Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-02-04
THAT DOG-CABINET COUN-
Gil.
letter srOn SsHlaclK,, 10 the Cincin-
matt Enquirer.

4
consigned 10 the President by q citizen of
Cleveland. Dent was Immediately in
formed of the fact, and in few moments
the animal was summoned into his
| presence by the pursuasiYe influence of
a BEDFORD, at the end of which he tugged
violently and pertinaciously, and to which
he probably never would have Welded
but for the choking sensation produced by
a slip-knot round his throat AS soon as
he had recovered his exhausted wind,
he commenced fusilade of small
growls, which soon deepened into vicious
and unconIprOmising bark, at which Dent
became alarmed, notwithstanding the
drivers repeated assurances that he
wouldn't bite. Towser evidently i'm
agined himself again at his old vocation
of guarding his masters chicken-cOop,
and thought he saw in Dents near re-
senlblance toiaa old offender against the
right of property in poultry Unfortu-
nately for his own future welfare, the
faithful dogs confusion of ideas, places
and persons was erecting barrier against
his reception into the Presidents family:
for Dent, though at first kindly disposed
toward him, conceived a mortal hatred
for him when he found him to be such a
shrewd judge of human nature. He i'm
mediately visited the President and told
him the facts of the case; and with that
honest, but ill-timed bark still resounding
in his ears, he soon poisoned the mind of
his chief against the canicular candidate
for the Executive family circle-clinch-
ing his objection with a bill of transporta-
ton for ten dollars, supplemented with
the belief that the dog wasn't worth two.
The Presidents first impulse was to ac-
cept; but moments reflection suggested
to him that by SO doing he might set a
dangerous example, which would soon
convert the White House into a dog pound,
as candidates for Office under his admin
lsration would undoubtedly be encour-
aged to contribute dogs instead of more
useful articles. The Cabinet being in ses-
sion, he concluded, with that wise fore
thought which has ever characterized his
public acts, to submit the subject to their
Judgment, and obtain their unbiased
opinions on a question pregnant with such
important results in the future.
1t was soon manifest that there would
be prolonged and animated debate among
the different heads of Departments, grow
ing out of the proposition which the Pres
ident submitted in writing" Whether
dogs should be received on an equal foot
ing with other property as contributions
to the Gift Enterprise 2" The President
said so far as he was concerned he had
very decided convictions on the subject.
but he would not express them; he would
rather hear what others had to say. and
he trusted that no personal considerations
for him would be allowed to influence the |
judgment of any member of the Cabinet |
on this grave question. He would like to |
hear, first, from the Attorney General.
Mr.. Hoar said he would rather not be |
called upon to make up his mind so |
suddenly, and without any preparation.
On subject which might be fraught with |
such vital consequences, trifling as it
might seem TO those who viewed it merely
from the standpoint of to-day. It was
rue, the issue Immediately before the
cabinet involved but single dog, vet his
earned COLLEAGUES would remember that all
governments attached great importance to
'recedents, and he hoped, therefore, they
would treat the case upon which they
we're now called to deliberate in such a
manner that the principles asserted by IFS
ecisiOn would serve as a guide for the |
uture. As the law officer of the Govern
lent, lie would Ike the opportunity to |
repare a written opinion. The 11riD7n
ncte view of the case, he thought, was
learly in favor of the dog Tip.
The President baUrpd IN i,1tarr,,,,E a, . |
honorable Attorney General The dogs
anne was not Tip, as he understood it,
ut Towser.
The Attorney General said it was i'm
lateral to the present deliberation whether I
is name was Tip or Towser He would / !
d stop to dispute the question, though
, had heard that the dog in question an
Tered equally well to either name, and
II that matter he believed he would re-
'Ond to any name whatever under the
.nial influence Of q bone. But the cues
IN was, whether dog, be he TiD or
rOwser, Tray, Blanche or Sweetheart
'uld be received as a fitting contribution
the Gift Enterprise which the President
I'd wisely formed on the very threshold
his administration, and he, as the LEGAL p
wiser Of the President, had been called |
/ for his opinion thereon. As he had Is
fore remarked, he would like the favor I.
time for mature reelection and a written
'inion-but that seemed impossible. T
p Che would say TOwser) was now, as p
had just learned, wagging his tail in
XiOus suspense in the ante-room, as if Il
nsciOus Of the great issue which he had | a,
en- humbly instrumental in bringing up- BE-
the Administration. 1t was not for
n to impugn the motives Of any man 81
Il less to question the good faith in ~
lich this dog had been sent here. Yet
could not forget that evil disposed per
Is had in times past frequently forced 7
determination Of important questions -
this apparently trivial way. He had
his mind, especially, the bred Scott Eli
e, in which those who had in view the | En-
'tructiOn of the Union sought to make
l did make, an Ignorant negro the pre- IT
t for legal decision which had since L
lsed desolating war. 1t was not for Th'
4 to draw comparisons. But he would Eli
INIT in all ca1dor whether Tin Car
begged pardon, Towser,) might i
have been selected as the en- Ma
ng wedge of distraction to 0 Ges
ide the councils of the Administration mes
n apple of discord, he would say, if app
license of rhetoric would allow dog MAJ
10 duty as an apple. He confessed Plai
he had grave suspicious. Why Che can cam
I'D ask his learned colleague did this teri
nown donor select a dog as the We
c of his generosity, if he might use
expression. Did he not know that
LIST of contributions to the Gift Enter
e thus far embraced everything else Il
dogs; and might he not have reasoned men
4 this that dogs were inadmissible. Io'o
was the way the matter appeared to
(the Honorable Attorney General jn
with this view of the case he could
look upon the dog as a dog at all, but AZ,
serpent-.yea, a tempter.
r. Cox, the learned Secretary Of the
-ior, said that the question 50 sudden il
into the Cabinet discussion the
AIRED to him to have several import I'VE
bearings, and he rose merely TO give FT
e that if the Cabinet decided that AID
acre fit contributions to the Gift En- po III,
Use, he should feel constrained to of will
n amendment in the shape of pro- Dorm
which he had drafted as follows: to tb
'OOided, hO1CGUcr, That the gift of 4 this
shall not be construed to cntitle the TO e he
to any Office under the Federal Gov =
ent higher than that of postmaster Not
c emOluments shah not exceed $500 40
mum. NJ
thought this would obyiate the diff dissol
I. !.