The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1867-03-18
APPOINTMENT OF HON. JAMES
BUFFINTON As INTERNAL REV.
ENUE COLLECTOR.

BUFFINTON As INTERNAL REV.
ENUE COLLECTOR.
1t gives us pleasure to record the fact that
the First Massachusetts, Internal Revenue
District has at last obtained Collector, and
we are glad that our old and esteemed friend
Hon. JAMES BurF1SToS, who served so credit
ably several terms in Congress from that
district, has received the appointment Last
fall The president DESTROYS Of rewarding
soldiers who had suffered in fighting the bat
ties Of the Union, appointed General EBESE-
FER PIERCE, whose right arm was shot of BY
q rebel cannon ball, at the battle Of White
Oak Swamp. Mr.. Eliot the Representa-
tive Of that district. told CHARLES SUMNER
and HENRY WILSON that they must not con-
firm General PIERCE, and they obeyed the
little Representative from the First District,
and the General with "the empty sleeve"
was accordingly rejected Anticipating the
action Of the Senate, the name Of Mr.. Gil
BERT, Of New Bedford was presented for the
place, with the Endorsement Of Mr.. ELIOT.
This developed, partly, the secret Of Mr..
ELrors persistency in having Gen. PIERCE
rejected. He desired to remove the main
Office from Fall River TO New Bedford, his own
place Of residence As il to divide the honors
with him, though without any intention to do
so, The PRESIDENT, instead Of appointing Mr..
GrBLERT, rabid Radical Of the SUMNER stripe,
appointed another gallant soldier Brig. Gen.
TIMOTHY ISGRAHAM, Of New Bedford. The
confirmation Of Gen. INoRAuAM would have
carried the main Office to New Bedford, one
the points desired by ELIOT. The courage
Gus Senators said they had no voice in the
matter Of confirming Gen. hoRAHAN; that
he must go TO ELIOT and get his consent |!
To ELIOT he went, only to be insulted for
having an opinion Of his ownl INGRAHAM
was not q radical. ELIOT wanted the Office
removed from Fall River to New Bedford,
and he wanted Radical to control it after
it got there, and that Radical was not q SOL
der! His name was GILBERT. A little time
passed. Mr.. GrSBERr suddenly left Wash.
ington. Shortly afterward, say ten days,
protests, addressed to Senators SUMNER and
WILSON, came pouring in from the first dis.
trict against the confirmation of ISoRAHAM,
based on political grounds only! GILBERT
returned to this city simultaneously with the
protests. This Of course was only coinci.
dence! He was jubilant. Eliot seemed
happy. lSGRAHAN called upon SUMNER and
WILSON again and finally, to learn whether
they would confirm him. They chad no
voice.in the matter" poor creatures, and
sent the General to Eliot. The latter
would not yield. SUMNER and WILSON
had to obey the Representative, and
accordingly another soldier ,Vds rejected
The vacancy still existed. The Thirty-ninth
Congress adjourned. The Office was without
legal head TWAS necessary that it should
be filled, and that promptly. Politics were
out Of the question. So was New Bedford,
as Mr.. ELIOT has since lived to learn to his
sorrow. Hon. JAMES BUFFINroS, Of Fall
River, Mass, who was then Special Agent
Of the Treasury, and formerly the Repre-
sentative from that district, as stated above,
was nominated to the Senate for Collector
Of the First Massachusetts district, and was
confirmed. The result is the main Office re-
mains at Fall River, and Mr.. ELIOT, by his
contemplate meanness, neither obtained the
appointment Of GILBERT as Collector nor did
he get the Office established at New Bedford.
The people of that city and the soldiers Of that
district, when the next election for Congress
man comes round, should see to it that man
is sent here who manifests more shrewdness
and care for their interests, who knows how to
comprehend public questions as they arise
and who will not stoop to acts of littleness
especially when gallant soldiers appeal tC
him.
The appointment Of Mr.. BUFrISToS is
l good one, and we congratulate the people o
the district that they have at last obtained
an officer Of SO much experience with thu
peculiar business Of that locality, and who's
knowledge Of the financial department of TIT
: Government is thorough.
: