevate the moral tone and efficiency
OF the Indian service l consider 1t Of the
first importance that every officer in 1t
be inspired with proper self respect. He
must feel that he can maintain In the
public estimation the name Of an honest
man II he deserves II. There are many
men in the Indian service M pure. high.
minded aud faithful to duty as any OH.
GERS Of the army, and l cannot permit
them to be Unfortunately classsd with
thieves or imbecilss without dstriment
to tho honor and efficiency OF the yer.
vice. Nothing can DO further from my
intention than TO defend abuses or shield
guilty or incompetent persons In the en-
-. A.. nv.