The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-14
OUR NEW SECRETARY.
Who lie Is and What Ilc Il according TO the
''WOrld's'' COrrespOndcnt-Why lie was Ap-
pOintcd-Thc Presidents Treatment Of Penn
syIVuna Republicans.


"'WOTld's' COrresp0ndCnt-Why He was Ap-
pOntcd-Thc Presidents Treatment Of Penn
syIvnnia Republicans.
The New York World has the following correspond
ence from Washington
WASHINGTON, Oct 13-The President to-day
dragged another small man from obscurity to COM
pletc Cabinet already quite notorious for paucity
OF members unknown at the date OF their selection
to the American people The telegraph wires have
been most of the day long flashing from Washington
the hitherto unknown name and brief biography of
William W. Belknap, of Iowa, as the Presidential
appointment for the Sccrearyship of War. Who he
is and whence he comes were points of inquiry made
by industrious newsgathcrerS in every direction.
When the appointment was first given out from the
White House the surprise in this community was as
great as when the name Of BOrie was preCiptatCd
on the Senate and the country in March last who
is Belknap? said one, ana ''Where in the world did
he come fTOm?" added another. Old army Oifccr5
thought that they had heard some such name in the
General Dent the Presidents body-guard, said he
believed that Belknap had Deen corps commander in
the war: but no one else could remember the name
in that connection and Dent even in the portals Of
the White House, gave up the conundrum, "It is
RcLtkUGD not BetI;RuD," answered @ gentleman in a
crowd OF anxious inquireTS, who was at once piled
for further intelligence The name was repeated
all the alternoon-"Beul0D, BelkiIGl, who the devil
is Belknap and what has he done that nc should be
made Secretary OF War -
The Democrats laughed and jeered, but the rad-
Gals it in grim sadness; for no one was able TO
give any biography OF the new Secretary, whose
obscurily could hardly be penetrated in city where
somebody knows everybody who has been anybody.
As the day wore away Beiknaps very brief history
was dug out. At the War Department 1t was told
he nad been q volunteer captain on General
Shermans stan. That at one time he had even been
a division commander in the late war, but that now
he was country lawyer in some Western Iowa
town.
At the Treasury and Navy Departments no one
mad ever heard Of this Belknap before to-day
In the State Department, where his new commits
sion was being made out, the clerks We're looking
in Lanmans ana other dictionaries and the army
register, but no such name conld be found. They
had never heard of BelRnap.
But the more frequent inquiry, perhaps, was,
"When did Belknap contribute? How much did he
| rnnfpf Init
among the presidential contributors. No one could
give the kind, the date, the amount OF Belknap's
present They will probably appear hereafter.
At the Internal Revenue Bureau they replied that
they had just such name on their rolls OF Internal
Revenue O1lcias, but that II was not probable that
the President had taken one Of the guageTs,
sOrs, inspectors detectives, o- collectors, and made
But they were soon undece,ved. The William W.
Belknap, Collector of Internal Revenue, First Iowa
| District, residence, ke0ku6 proved to be the same
individual who is this day ade Secretary OF War;
| lie had been in the army, but was appointed from
! civil life to be revenue otlcer. lie is personal
| friend Of the President
| One man in Washington was finally found who had
seen and known Bclknap. He Gays he il about forty
| years OF age, lawyer by profession, of very Ordi-
nary ability and had never held any important
! public position In personal appearance he is de-
! scrbed as tall and stout, with fOrd complexion and
It Is significant of the Presidents regard for the
Pennsylvania politicians and their demands that a
Pennsylvania radical should have place inthe Cabl-
net, that this appointment was made OF an obscure
man. from another State, few hours after the cleo
| uOn was over III fenHsylEdnld' inc fICslucnJ uIu
not dare TO Offend the radicals OF shat State until
| after election.
1t is only this week that the President and General
| Sherman held a conversation, IN which they de-
nounCed the politicians generally Grant said that
he detested them, and did not want any of them in
| the Cabinet; to which sherman said "Amen."
II has been ascertained, after considerable in
qulry, that Major-General Beknap is q graduate OF
| Princeton College New Jersey. He served in the
| army throughout the war
He commanded one of the divisions OF the 18th
Army Corps, in General Sherman's last two CAM
pagns with credit to himself and to the satisfaction
of his superior officer He is about thiry-eight years
Of age; Is In excellent health, and is lawyer by
profession. He has already been teegraphed, and
VIII reach Washington in a few days, when General
Sherman will formally resign his position as Secre
tary of War, and MaiOr-I}eneral Bclnap will enter
| uEOn the duties Of the office.