The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-02-14
THE SIZE or C.LDErsHIPs.

SIR. i have Just received move lrUIh lri'Hu
enclosing an artc which he states as clipped u m
the editorial columns OF YOUR pancr o. tie lth insi.
asnuci as no sp' cidc clare Is made against ani
particular representative IRON my STATE. the imnhcd
crime OF corrup ion being lett to co lecture ~ 10
who the lily rarty may be, and as am tie person
who recommended Il cadet Tor appontuen'; ~ s"-,
tee 10 the other members and to tive TOR hWc y
my Sta'c, I ask you to publish this statement OF
facts together with the artce referred to. which is
as follows, viz:
eve arc clad 10 see a slr made about the sale Of
csdesh ps. But II is no novelty. six year, MO
r Bowe ten memSsr q CoqSres sr,, rom Ms sr
wlnc' he had rsccvGd o,crinS n s" }r q. NJ
RpSeh me- e s' vl r1e' men men Who IL "uci
to lie Military AgadeHv sent % the War peps.rt
ment, the name OF the person who had made tde on
POINTED nv merter ~ tic House OF Rerresena I've,
III. H NE ss, T v ol he
Stanton % pciempt"rS dismissed lm ana, called uron
oourse he atnned thai be oad received no peconary
evidence n be b.S nS Il. youn s"a G was
punished"
II is true that letter WINS written by the cadet to
Mr. Boutv ell, and that IN consequence the Young
NAV WINS required 20 resiEn his cadctshp. Bus the
implied chargr that the person who did appoint him
received the thousand dollsrs which Mr.. Boutwell,
,eetes OF Iny peogn sS ors rcceus ppoS
tue integrity OF mysel ana fellow members. III
course, ne affirmed that he had received no pcou.
mary consideration or the anro ntmcnt aud as theie
was no evidence that he had, the Young man alone
was punished" such insinuations A. the, with no
responsible name 70 back them 10, make ! dimeu,
defending himself therefore, tor III" present and
first time In my lite have found necessary " de-
fend myself against such an assault, and sbn be con-
tent II the facts are made public through the same
channel that he charges were made.
from my district. the sixth Michigan, on very
numerous and strong recommendations from many
CT the best ciuzeps OF my stare. nc rceclveu hls
tbs after this and after lac had passed one o. two
crediiable eJamnationsl Greatly To nv turnrl.e ne
cadcship stating that some TWO or three years pre-
viouS, IN h~ great anxiety 10 secure the pn- n, &c
had written the letter at The instance some friends
10 MIR. Boutwell, to secure tie appointment rom
his disr,ct thnt Mr. Boutwell, had hed tina, letter
In the Engircers, y partment; tina! the Chief En-
Gen. Cuom at West Point, directing Inn TO require
his immediate resgnaiiOn wit which request IN the
moment OF excitement and without r. n elton, he had
complied. asked him why he had not informed nc
OF this letter before, by Inference II renec-
ton upon INC. He stated that It was several years
prcuOus, TINT be WIS u en- very rny ous. quite
young, did not intend u NJ bribe think " wou1
ever be brought up against him, mas told tut II vas
usual. and Il al he mad always regretted It, sc, He
begged NE 70 go With him to Gen. Del field aud
MIR Boutwell, and urge them TO forgive nim and re.
store him TO lis place lie seemed almost wild
With excitement and anxiety. did as he requested
bell wing Inn To have been unjuslly treated Mi
Boutvt u said II was long time since lie received
that letter and after taking with the Dung man.
cv d"ntly feeling did about the matter. said that
he regretted that he hHd Loot his pace AID should
offer TO objection to '' reinstatement Gen. Della
u
upon bearing the fa,ts. 4 the boys lr.fS state.
mcnt, no, only seemed Niling to have him cstorcd.
bat made tlc request that Gen. Del field snou .
reinslsts him; said that he would make The order
himself, but did not like percmptouly to tnterfer
with the decision of the Chiei Engineer. and hoped
that without his interference Gen. belaheld would
he induced to reinstate tie young man. few
weeks subsequent to this, receiving an appointment
from MIR. stan on the Board Of Visitors to Wet
Point Isugrcsu d to he young man that u mirlt be
well to appear before the Bard and state hs case.
He did So ucknowled ed lis offence, stating IN the
had.
tarting TO SECURE the appointment since That time.
Aiter lui hearing Of TIE facts tde Board OF Wis
TORS unanimously signed strong r'quest To the
President ursnv him to reinstIte the young man.
Tins paper set fni III the fact that cadet ~lo h,t
teen admit d, passed two era ninadons, and whose
conduct had been uncKcs puonabe whilst In he IN.
sutut On, could not be held respOnsi bic re-
moved for indiscretuns committed years before his
admission, and ccnsured IN the strongest manner The
coUrse taken b, Gen. D"ladeld to ntghton the boy
20 resign without hearing the facts, prCterrng
charges, or giving him opportunity TO defend
himstt THIS papcr was Officially sgucd b. Gen.
Schenck a. President by oil tne members Of the
Board, BY lr.e number OF the cadets and toward.
cd to the President In the excitement incident 10
the close Q; the war; anc subsequent death OF frcsl
dent Lincoln. this comparatively unimportant
question Was lost sight ~: aud tIc voung man had
m de mean ume passed the ago VI twenty one, 10
could not thereNt 7 be restored and I nominated
another In his stead. have not the papcrs before me
10 give exact dates, but the above statements are
ttu a. tu every Important fact; while tEc state.
ment that " sCcrstary STATION called uron the
uembor ior an explanation u Ntierfy untrue, are
all the otl intiGatluuS ana ln> HuliIOns.
10 not know W the young selected M
BuQiwrli to lave written hun Rs he did, hut II is
cyItrr I that he made mistake, and bchevc. not
Wlthstandlng al that j. sad rs TO the corruption oil
members IN THIS respect, that there are hut few
where his proposition y oulo lHye mt with better
success. II there has been c Eruption, some better
than this must be W rktd up to prove the TACT
R,speeu uly yours,
wAsmvGToS, D. C., Feb. II. 1870.
We accept Mr.. DTiggs's correction OF the state
ment that Mr.. Stanton called on the member
for an explanation" We knew that the mem
Der offered one. the same substantially as that Ia
has furnished above but he admits, as his asser
ton Of his own innocence at that time could no
blot out the profcr of bride made by hi
Young friend to Mr.. Boutwell,, aud the cade
was never restored.
In lis anxiety TO excuse the first proposal o
bribery as means Of access TO West Poiu
which was ever exposed and punished a. il de
served, Mr.. briggs has fclen into the misstate
ment Of fact. lie says that the bride was OIL
fer,d to Mr. Boutwell, "two or three years pre-
yious to the appointment of the cadet by him
self The truth is that when the appointment
was made, which was In 1864, Mr.. Bout
well had been a member OF Congress
only one year, so that the bible coul,
not have been offered TO him more than yea
before the brber succeeded in getting the op
poiutmeut from Mr. briggs. It is probable
however, that the bride was Of red in SEA, tn
same year with the appointment, for Mr. Bout
well would hardly have waited year beior
sending such a letter TO the War Department.
The public " II give to Nr. Duegs's protcsta
ton of his own purity the weight It deserves
nor will We attempt to decide whether his prescn
inability to understand that Il ere is rnythln
very wrong in buying cadet,hip Of member O
Congress, increases or u.minishcs the probab,Iit
tia, the fellow who was fool enough to oic
Gcorre ;. boutwell, bribc got what he wanle,
from J +. briggs for nothing,
WHOSE WIFE ~ TTISP
DO CohRb ltation and Verbal AcknOwIed g e.