The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-12-23
Judge wt,,la.a. Attorney General.


record the appointment of Hon.
George ii. Williams, of our State,
to succeed Hon. Mr.. Akerman to
the position of Attorney General in
the residents Cabinet. It is the
first time in the history of tic coun-
try that such a distinguished honor
Las been conferred upon any one
residing on the Pacific slope, and
Oregon may we'll be proud that that
honor las been conferred upon one
of her ablest sols. In the position
of United States Senator, Judge
Nv iliiams made for himself nation
al reputation for wisdom and integ-
rity. SO strong and pure, that the
breath of calumny Las never, we
believe. been raised against it.
Even his b;tterest political enemies
lave never attempted to cast an as
rersion upon his fair Lame. Tie
reputation he gained in the Senate
designated him as one in whose
patriotic hands the welfare ard hon.
or oflis country could be SAFELY ell
trusted AID hcrcc lie was cntrust-
cd with tie high commission of
,crvil @ in the Board of Joint High
Commissioners, to settle the disput-
ed claims between this country and
Great Britain. Here he performed
his work in a most wise and equita-
ble manner. \ man of powerful
intellect, strong convictions, exten-
sire scientific and legal knowledge,
broad and liberal views which are
progressive, with a moral character
above suspicion, and a determined
energy, he will, in the performance
of those duties which devolve upon
him as Attorney General, reap that
reward and success which are al
ways inseparable from real merit.
The following remarks made by
him on the evening following his
confirmation in the Senate, to
delegation of friends who called
upon him to offer their congratula-
tions, were worthy of the man and
the occasion j:
s;I promise all whom it may con-
Germ that when ] am placed at the
head of the Department of Justice
in this Government, SO far as the
jurisdiction of'that Department may
90, its mandates will be dispensed
without fear or favor, with equal
vigor and respect for all classes and
conditions of men. know not
what there may be in the clamor
row made about official delinquen-
cies in Federal offices, but so far as
exposure and prosecution Of such
delinquencies deyolves upon the
Department of Justice, no partisan
consideration will have weight, and
no pains will be spared to bring the
guilty to speedy, condign punish
ment. l deeply regret that in some
portions of the country a spirit of
lawIessness seems to prevail. Twill
favor every consideration of kind
ness to induce obedience to law !;
but il no other means will answer,
then I am for using the whole
power of the country in the most
vigorous and effective manner to
crush out conspiracy against the
peace of society and the safety OF
unoffending citizens. Governments
were primarily established to protect
the weak against the strong, and if
? this Government fails to perform its
functions in that respect it has a
poor claim OH the support and 10y
atty of It's citizens. No one in sight
OF recent events in New York or
elsewhere can take office now and
escape the vigilant eye of the peo-
pie, and nothing but a complete
and upright devotion to duty will
give general satisfaction. l shall
struggle to meet the popular ue-
mands as we'll as to meet the expec-
tations of my friends, with how
much success time and events will
determine. have the honor to be
the first Cabinet officer taken from
the Pacific COAST California, Ne
vada, Oregon, and the territories
of the far West may now consider
themselves recognized and repre-
sented in every branch of the Gov
ernment / do not affect indiffer-
ence to party matters, because 1
have been elected to office. be-
long to the Republican party. |
believe in its principles and politics,
aud ! have a profound conviction
that its ascendency for some time to