The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-05

| your Yesterday q
| paragraph copied from Northern paper propos-
| ing history Of " How Z. A. Pollard was Ap
pointed " in the New York Customhouse. trust
to your manly and ready sense of right-proofs OF
| which have had on other occasions, and which
| are justly and gratefully remem Dered-to afford
| me opportunity TO correct the various false state
| ments which constitute that paragraph. Not that
| care for misrepresentation of the newspapers.
| They ere the common incidents of every public
| career In literature or in politics. Bat desire
correction in the because the false statements
| referred 10 have evidently been composed 10 the
dishonest interests of individual who has design.
| ed 10 profit by them, and whose game" on the
credulity of Congress it may be important to ex-
| pose. | refer TO the statements OF Collector
| Smytbe, said to have been communicated to the
| committee on retrenehment; and for the conve-
nieDce of review take these statements Sc
ridtim.
]. Mr.. smytbe alleges that my name was given
| az Z. NJ Pollard, which misled him as to the
| character of the individual he was patropizBg
This is fasehood, and very paltry one. 10 the
three or four letters or correspondence with Mr..
| Smythe before my appointment, and on that SUBJ
| ject, invariably signed my name In fnll Ed.
ward A. Pollard" as usually do. had frequent
conversations with him; be spoke TO me of my
literary works; he referred TO members Of my
| family with whom he was acquainted; he knew
as fully and intimately who and what was |. any
other person did in the limits OF New York. When
came to get my letter of appointment, noticed
that my name was written In il as Z. N. Pollard
whether through the inadvertence of the clerk or
through design il is for him to answer-and at the
moment called the attention of the c lectors
secretary (Mr. Leland) TO the mistake in the mi
tisl letter. and he replied, speaking to his subor
| dinate " That is a matter TO be corrected" and
| the correction was made under my eye.
| .. AS TO the tenor of the oath took: When il
was proposed to me saw nothing in it hesltated
| 10 subscribe, except phrase to the effect that
had not supported enemies Of the United States
| etc. turned 10 the secretary of the collector,
who was acting as bis alter ego on that occasion.
and inquired as to the legal effect Of the word
Support ~ saying that IL had happened that
| lad not borne arms in the Confederacy; it was an
| exemption that had never pleaded invidiously
or 10 my profit; 1t was an accident; and yet |
should have whatever privilege might ensue from
it; had been an editor of paper. and the ques-
| tien was whether literary advocacy OF the Con-
| federacy came within the meaning of the word
| Support" Had not the term distinct legal i'm
port? Did IL not describe some active psrticipa-
ton in the war? / put these questions as for in
formation on point of law. The reply was,
"Nhy Mr.. Pollard, You are no more incspacitated
| from public Office than would be Ben Wood, who
wrote against the administration. or Yallandig-
ham. who made speeches against IT,"
| 3. Collector Smythe avers that he removed"
me from office 10 consequence of having learned
of my political antecedents. Here the falsehood
| Of the paragraph accumulates. curious history
attaches here, and must now be given in some de.
tsil. The main fact is that Collector Smythe, in
stead of removing me, procured me to "resigu,"
might continue TO draw my salary; that as was
without fault, aud that as he merely wished TO dis
! cucumber himself of some clamer about my sp-
| pointment, be wished me to relieve him by resign
1 ING, aud on putting in a substitute could secure
| my salary, or, at least, good part of it.
| had returned Gin last December) from Virginia.
| where had been on leave of absence, when
vss told at the Custom House that the collector
wished TO me 10 his private room. He greeted
me with great efnsion, and with a cordiality |
can scarcely describe He continued: Have
| you seen the New York Times? 1t is pitching
into me tor your appointment, and do you know it
is seriously embarrassing my confirmation as
minister 10 Russia ~ piled: "Well. it is very
hard that The newspapers pursue me IN such mean
way. ] have right to live, and the work pay for
it rs a. good as that of any one else, Be.
| sides, Mr.. Smythe, really think these things are
beneath notice, and you know very well that the
influence which got me this appointment is not
that likely to go back upon its friends for mere
newspaper clsmor." Z" know allthat," he re-
piled; " ] really wish you we'll. and it is indeed
shame that you should, without cause, be turned
| ont Of an office which yOu have not yet enjoyed
for two months. But | have plan," he con-
! timed; "resign as at my request-be particular
| TO put II as at my request-and shan't appoint
any successor to your place, and your salary can
| go on.n mentioned that i could put in a substi-
tute TO do the work, and was anxious thus TO pro-
vide for young friend in Richmond. '"Just as you
! please" be replied; but resign, then wink
ing his eye This manner is distinctly recollected
you see the game shall make on these fellows"
| In five MINUTES thereafter | wrote at m desk in
the rotunda letter OF resignation, and sent It
| into the collectors room. n
The following night met some political friends
! and related what bad happened. One of them re-
marked that | had acted very fOolshly TO have
resigned; that the collector would not have dared
to remove me- considering what influence had
~ my back that he was one of the most artful
and unreliable of New York politicians, aud that
now, % be bad got my letter of resignation, I
had claim to show on him. and he might de.
ceive me. | was told You have signed away
your rights, and you will get nothing-you stupid
Southern people are so easily entrapped. and in
his case you have the keenest politician in New
York 10 deal with" Alarmed az these suggestions,
| went TO the Custom House next morning TO OBJ
tain clearer understanding as to how long my
salary Was 10 continue. The collector could not
be SEEM but was told that he had gener.
Ously decided that my salary should be paid up
10 the LIST of January allowing only the four or
five days which then remained to complete the
month
] saw at once the deception, and ! was not
slow to resent il. | wrote 10 the collector in plain
terms that he bad cheated me out of my place
! suggested that be had commenced his diplo-
matte career early by " diplomstizng me out
of my situation that he had played false, and
that my self respect compelled me TO avow my
sense Of wrong TO himself, If not to the public.
Mr.. Smytbe has never replied to this letter.
now defy him 10 produce IT, IL will give the sufi-
cieDt history of the whole affair, and il will show
under what reprosehes q man protesting 10 be
honorable has been content TO remain silent, and
will suggest how much he has been constrained by
q sense of guilt. EDWARD A. POLLARD.