, 1873-05-19

1 giving eEery~adrica- and assistance to tha ma,
appolntees, knowing that my justification. bow
ever long delayed, Will be most complete at last
nave the honor to be-, air, with the greatest re
spect, your obadient servant, !. ,:.',
! ,-> >-~'.@.: THOMAS B. VAN Buars.
Hon. Hamilton Fish Secretary Of State; 1''':
4 n1h: As ! have been degrndcL, condemned
ann punished without charge, trial, or proof, dt
hos keoM mat anything eau say will avail in m,
oehan, but wish to put upon record my remon
stfanco against such monstrous injustice, ;,
shall submit IN duo time the estimates nut 11por
my work IN New York by all our exhibitors. ant
those who had dealings with my Office slal
SNOW that IN tho public service 1 exhausted m,
time, means, and health, and that up to tho verl
moment OF :sailiug from New. York my oficia
duties prevented attention to any Of my persona
| affairs.
My appointees as assistants, instead Of being
politicians who might have been Of personal ad:
ties in whom / had any special interest, were,
with one exception, entire strangers to me, and
were selected from written Recommendations,
W1th view Of securing gentlemen capable and
willing to labor with me for the success Of my
undertaking. =,
Among these was glad to have q few wllo
spoke and wrote several languages. They wore
worthy American citizens, and did not inquire
as to the places Of their birth, as John Jay had
not at. that time made known his hostility to
adopted citizens. II either one of these assist
!! ants will state that ho has ever boen requested
! byu,e to pay. or has ever paid to me, or at my
request, . single dollar, or any consideration
whatever, for his appointment, or by reason Of
it, will resign my position and proclaim the fact
tothe world. The only one Of these assistants
! with whom had any acquaintance previous to
/ his appointment, sailed for Europe, and, up to
| tho time requested him, BY letter, to proceed
/ fn f+cr11 l.;
joying his leisure and his dignity in the south Of
Europe. -,
A1r james, an Assistant Commissioner, was
appointed BY me upon the recommendation Of.
John jay, who considered the only objection to
hug appointment mght be his youth. L am now
told that while an American by birth, he has
passed but few years Of his life in the United
| States, that he went there from Europe to take
part in the rebellion upon the side Of the Con-,
federates, and left after the war without taking
Bnce being here, and known as the especinl
pet OF: John Jay, he arranged 8 contract for the
covering and flooring Of portion Of our space
at the Industrial Palace which is denounced by
many as fraud and wrong
And upon which rumor sayB (about the truth
Of, which know nothing whateVer) he received
commission. I sincerely trust it is not true.
This contract was signed by Thomas McElrath
as sood as he reached Vienna, for the reason, as
he says, that it was for the amount contract ed
to be paid for the French department. Messrs
John Jay, and MoElrath are pleased, AM told,
to condemn the manner in which work WAS dono
In my Office at New York. Neither OF them have
the remotest: conception of the amount or char
acser Of that work, and If they and Mr, james
had as earnestly engaged themselves in the,
Legitimate business as they did in plotting to
destroy the commission and disgrace tho Gov
eminent, the condition OF affairs here would
have been much improved.
When took charge Of the Office Of the, Com
mission IN this city, not paper WAS fled or in
its place, no one had the least knowledge of the
whereabouts Of anything, no record was kept,
no Ietter-book, no account Of expenses.
And yet it is these men who arc now my Judges
and ;executioners, and am Informed BY your
telegram that II am reinstated at all it must be
by the gracious permission of those whom
'Messrs: Jay and McElrcth hare plnoed in charge
OF the Commission 80 - :. .
- I positively decline to accept grace from any
such source but claim the rights Of 8 citizen,
and an officer who has received his authority
from the President and Senate Of the United
States, and who, without conviction Of any Of
fense,. is, by telegram, disgraced before tile
world, to be restored to my legitimate position,
and to have my character yindicated us openly as
it has been aAsai1ed, and by the same high au-
thority.
Tho Clerk, or Secretary, of the august fspe-
cial' tribunal, that is to-day the wonder Of Vien-
rs, and will be-, ere long, the scorn Of the world.
is the renowned Prof. Blake who edited tho ro-
ports Of the French Exhibition in his Office at the
State Department, at the public expense. and
who doubtless has the vision of another pronta-
BILE job in publishing for the honor and repnta-
ton Of the country the reports Of the inquistiou:
Professor, am informed, is also the jackal and
informer- general Of this most worthy court.
He has taken witnesses aside, aud into private
rooms, it is said, and intimated advantages If
they would only allege something against me,
but neither his persuasive powers, nor the weak-
ness of human nature, we're sufficient to produce
anything to Justify tile proceedings Of his mas
ters.
am tired of soft phrases. and do not intend
to deal tenderly with these men.
II my life is spared, md there is any virtue |
in the laws Of our country. I shall hereafter
compel them to abide tho consequences Of their
acts;; but now RESPECTFULLY aak that I may ho>
lighted where and as publicly as have been
to do when you know the truth - -
. These men use the cable at the public ex-
pense, but am driven to the slow process Of the
mail. They revelin their ill-gotten power now,
but T. look forward, to the time when I shnll |
again assume the position which is mine by tho
laws Of our country. ! have the honor to be,
Rir, your obedient servant,
= THOMAS 3. VAN BunEs.
Hon. John Jay and Thomas lleElrath
have leaEned that Mr. Hitzel has sworn be-
fore our Commission that he had paid mo $500 |
for his concern # he has 80 sworn, he is an
LII aAAAtuo AAA' AU0 6GNAAdIG1s Auu OEuAuu 10
meet him in your presence. Your obedient SER
gant, THos. F. VAN BUREN,;
j :'.- ..r:. >. ..e'~-
No. 6 KoLowRAr RING, April %, 1873.
9li1. z. B. dnBuren, Grand Hotel Il
Sm:. I am instructed by the Special Commits
sQn to inform you, in reply to your note of this
late, that Mr.. Hltzel has not made the state-
nent therein imputed to- him.. Respectfully
7ours, .:s..= r = ". P. B1UKE,
-..:. v1ENsA, April 2e, 1873. :;
Hon. hamilton Fish, Secretary Of State
SR: As am permitted to know nothing OF
he proceedings Of the conspirators, sitting as q
special commission. under the authority Of the
President, to condemn the Commission. by
shoBe labor the American department OF, the e1-
,ibition has been created, can only act in my
lefense upon rumors. that reach me Of their