The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-11-22
THE McGARRAHAN CLAIM.
Authorized Version OF the President's Views
ON the subject-Encts Regarding Secretary
COx's Resignation.

Authorized Version OF the President,s Views
ON the subiect-Fncts Regarding secretary
Cox's Resignation.
CINCINNATI, Nov. 81, 1870.
On Thursday last President Grant had an inter-
view with gentleman prominent IN official circles
on the subject OF the Consideration claim. The
President authorized him TO make the following
statement
II is stated on the highest authority that there
never was the ghtest disagreement between the
President and Secretary Cox on the McGarrahan
claim in the administration Of the Int .ror Depart
ment Not word passed on the subject OF the
claim, except that when the Cabinet was organized
in March, 1852 the President then said the Cabl
net, and particularly 10 Secretary Cox, that he sup
posed this claim would be brought before the ad-
ministration in some form. He wanted thus early
to announce his views 10 them, not beltev-
ing either claimant had well grounded titles,
but believing that both were tainted with fraud,
and that the government really owned the land.
He did not want the administration TO have any
thing to do with It. but to let the and Congress
settle the matter. he then aud there In the pres
or the Cabinet directed MIR. Cox to decline to
consider the claim until Congress and the court
made It imperative for the administration to act.
From that day to the time Secretary Cox wrote his
first letter Of resignation he COX never as much as
intim2ted TO the President that the time had arrived
for the ADMINISTRATION TO act. Having these facts
in mind when he wrote Secretary Cox from Long
| Branch, and assuming that the Secretary did not
| intend to act until he mad conferred with him,
the President, nevertheless, feared that he might
commit himself to some line of policy which
| Commissioner Wilson might seize upon as
| a pretext TO compromise the adminstra-
| ton In favor OF ono or the other Of these
| fraudulent claims The very nature OF his commu-
nlcaton to the Secretary shows he never dstrusted
months before and the President could not suppose
| he would disobey them. He had good reasons In
the shape OF written evidence to distrust Commits
| siOner wilson, and warned the Secretary accord
ingy. The Secretary's second resignation cut or
the explanation promised. The prudence of the
! President is commendable. The temper OF
| Secretary Cox was unfortunate. He should
not have committed himself 10 one OF these parties
since he saws in lis letter that .l C. Is measure
! Of SO much administrative importance-one OF the
greatest likely to come before It, so that he could
not withdraw from II, when requested by his supc-
rior, without showing insubordination and bad tenn
| per.
OF the Interior was not discussed by the President
and Secretary, and the former never inerfered In
He may have read 1t IN the newspapers OF the day,
but he was not advised OF what the Secretary was
the he Of MIN not n Ss amy s
| At no tune did he express single view In
| ing purposes He did say to Assistant Secretary
OTTO that be thought the clerks ought to be
| ncrMltleu 10 go nome ana vote, az was
usual without curtailing their pay; but he issued
no order on the subject. He very properly thought
| there should be discrimination against those
clerks In favor OF those in other departments,
more especially as there were, according to report,
more democrats appointed by this Secretary than by
any other. The suggestion was beneficial to both
! democrats and republicans Never having read the
Sccretary's second letter. except to see that it
another resignation when 1t was published he was
as much surprised as anybody else to find
| upon what ground the resignation put.
There is but one way OF explaining or reconciling
to the first. and remembering the early and first
stand the President took against these two claim
ants, and the orders he then gave ignoring both,
he knew he could not stand that letter. and there
| fore resorted TO the civil service eXpedlent He
| knew the President had never interfered with him.
but recollected some newspaper sensationalst had
written that Senators Cameron and Chandler had,
after seeing the President, complained OF the Secre
tary's mode Of administering the oflice ana this
might do to justify his reasons for resigning
These are authentic facts, and the public must
| Judge OF the Secretary's sincerity and merits.