National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-01-31
TIE INDIAN nrnEAu EXODUS.

Commissioner HAYT has retired from
the responsibilities, duties and perpexities
of the Indian Bureau, not in good order,
but in n slightly disheveled condition and
under n cloud. In our opinion he was never
the right man in the right place. How he
got there is rs much a mystery as how the
beautiful bug became imbedded in the
heart of n granite block; but he found his
way there, and he has found his way out,
with much less promptness and alacrity
than the welfare of the public service has
seemed to demand. When General FISK
assumed the responsibility Of arraigning
the purity of his administration of Indian
affairs, Mr. HAYT was piously indignant
and rushed into print with a prompt denial
of the allegations made against him. There
the matter rested until commission took
his case in hand, and began TO look into
things, when his sky began to look a
little murky. He had entertained the
opinion, and so had the Secretary of the
Interior in his report, that Indian affairs
had been as well conducted as it was pos
sble for them to be under the circum-
stances, and very likely he was correct,
for the conduct of our Indian interests
hinge very materially upon the character
of those who administer them.
The result of this investigation, though
as Mr.. HAYT had declared, the investigators
were without jurisdiction, resulted in the
hasty departure of the Indian Commissioner
from the public service He was asked to
step down and he did step down and out,
with becoming haste, thus Kidding the In
dian service of his presence. Temporarily
the Indian Bureau has been transferred to
the keeping of Mr.. HAYT's warm admrer
and friend. This may he all very well.
We have no fault to find with that feature,
except that under all circumstances as
Secretary SCHURZ would put it, it wears Il
queer look. Mr. HAYT was sustained by
the Department of the Interior, aud Rugged
closely to the bosom of the Secretarys con-
fdence, to all human appearance, until
General HAMMOND made clean breast
regarding the true inwardness Of the HAYT
inquities, and then he seized his pen and
indited the fatal message which took off
the Commissioners ignominious head. The
execution was prompt, graceful and no
doubt richly merted, and if the execu-
toner had then put his axe and block
quietly away, commanding his victim to
the kind care of his family aud friends, the
curtain would have dropped upon the
drama, and the iootlghts would have re-
Aected credit upon the closing act of the per-
Torrance. But unfortunately the Secretary
of The Interior does not seem to know when
he has got through with his legitimate role.
lie continued to perform a part according
TO representation that was neither in the
text of the play, nor called for by the audi
ence nor the propreties Of the occasion
Instead of turning his victim over to the
undertaken for prompt sepulture, he seized
n whitewash brush and bedaubed the re-
mains of the beheaded with thin prepare,
ton, which rendered the whole affair su,
premely ridiculous lie would lain MAKE
the country believe that Mr. HAYT, Will,
in office, was not guilty of any dishonest ac
or connection with corrupt practices, bu
that his sudden taking off was for the rea
son that he had withheld from the Depart
ment information which the Department
ought to have had, What that hidden in