Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-08-09

larv family to participate with them and
thelr fellow citizens IN his reception, on
the "a July next, to meet This Committee
at the CITY Hall, ut Of o'clock A. NJ. to
proceed ON board the steamboat to meet
hun at Jersey City
Bv order Of he Crmmittep
THO. G.. TALMAGE. Chm.
To HIS Excelencv Gov. SEWARD.
ALBANY. June 30. 1889.
SIR-I have tbs evening received YOUR
letter Of Yesterday IN wh,cn. as Chairman
Of a Commu,.a at tha Common Council
or,he CIV IT,. 81 York va iavt,r me 10
nartlclpa' g wuh 60 Comm Cunoch and
lhcr fellow r.'zanS IN the reception of The
President of the United S a'es IN that CRY.
| might . haps. be contcn, with de-
clinnr TO accent the invitation. upon the
ground of other engagements and duties
which will n permit me to be absent from
thus place. But as lhIs would leave me
liable TO be misapprehcndpd, | am obliged
TO add an explanation. desire to do so
without dlsrespect to the President, and
vi'h 'he highest respect for tho Common
! Council.
Should the Chief Magistrate The Union
favor the Place Of my residence with IA Wis.
It, or should my duty call me into his VI
c,n,tv. | should with cheerfulness and
pleasure nay him all the respect called for
| bv his public station or properly due from
nine. Nor do intend to say or imply hat
the demonstrations of respect proposed by
the Common Council are not Justly due
him bo'n IN his public and personal charac.
ter. | canno. consider the question of ac-
cepfance Of the invitation rendered TO me.
without reference to he public station |
have the honor 10 hold; nor can have
misunderstood my fellow c'tIzens so much.
as not to know that, whatever other cir
cums'ances may have moved their favor
towards me every public demonstration OF
their confidence have had the honor to
receive during my life, has proceeded IN
some measure upon the ground of my aVow
ed transportation OF his political character
and his pubc policy. BY 10 means in
tended TO express doub, as 10 he sncerl
" Of his motives, and entertaining. as Is
most lust, entire confidence in the purity and
d,,in,ercst sickness of the large body OF my
fellow citizens who admire his character
and approve his measures, cannot forget
~ Difference 10 his elevated station, that
w,rh a desire no less sincere han bis to ad-
vance the best interests o his country,
: have regarded his policy and measures a
> ~ furious to the prosperity and welfare of
his native state, and that that state has
honored me for firmly and frankly ma,n-
: ranlng these opinions. Nor can forget
D.. that IN carrying out the policy which has
: crowned, with lmpershabe honor, the
2 name of one who was his and my most illus
j trlOuS predecessor IN the station assigned
n to mr,-a policy which is destined to extend
, the fame, enhance the wealth, eXalt the
condition, aud lmmeasurably increase the
d happiness of the people of this State, the
II State administration at every step encoun-
tiers an uncompromlsIng hostility, proceed
g ing from that powerful administration OF
it which The President of the United State,
is the chef While on he one hand the
a dictates Of my judgement, and the consc,'
ent,ou. desire to discharge faithfully my
II Official obligations, enforce my adheranct
!, to that policy, and while on the other there
e exists 40 ground to anticipate an abate.
meut of that hostility, It Is manifest tina
he nv relations 10 the President can undcrg,
he no change. 1t would at anytime, aud M
I'd der any circumstances, be an eXtraordnar,
demonstration OF respect on the part OF tn
is Chief Magistrate of Tins State towards any
f public funcllonarv, were he to leave hl'
ne duties at the Capital to receive such func
ii, tionary in your city; and such demon
Id stration, while those relations exist, wouh
i'd afford evidence of Inconsistency and insln
mt ccrlty
e. I could have wished that the invitation
" of .hc Committee had been lnforma
made, or had been communicated to me O
lp, an earlier day, so that might have adv
u. sed It's withdrawal and thus the necessl
re-. for this explanation would have bee
it. avoided But | cannot brng myself /
10, regre, that am Obliged to decline the il