The Portland daily press., 1873-05-20
New York Letter.

Phelps, Dodge q Goa growl about
the revenue cOusidered.-Cu Custom House
ana2cment.-Mr. Havcmeycr and the
Aidermen.-The hope of New York.
NEW YORK, May. II 1873.
Mr.. jackson S. Schultz, who has accepted
the appointment of Chief Commissioner to the
Vienna expositionis as capable and ETH 10 1t a
man for the place, as could have been selected
the country wide. His great energy and ex-
| ecutiye ability have been tested in many spheres
| of local duty. Probably no man ir New York
| commands to greater extent the confidence
and respect of his fellow citizens of all sha les
| of political opinion. As a merchant he has not
only been eminently successful, but is recog-
nized in the trade to which his life has been
devoted, as leader. No member of the craft
has done more, if so much to improve the man
ufacture Of American leather, and to enlarge the
area of consumption. His firm exports largely
to the English and Continental markets in
which they have established trade which is
rapidly increasing, and bids fair to become per-
manent and remunerative. Is sssA
To the practical duties of citizenship Mr.
Schultz has always addressed himself with un-
selfish assiduity, and is par excellence cham
pion of reform. The only public position he
has ever consented 20 hold was that of Pres-
dent of the Board of Health, and the marvel
lous force and good judgment with which he
performed the duties Of that onerous Office won
for him the golden opinions of the whole order
loving people of the city. Subsequently, State
AID county nominations have been rendered to
him, but he has persistently declined them.
To fLa m nOmi.
nation for State Comptroller in 1871 but could
not be persuaded to do So Last fall he was
importuned to run for Mayor, when there was
q reasonable certainty of success, but he re-
fused, throwing all the weight OF his great in
Huence in favor of Havemeyer, whose adoption
by the Republican convention was largely due
to his efforts AS member of the Commit
tee of Seventy, Mr.. Schultz has been one of
the most indefatigable workers from the start
He combines those rare qualities, enthusiasm
and caution, which, when equally blended, are al
ways sure to work out satisfactory results. He
is withal a gentleman of such affable temper
and imperturbable good nature that everybody
who knows him holds him in warm personal
regard. Always pronounced in his opinions and
fearlessly frank in the avowal of them, there
is not particle of dogmatism or conceit In his
nature 1t is not often that q man is found in
whom are united so many good qualities and no
bad ones. He is positive but never dictatorial
honest without pretension, courageous but
not boastful and his intense personality is un-
marred by the slightest alloy of egotism.
He has been literally educated, but did not go
through the full collegiate term. He was for
TWO years student at Waterville College under
the presidency of DR.. Babcock. So that al
though native of Duchess Co., N. Y, he has
had the benefit of a temporary residence in the
best part of New England. He is Sc years of
age, has fine physique, perfect health, and
one of those impressive, ingenious faces which
is strikingly typical of real nobility of charac-
ter.
AS soon as Mr. Schultz arrived in England
and before he had any knowledge of a contem-
plated charge in the personel of the Commits
sion, he wrote home to his friends that the
more he had seeu of the Commissioners the
more dissatisfied he had become with the asso-
citation into which he had been brought with
them. One man representing sovereign State
was drunk all the way over in the steamer.
Another had been engaged in come equivocal
transactions in connection with the revenue
service, and possessed neither the character or
address to qualify him to appear at a foreign
court as Representative American. MI.
Schultz expressed great repugnance to the idea
of becoming one of such a set, and wrote that
he should proceed to Vienna, but if he found
things as bad as he feared, his stay there would
be very short, for he should resign, make "a
brief tour on the continent with his family aud
return to America early in the autumn. After
these letters were written, but before they were
received, "a cable despatch from the State Depart
ment was sent to Mr.. Schultz comforting upon
him the control of the Commission. It over
took him in London. He accepted, and reach
Vienna ON the 18th inst. No doubt he set him
self at work with characteristic Industry and
discretion to give the American nation a credit
able rank in the great exhibitions. = f
Being equally friendly to Mr. Van Buren,
and Mr.. Jay, and perfectly fair and impair
tial man in every way, the public may be sure
of getting in due time all the facts of the un-
fortunate case, which has brought such scan
dial upon the country. ~ sf
Ever since the exposure of the Tammany
frauds, we have heard great deal about
Rings" all over the country. Every conspi-
racy goes by that name now. There was an
Editorial Ring formed year or two ago. 1t
embraced the New York Tribune, Springfield
Republican, Cincinnati Commercial, Louisville
Courier-Jouu7aal, and Chicago Tribune Every
charge against the administration by either one
of these journals was copied and endorsed by
all the others. Their Vaccinations came to
grief at the November election, but chastise-
ment does not always produce penitence. These
. same newspapers are still connecting aud in
Exchanging spiteful paragraphs abusive of the
government. They have lately been ringing
the changes on the alleged Persecution Eek
tortion," robbery" &C., of Phelps, Dodge
s. Co. Now the greatest sufferer from the self.
constituted championship of these eminent
professors of journalism is likely to be the op-
ulent house, in whose behalf they gratuitously
WELD their pens. Their diatribes have served
to elicit the unpleasant facts that Phelps,
Dodge & Go. insisted upon paying the govern
ment $271 ,000-that Mr.. Boutwell, was unwill-
ing to receive the money-that he urged them
to vindicate themselves by an official investiga-
tion-that be not only guaranteed them an i'm
mediate hearing but pledged himself and the
Treasury Department, that in the event of
their proving that there were no other than
technical or unintentional errors in their in
voices, ecery penalty or forfeiture thereby incur
red should be promptly and completely RENTED.
These facts are not stated with view to cast
ing reflections upon Phelps, Dodge s. Co., but
because they are necessary to show that the
Secretary of the Treasury in his dealings with
that firm was actuated by those principles of
integrity and rectitude, of which be has all his
life been amodest but distinguished exemplar,
and that all the talk about extortion and rob-
berry, which has been circulated ad rauseorn is
the merest rubbish and nonsense
1 had occasion recently to enquire into the
facts relating to seizure of diamonds BY the
collector, which formed the text of an editorial
philippe in that unusually candid and always
able newspaper, the Evening Posi-. A mer-
camille house in New York had a package of
diamonds Of the value of $4,000, sent to them
from South Africa, through the mails to the
care of the collector of the port The package
was seized, the contents forfeited, and the con-
signees on representation of the facts to the
Secretary of the Treasury and the payment of
the duties, had the diamonds restored to them.
The seizure was the grievance especially com
planned If Now here is the law on the sub