The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-08-23


in June last
Tn conclusion have request that you will publish
herewith the letter of the Secretary Of War of the Gath of
June last and my reply thereto, both of which en-
closed
Very respectfully your obedient servant
To Hon. A. 0. p. NICHOLSON,
Editor of the Union,
Washington City, ID. G.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
Washington, June "a, 1854
| SIR have received your letter enclosing slip from
the "Vaey Democrat Of the Sd instant in which there
is editorial article charging that this department. in
making the recent annual appointment of cadets for the
Military Academy gave two cadets to one congressional
district in eastern Virginia and the Tenth Lee
gon district" This denOunces an exhibition OF par
TALLY by the administration for eastern Virginia. and an
outrage upon the tenth district
There is only district in Virginia the 4th) which has
two cadets West Point These cadets, however were
appointed by the late administration and before the State
dstriced under the recent They were resi-
dents of the old I'd and 4th districts respectively and
appointed from those districts but by the of the yir
gna legislature that part of the cd district from which
its cadet united to the 4th to form new dis
trc which has thus two cadetsnot by the act of this
department or of this administration but by the act of the
legislature in rcmodeng districts from which appoint
had been made properly and according to law under
! the last administration,
AS the number of cadets from every State is limited by
the number of representatives in Congress- it is OBJ
vous that if congressional district has two cadets,
/
Cured in Illinois, Ohio and New York. well as in Vir-
gnathose States having been rcdiscted since the last
appointments made; and the department. in order to
determine which districts the loss should fall upon asked
the advice of the representatives in Congress from the
cant districts in each State They however failed in the
two last-named States agree any conclusion and
the department then determined that those of the
sructed districts should remain vacant from which cadets
had most recently been appointed There great diff
Guilty in applying this principle as the districts IN cues
ton made up of portions of other districts from
which appointments had been made at various times but
after the best consideration the department could give to
the subject the tenth district Of Virginia believed to
fall within the rule.
Very respectfully &c,
JEFF. DAVIS, Secretary of War.
Hon CuAs. J. FAULKNER.
The foregoing communication from the Secretary of War;
in regard to his recent action in denying TO my congress
sional district cadet at West Point is the first thing ID
the way of explanation that have seen, and for this the
obligations of my constituents and myself due to my
colleague Mr. Faulkner Although the Secretary denied
cadet to my district he for reasons best known to himself
informed of the fact, has he ever as
signed reason for his conduct until this letter was fur
nshed my colleague for publication What particular
interest my colleague had in this matter aui unable to
say but am inclined to think that his actcn was prompt
ed by his regard r my constituents and myself and not
account Of any love he cherished for the Secretary
have read the letter of the Secretary carefully and am
now loss know why my district was selected AS the
district to be denied cadet have called the attention Of
other persons it, and have yet TO meet with the first
who determine from il upon what principle the
Secretary acted appeal TO each and al of my consu-
cnts decide whether the letter presents single
that justified him in withholding from my district right
which was so promptly accorded to Others.
When the Secretary called upon to select the cadets
he found the following state of facts in regard 10 the
gressional districts of Virginia.
LIST The representation had been reduced from fifteen to
thirteen fnanbtrg, sgd the loss had fallen upon eastern Vr
GINA The county bf lioudoIn had been hros with the
west and was the only eastern county so connected
I'd of the eastern congressional district the ISL "a 50
9Th and 9th had cadet EACH while the 4h district had
The east, with districts. had therefore, seven
cades--a full representation.
3D. OF the He9,ern districts the 10th, llth, 18th, and
18th had one taet eac' aid TIE etii and gth a none
4th The 3D. 5ih 10th and l3tl districts had cadets at
the Military Academy who would graduate Mt the late OK
animation.
5th All the districts except the 18th in eastern Virginia.
and the 9Th and 9th in western Virginia represented
at West Point and had been representedsome of them
oF yer, and the remaining portion for one year at least
When Tie Secretary c.nlss III ,99se his appointments
what does he do He assigns TO the Sd, 5tb 1t 18th
each cadet although then represented and to the 18th and
9Th two Of the districts each cadet leaving the
Sth Giaiy.ct eIso racan without cadet. The result
therefore Isl has eastern virginia With her congress
sona districts gets eight cadets while western Virginia
with her sir congressional districts gets fire ca,res
Ny congressional district under the old apportonuen
comprised tbe coepties qf 9henandoah Hardy Rocking
ham, Eendetop, Augusta, and Kochbri1ge, and nser The
late spportionmen Highland and Bath were added There
was ooF change in it, aud there could have been none
Of the difficulties which he mentions, about the district
being made up Of portions OF other districts nom winch
appointments had been made at various times" Can any
rational tell why the Secretary should have selected
the pacan district of my colleague, Mr.. Faulkner and
should have repudiaed the oacdnt district which repre-
sent2 Can any rational man tell why he should have
selected the 3D. eth 10th and 18th districts each OF which
h1 had cadefat e3t poihl, and should have repudia
ted the district which represenk and wirh was vacant
can conceive of principle which Would work out
such results; does the Secretary inform us what The
"principg is YOU therefore, conclude properly enough
that the for passing over our congressional district
is still unexplained .
An accidental circumstance has at last given TO our dis
t-iot cadet and our young friend strongly recon-
ended hss .eceigea the appointment ana has been duly
notified Of the fact
These are the facts and present them to my constitu
ents in reply to the letter Of the Secretary Of War pub
lshel IN your last paper THIS conceive to be duty
Very respectfully
JuLy 4b, 1854 ). LhIohEh
There are two points in the above communication which