New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-24

rarely happens that the inter rogated person,
who is also i'm most instances the accused anu
arraigned. paws the slightest attention 10 inc
storm of questions daily repeated with which
he is assailed. but the performance is not less
antertoinino on that account. Frequent repetl-
tions of even an impertinent question come 10
be amusing after awhile; and when tney uo
not take on the quality OF humOr they convey
the impression of profound and persistent ear
nestness. Moreover, if it be the province Oh
the newspaper, as some understand 1t, 10 make
public every charge that is brought ana every
insipuation that is whispered against Govern
ment officials or candidates for office, 1t must
necessarily he its duty to assume JUDICIAL luhc-
tions and call the incriminated person 10 ac-
count. If a public officer or candidate DC
cborord with theft or murder, the duty OF the
newspaper Is plainly to call the accused forward
and demand that be exOnerate himself
II is in this particular calling that our con-
tomnorory. The Herald, chiefly distinguishes
itself. We are gratifed at the manner III when
if is pressing Just at this moment It's cross-eX
animation of Attorney General MacNeagh ana
It's demand for categorical answers. when Inc
Herald begins to call upon any puDhc man 10
- sneak ont we know that we are OF the eve Oh
learning something. Not indeed OF learning
ANYTHING in answer TO the questions ana the ue-
mand. but of learning the capacity OF the inter
rogated person to keep his own counsel and
resist the rain of heterogeneous. For though
our neighbor has had several outbreaks OF this
sort during the past few years, we do not now
recall single instance in which the person so
ossaied made any reply. All the same he was
- Il tf..TRc al a
and was called upon to speak out " on pain OF
suffering disgrace. humiliation and defeat II he
neglected to respond. The cali upon General
Garfield in the last Presidential campaign to
come forward and "spcak out IN answer to
the charges of his opponents that he was brIbe-
taker, pcrjurcI and thief, was, il will be remem-
bcred, loud, continuous and persistent, and he
was told daily that if he did not "speak out y 1t
would be fatal to his hopes Of success. So he
was persstently told that if he did not speak
OUT and either confirm or deny the reports
concerning his Cabinet appointments, his Ad-
ministration would be forcgonc failure. lie
did not "spcak out but the public learned
something il did not know before of his
capacity for shedding Interrogation points.
And now our ncighbor is calling upon At
toncy-G General MacNcagh to "spcak out \
great many things have been said about Mr..
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. his relations with the late
President Garfield; with the members of the
Cabinet: with President Arthur; with District
Attorney Corl,hill with the Star Route ring,
and with various other people too numerous to
mention. And q number of rcasOns-some un-
complimentary to his political sagacity, and
some rejecting upon his honesty and sincerity
have been adduccd for his leaving the "abi-
net and abandoning the prosecution OF tho Star
Route eases. The proioundcr his silence on the
subject the more abundant the rumors concern
ing the causes OF his retirement. And or
ncighbor, taking up with alacrity its role Of
public interrogation, repeats the rumOrs, and nj
the head of them fires Oh at the AttOrncy-Gcn-
cral its stcrcotypcd demand that he should
speak out" on pain OF losing the confidence of
the American people by hi, neglect. Mr.. Mae
Neagh's powers of resistance, however, seem
quite equal To the occasion. The questions
rained upon him and the pcremptOry summons
daily repeated to speak ont roll of from him
like water off duck. He does not speak
ont Indeed, he mnnifests no disposition To
speak out" Tho only~thing we are likely to
learn from this persistent effort to cro,S-cXamine
is that the most diligently worked and well
directed pump is liable very often to suck sand.
still, a rapid and eager questioner is always an
entertaining spectacle, whether he olcits m
answer or not.