Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-13

The Original Cabanet-kIOw Mr.. Jay
Came 60 go 20 vienna. &Ir

Came 90 so 10 VIENNA - j
Correspondence of the New York Post.
/ WASHINGTON, May An an uncom'
monty well-iEformed circle here stories
are told which fancy may interest you
and your readers. The first relates to
the Presidents choice of cabinet. II
is asserted that the cabinet which Gen.
eral Grant arranged, call out Of his own
head" as the boys say, and the secret
of which he carried so securely, to the
great discomfort Of the politicians, was
quite different cabinet from the one
which he afterwards was induced to
select:
am told that the original cabinet
consisted of the following gentlemen:
Secretary of State-Mr. Fessenden.
Secretary of the Treasury--Mr. d. A
Wells
Secretary of the Interior-Mr. James
f. Wilson, of Iowa.
Postmaster General-Mr. Dennison.
Attorney General-Mr. White, Of
Boston.
The other two members were not
named to me.
It is further related that by some
means Mr.. Washburne became aware
of this selection, which did not suit
him; and that in the last days before the
fourth of March he contrived tosPersuade
Gen. Grant to make certain Schanges,
which led to general abandonment of
the old SLATE" 1t is said that Mr..
Washbuf1e, to accomplish his designs,
hrn.,nrhN 10 ho peaGfAanf "a
pressue of such political friends as he
could muster and take into his own cons
tidence, and succeeded in his object after
some difficulty. 4
The other story concerns the mission
to Austria, and runs thus: Mr.. John
jay, it is said, went to President Grant,
and asked with some positivenesS for the
mission to England. The President re>
piled that he was sorry he could not
oblige him; but he had sent in TO the
Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs the
names of several gentlemen, any one of |
whom he was willing to nominate, and |
the committee were able to agree uaani- |
mOusly on but one man, Mr.. Motley,
whom therefore he had nominated, or |
promised to nominate.
"But," said the President, "won't you |
take something else Would not the
mission to Austria suit yon ?" No;
Mr.. Jay would go to London or nowhere,
no said, and retuf1r3d to New York. |
There he told the: TALE to his friends, |
who reproached him for not gong to
Austria "You wansto go abroad they |
said; "Vienna is . pleasant and impor-
tant post why not 20 ?"
Mr. Jay changed hts mind, and engag
ed three friends to go at once to the
President to tell hip SO, and ask the
appointment to Vieana. These gentle
men were, am toll, Mr.. John A. Girls
void, Mr.. Isaac J. Bailey, and Mr.. Jacks
son f. Schultz, all wellskn0wn in your
city and State.
These three accordingly FASTENED to /
Washington. When they got tG the
White House they were informed that
the President was at dinner. Not to be
put off, they demanded to know how
long he had been eating Half an
hour was the reHy. Then take in our
cards, and tell the President we have |
urgent business" they said. Presently |
a message came that Mr.. Grant would
see them if they would wait in the
parlor The President came in, and after
some preliminary talk they stated their
object.
al am sorry for Mr.. Jay" replied the
President; but made up my mind TO
offer the Austrian mission to Mr.. William
Cullen Bryant, and just before you came
in telegraphed him to that effect. You
are too late.'
At this, am told, there was brief
silence among Mr.. jays delegates; but
presently they began TO assure the Pre-
sident that Mr.. Bryant would not take
the place he was not, they told Mr..
Grant, disposed to accept Office.
"But," urged the President, ''you see it
is too late, | have telegrsphed to Mr..
Bryant"
After some further conversation, in
tended to persuade the President that
Mr.. Bryant would refuse the place, it
occurred to one of the gentlemen to ask
if it was certain the dispatch had gone.
The President rang a bell, and clerk |
appeared, who, as luck would have it.
held in his hand the dispatch to Mr..
Bryant, which he was just sending off
when he was called.
Then Mr.. jays friends renew cd their
arguments with the President, to induce |
him to withhold the dispatch, and ap- |
point Mr.. Jay instead of MIR. Bryant;
and their representations were so urgent |
that at last Mr.. Grant consented, tore up |
the dispatch, and agreed to give Mr.. Jay
the Austrian mission. That is the way |
MIR. Jay came to go to Vienna; and the |
story ought to convince credulouS people
that Washington correspondents are
often we'll informed when they are not
generally believed-for you may remem
Der that several correspondents spoke of
Mr.. jays refusal to go to Austria when
he could not go to London; and later,
telegraphed that the Austrian mission
had been offered TO Mr.. Bryant. \.