The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-12
wAsnINoroN, D. c., March s, !

WASHINGTON, D. c., March 8, 1870.
To Messrs. George T. Young, II. O. Gram Jas.
Neiu MattheD Baird, Gusrauus Bergner,
Henry Dauis, James Steel, Joseph r.. Moroep'
Winpenny, a. Hanl,ae, d. M. Lane, Thos
s. Euis, Henry G. Townsend, James H.
Mckee, Samuel I. Hit, Henry o. Carey
Ndthaas Hslles, Norton AcMachde, ana
othsrs:-
Dear Sirs:-Your very flattering letter of the
22d ult., requesting me to reconsider my ex-
pressed desire to withdraw from Congress, and
to consent to accept q denomination, has been
received. and / am deeply penetrated Dy the
| generous terms in which you have been pleased
| 10 speak of the manner in which have per-
| formed my duties as your Representative.
To have been sustained as long as have by
| so intelligent and numerous constituency mas
| been most gratifying to me, and this new evil
| dence of your kind appreciation is compliment
| that cannot feel have deserved. 10 Is as un-
| expected as / feel it to be unmerited; for in
| letter to my constituents from New York. when
| / was engaged in public duty, in the month OF
| May last, l announced my wish to withdraw
from public life at the close of the presens Con-
gress and having seen no reason to abandon
| that desire, have not since then regarded myself
| as q candidate for denomination.
| The reasons that brought me to this conclu-
1 sion were of q mixed character. Those OF
private nature were q desire to enjoy the society
/ and devote myself In some measure to my
| family from whom have been separated more
than half of each of the last nine years; and
/ ",
more than . quarter of century of manual
| and professional toll, having been from
time to time encumbercd to meet necessary
current expenses. always In excess OF Congress
sional pay, seemed likely to pass from me by
forced sale, and therefore required my personal
attention. OF the reasons of general character
will speak directly, but must pause here to
what know you WIZ sh be GLAD to LEARN h t1a
| price and marketable character of West Phia-
delphia property, during the summer, l sold
enough to relieve the balance from pressing
| embarrassment; and that If my wish to retire
rested on this point alone, woold with graft
tude comply with your request
| Another consideration that was not without
| weight was that you have honored me with five
| consecutive elections, and number of able gen.
| tlemen feel that the time has come when some
| one of them should be permitted to represent
| the district in the councils of the natiol But
while recognizing the justice of this claim, !
| cannot regard 1t as paramount to the right OF
the people to select their Representative, and
| there is, thus far, No insuperable objection to
my acceptance of the honor you tender me.
But, my dear sirs, permit me to re-
ton ton to Congress. in 1860, the population
| of Philadelphia has increased not less than
sixty per cent and that of the Fourth District
has more than doubled. My correspondence
and general duties have thus been greatly in
| creased. OF this do not complain. 1t is Q
natural incident of the Office; but, meanwhile,
| my constituents, and to a considerable
extent the people OF the city at large, nave
! atve the impossible one of finding places
for all unemployed people OF both sexes known
| to them and promotion for all ambitious or dis
| contented employees of the Government There
was much of this during the war, but the Govern
ment then needed the service of every able-bodiet
man In some department, and It was qultt
possible that one might serve 1t and the
applicant both, by giving him note to the
chief of some Government establishment. Blu
| such is not the case now, and the practice o.
sending people to their Congressional Repre-
sentative for employment has become so com
mon as to be insufferable To the fifty ol
more good-hearted people who, at ther con
venience, each write q note during the day, Il
is q matter of small concern, but to the un
happy being upon whom they concentrate th'
| next day, and who, as has often been my case
| would gladly find work for some worthy an(
suffering soldier whose case had come unde
his own observation, but knows not where t
| look for it, is q morel serious matter; aud thu
wrong is not lessened by the discovery tina
| the bearer has been assured by the respectable
writer that note from the member will Ger
| tainly get him work and wages without delay
To such an extent has this practce beer
carried recently that 1t precudes the possibility
| of social inteTc purse, correspondence, or stud.
In my home; but, annoying as this may DO u
the Representative, that Is the least Of 1t, for
is in almost every case, positive wrong to tn
people upon whom the practice Is INDUCED
Assurances that the Representative eau procur
employment given by persons In whose wor
| th6y have lmpllclL laltn INSPIRE uOPcS LuhI cdu
er nos be fulfilled and not unfrequently conf
lie dence that leads to destitution. Days and week
ir are sometimes lost In pursuit of the man who's
d, magical power, 1t 10 believed, will secur
ye them employment; and the bitterness of disar
T. pointment that overtakes many of them whe
O. they discover how their friends have delude
IT, | them is painful to observe aud am unwillin
longer 70 be a party to such practice.
therefore, the acceptance OF q reneminatiou
TO be understood AS Implying willing 10
nv part to be longer regarded as such an agen
mnst beg leave 70 decline the honor, gratefr
as would be to receive 1t freed from this cor
dition, and ten dered In so complimentary
manner.
II assure you, my dear sirs appreciate mos
profoundly the honor done me by your ette
regard the frequent reelection of citizen I
Congress by the people among whom his III
has passed as intrinsically the highest hone
that can be conferred upon q man under oil
~, Government, and would be willing to mah
W great personal sacrifices to be Its rsclpien
TIA, Permit me- therefore, to suggest that 1t may
md | nessible that the Republican voters of q