The Portland daily press., 1869-03-31
WASHINGTON.
rrouANAN coRREsPoNpEN

Denort,nent of State, Dec IL, 1860-Sir-The
| alarming crisis in our national affairs has en-
gaged your serious consideration, and in Your
| recent message you have expressed to Con-
| gress, and through Congress to the country.
| the views fraught with the most mementous
| consequences which are now presented to the
| American people for solution. With the gen.
| eral principles laid Gown in that message l
| fully concur, and appreciate with warm sym
patny It's patriotic appeals and Suggestions.
What measures it is competeut and proper tor
the Executive to adopt u der the existing cir,
cumstances is a subject which has received
your most careful attention, and Win lhe
anxious hope, as | well know from having par
| tcipated in the deliberations, that tranqullity
and good feeling may be speedily restored 10
| the agitated and divided confederacy.
In some points, which deem OF vital I'M
| portance, it has been my misfortune TO DINER
| from YOU 1t has been my decided opinion,
| which for some time past have urged at va
rious meetings of the Cabinet, that additional
| troons should be sent to reinforce the forts in
| the harbor of Char lesion, with view to their
better defence should they be attacked, and
that an armed vessel should likewise be or
dered there to aid, if necessary, in the defence,
and also, should it be required in the colec-
ton of the revenue; and it is yet my opinion
that these measures should be adopted with
out delay
have likewise urged the expediency of i'm
medlately removing the Custom House at
Charleston to one of tee forts in the port; and
also of making arrangements for the collection
OF duties, thereby having collector and other
officers ready to act when necessary, so that
when the Office may become vacant the proper
authority may be there to collect the duties on
the part of the United States. continue to
think that these arrangements should be i'm
mediately made.
While the right and responsibility of decid-
ing belongs to you, it is very desirable at this
perilous juncture, that there should be, as far
as possible, unanimty in your c0unsels, with
view to safe and efficient action. / have,
therefore, felt it my duty to tender my resig-
nation of the office of Secretary of State, and
to ask your permission to retire from that
official association with yourself and the mem
bers of your Cabinet, which l have enjoyed
during almost four years without the occur
renee of a single incident to interrupt the per-
sonal intercourse which has SO happily ex-
listed.
I cannot close this letter without bearing my
testimony of the jealous and earnest devotion
to the best interests of the country with which,
during term of unexampled trials and trou-
bles, you have sought to discharge the du-
ties of your high station. Thanking you for
the kindness and confidence you have not
ceased to manifest towards me, and with the
expression of my warmest regards, both for
yourself and the gentlemen of your Cabinet,
am, sir, with great respect,
Your obedient servant,
(Signed) LEWIS CAss
To the President of the United States.
PRESIDENT BUCHANAN TO MIR. CAss.
Washington, D. c., Dec. 10, 1s6O.-Sir-I have
received your resignation of the Office of Sec
retary of State with surprise and regret After
we had passed through nearly the whole term
of the administration with mutual and cordial
friendship and regard, ] cherished the hope
that nothing might occur to disturb our official
relations until its end. You have decided diff
erent, and I have no right to complain.
must express my qualification at your concur
rrTVfh 1ns1
my message, and Jour appreciation, with
warm sympathy, of its patriotic appeals and
suggestions. This value very highly, and
rejoice that we concur ia the opinion that
Congress does not possess the power under the
Constitution to coerce State by force of arms
to remain in the confederacy
The question on which we unfortunately
differ is that of ordering detachment of the
navy to Charleston, and is correctly stated in
your letter OF resignation. do not intend to
argue this question. 1t is sufficient to say that
your remarks upon the subject were heard by
myself and the Cabinet with all the respect
due to your high position, your long expert
ence and your unblemished character. But
they failed to convince me of the necessity and
propriety, under existing circumstances, of
adopting such measure The Secretaries of
War and of the Navy, through whom the
orders must have to be issued to reinforce the
forts, did not concur in your views; and whilst
the whole responsibility for the refusal rested
upon myself, they were, the members of the
Cabinet, more directly interested. You NAV
have judged correctly on this important ques-
ton, and your opinion is entitled to grave con-
sideration; but under my convictions of duty
and believing, as do, that no present neees-
ity exists for resort to force for the protection
of the public property, it was impossible for
me to have asked collection of arms in the
harbor of Charleston, and thereby defeated
the reasonable hopes which l cherish of the
final triumph of the Constitution and the
Union.
/ have only to add that you will take with
you into retirement my heartfelt wishes that
the evening of your days may be prosperous
and happy. Very respectfully yours,
To the Hon. Lewis Cass.
BRIDGE ACROSS EAST RIVER NEW YORK
BY direction of the Secretary of War COM
mission will assemble in New York the 31st
inst, to examine and report upon the subject
Of bridge across the East river.
NoMINATIoN.
The President to-day sent only one nomina-
ton to the Senate, viz, that of Charles s. Ham
ilton to be Marshal for the district of Wiseon-
sin. Gen. Hamilton was a class mate of Pres
idsnt Grant, at West Point, and served during
the late war, principally in the Southwest, as
Major General.
RECoNsTRUCTIoN BILL FOR GEORGIA.
The Committee on Reconstruction by strict
party vote, to-day, agreed to report Gen. But
ier 06OrSld Dill.
CENTRAL PACIFIC RAILROAD
Testimony before the Senate committee goes
to show that there has been no overissuc of gov
ernment bonds to the Central Pacific Railroad
Company. The bonds were issued in accord
ance with the law and facts, aud after the
opinion of Attorney General Evarts had been
given, to the effect that the Secretary of the
Treasury could not longer withhold them un-
der section of the act of 1864, authorizing
the issue of two thirds of the amount OF the
bonds upon completion of the work in ad-
vance of the laying of the rails. 1t is also
shown that the Union Pacific road is far from
being completed to Ogden. 1t is alleged that
in the Echo and Weber canons of the Wasatch
Mountains, thirty miles east of Ogden, there
are several miles of temporary track with the
grade exceeding 200 feet to the mile in use,
upon which the Union Pacific Company have
received the full quota of bonds, although the
road is not built upon the approved line of
veys, and two tunnels are still unfinished one
of which will not be completed till the Both of
April by which time the Central Pacific Com
pany will have reached Ogden city with its
completed track.
APPLICATIONS FOR OFFICE CLASSIFIED.
The entire mass of applications for situa-
tions under Government minister's consus,
&c., have been classified and arranged at the
State Department and placed in regular order,
according to the weight of recommendation
appended to each The appointments will be
made from them so as to give the several
States their due proportion of them. All due
regard is being paid to strength in the Depart
ment in all cases.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
The general committee, who had charge of
the inaugural ball, held meeting last evening
| and resolved to devote the surplus fund to the
| purchase of Clark Mills statue of President
| Lincoln.
The President received several visitors this
morning, among them, Senators Upton, Cor
| bett and Robertson.
AT the Cabinet meeting to-day all the menu
| bers were present.
Mr.. Halsey has decided to accept the office
| of Register of the Treasury.
TEXAS AND RECONSTRUCTION
| About fifty Texas gentlemen appeared before
| the Reconstruction Committee this morning.
| Gov. Hamilton stated the case for the party
| which asks to vote upon the new Constitution,
| and discussed the equal rights and suffrage
clauses. Some conversation arose between
| the committee and the speaker as to the true
meaning of the disfranchisement section.
| which is copied from the new Constitution of
] South Carolina. Gov. Hamilton contended
| that those only can vote who can hold Office un-
| der the 14th amendment. That Interpretation
| being questioned, and the member from South
| Carolina having remarked that no one is now
| a disqualified voter in South Carolina, Gov.
Hamilton said, if that be the Interpretation SO
much the better. Gen. Butler said that was
| explicit enough Gov. Hamilton then spoke
| against all disqualifcations as a permanency.
The further hearing was then adjourned till
Thursday.