Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-11-21
THE McGARRAHAN CLAIM.
r,,norsaut statement from the
President.

| CINCINNATI, November q, ihe ~
flowing authentic statement OF the Presi'
dent. with reference to Secretary Cox
and the McGarrahan claim, has just
been received direct:
Ii is stated on the highest authority,
FIRST. That there never was the slightest
disagreement between the President and
Secretary Cox on the McGarrahan land
claim; in the administration of the In
terror Department not one word passed
in regard to the claim, except when
the Cabinet was organized in March,
1869. when the President said to his Cab
met, and more particularly to Secretary
Cox, that he supposed this claim would
be brought before the Administration In
some form, and he wanted at that early
period to announce his views to them.
He believed that neitaer Of the claim
ants had well grounded titles, but both
were tainted with fraud, and that the
Government really owned the land. lie
did not want the Administration to have
anything to do with it, but let the courts
and Congress settle the matter. He
then and there, in the presence
of the Cabinet directed Secretary Cox
to decline to consider the claim until
Congress and the courts made itimpera-
tive for the Administration TO act.
From that day to the time the Secretary
wrote his first letter of resignation, he
never as much as intimated to the Presi-
dent that the time had arrived for the
Administration to act. Having these
facts in mind when he wrote
to Secretary Cox from Long Branch,
and assuming that the Secretary did
not intend TO act until he conferred with
him, the President nevertheless feared
that he might commit himself to some
line of policy which Commissioners VIII
son might seize upon as a pretext to
compromise the Administration in favor
of one or the other Of these fraudulent
claims. The very nature Of his commu-
nications TO the Secretary shows that he
never distrusted him for moment. He
had his orders fully sixteen months be-
fore. and the President could not sup
pose he would disobey them. He had
good reasons, in the shape of written
evidence, to distrust Wilson, and warned
the Secretary accordingly. The Secre-
tary's second resignation cut off the
explanation promised. The prudence
of the President is commendable The
temper of the Secretary was unfortunate.
He should not have committed himself
so far to one Of these parties without
consulting the President or his Cabinet,
since he says in his letter it is a measure
of so much administrative Importance
one of the greatest likely to come before
it-as that he could not withdraw from
it when requested by his superior with
out showing so much characterization
and bad blood.
ID. The subject of managing the De
partment of the Interior was dis
cussed by the President and the
Secretary, and the former never
interfered with him in any way,
either by himself or through others, ex-
cept as he may have read in the news
papers of the day. He was not advised
of what the Secretary was doing in this
respect. He certainly did not interpose
any objection to the mode Of filling the
offices in the Department. AT no time
did he express single view with respect
to the assessment OF clerks for cleo
pioneering purposes. He did say to As
sistant Secretary Otto that he thought
the clerks ought to be permitted to go
home and vote, as it was usual, without
curtailing their pay; but he issued no
order on the subject. He very properly
thought there should be no discrim-
ination against these clerks in favor
of those of other departments, more es-
pecially as there were, according to com
mon report, more Democrats appointed
by this Secretary than by any other Sec
rotary. The suggestion was beneficial
TO both Democrats and Republicans.
Having never read the Secretary's sec
ond letter, except to see that it was
another resignation, until it was pub
lished. he was as much astounded as
any body else TO find upon what ground
the resignation was put. There is
but one way Of explaining or reconsid-
ering these two letters. Having received
one answer to his first letter, and re-
the early and first stand the
President took against these two claim
ants. and the orders he then gave ignor-
ing both, he knew he could not stand on
that letter; and, therefore, resorted to
the civil service expedient. de knew
the President had never interfered
with him, but he recollected that
some newspaper sensationalist had writ
ten that Senators Cameron and Cband-
Ter had, after seeing the President, com
planned of the Seeretary's mode Of ad-
ministering his office, and this might do
TO justify his new reasons for reslgning.
These are the authentic facts, and the
public must judge Of the Secretary :
sincerity and merits.
|
OHIO.
CrYcISNATI, November 2l.-H. NJ.
Merrill 4 Co, burned out last night, were
insured in city companies as follows;
Eclipse, $1,000; Security, $1,000; Tobacco,
$1,000; National. $1,000; Miami Valley,
$1,000; Merchants and Manufacturers,
$500; total, $4,000 Their loss will
slightly exceed the insurance, and to-