National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-05-26
HONEST INDIGNATION.
COERE BETWEEN DIR. j
B. BLAKE AND Nm. II. MERRICK.

SCORNFULLY REPELLED BY THE WELL
KNOWN CITIZEN AND OFFICIAL-HE AS.
sUMEs ALL TIRE NEEDED RESPONSIBLE
ITY, AND DECLINES BEING FLATTEREp
INTO A TRAIToRoUs PosITIoE-ACTIoE
OF THE BOARD IN REGARD TO CLUES
THE TRAITOR.
The following correspondence between Dr. ], B
Blake, Of the Board OF Public Works. and Mr.
VIM NJ. Merrick, counsel for the memorialists
also the action Of the board in regard to Mr..
Oluss will be read with interest and approval b,
anhOnest and fair-minded citizens: ...
DR.. BLAKE TO Mr.. MEzRIcK.
Hon. Wm. n. NsTrick:
Sin: have perused Q pamphlet styled "The
Argument Of VIM. ID. Mesrick !" which is violentl,
denunciatory Of the Board OF Public Works, and
the generaltenor Of IL is 70 produce an impression
that the members Of the board are all dishonora
pie men and unworthy Of confidence. Ny atten
ton has been particularly directed 10 the follow
ing paragraphs: "What is the practical remedy
for the evils with which We are confronted J
answer promptly, 9 total recOnstruction Of tn
name Of government for this people-a total re
construction and Q new and reliable body o
agents for Its administration, having no constituen
Of the old frame work In its composition. I'm
less such an auditing board be established; tn,
faint traces Of truth at which you have been abb,
to arrive will be o5literated, and the countless
deeds Of darkness yet unrevealed be forever hid
den from the angry eye of Justice.
"Mr. Chairman and gentlemen OF the commit
tee, do not suffer unworthy ministrants to remain
even in the lowest oees Of the outer court Of thu
temple"
While 1 see nothing in your argument or thu
testimony have read that should make me re
Rret my associations with my colleagues in th'
Board Of Public Works as honorable gentlemen
desire to know If am to understand you as in
GLIDING me in the paragraph quoted.
Respectfully, your obedient servant,
JNo. B. BLAKE
HERRICK's REILLY.
WASHINGTON, May 49, 1874.
To Dr. John B. Blcke, Wastfnot City,
Sir: lam not aware Of the length Of time during
which you have been q member OF the Board o.
Public Works, but if you claim to have been ar
active participant In your Official character during
the progress Of the transactions which were de
Veloped by the evidence before the Joint Special
Committee, and which have been commented upon
In the argument submitted by me, have no quail
ihcstiOn to make of the generality of the Es4Ak.
to which you take exception in the note which
you addressed to me on yesterday.
Your Obedieut servant, wM. NJ. MERRIcK.
SECOND LETTER
Hon. VIM. Kerrick:
SIR: In answer to your note of yesterday's date,
1 have to state that was installed In ONCE on
the sd Of September last, and you can therefore
determine whether am implicated many Of the
charges upon which you commented ! have,
throq=h Ior. lLfe;tLms sustsinsa az unimRsaSh.
Sble sracief for Integrity Il tRs ssfio6s f1dh
stbIe Official positions have filled, as we'll as in
my personal relations. My good name was never
called in question, even by insinuation, until 1t
Bas BY some Of my friends supposed to be en-
braced within the passages Of your argument, to
which called your attention in my former note.
You have known me long, and had supposed
favorably, and hence my surprise at reading
those portions Of your argument which are sup
posed 10 reflect upon me.
Very respectfully, your obedIent servant, -.
TRUE copyl JOHN B. BLAKE.
REPLY NUMBER TWO.
BALTIMORE, May -, 1874.
Dr. John B. Blake, Washington CITY:
SIR: Your second note was received by me yes
terdRy As you seem solicitous about being held
responsible for the action Of the Board Of Public
Works, I suggest that your exculpation would
be much more complete by going upon the witness
stand and publicly disavowlng their course Of
administration. as Mr.. Cluss has done, than by
calling on ne to make exceptions in your favor. 1
know that I: has been q source Of regret to many
OF your Gle friends that you consented to lend the
weight OF sour name and character to that odious
body. Your Obedient servant
WIN. II. MERRICK.
TIE DocToR's LAST.
WASHINGTON CITY, May 25, 1874.
RoE VIM N. A.Trick:
SIR: In your note OF the I'D instant, received
Saturday afternoon, you evidently mistake my
Object in requesting you to state whether you in
tended TO embrace me in the defamatory passage
OF your argument, to which 1 called your atten-
ton in the first note addressed you. So far from
being solic!tous, as you feign to think, &c be re-
Heyed from any responsibility that justly attached
TO ne, my only object was to afford you an oppor.
tunity to disabuse yourself from IN imputatior
that has been sascrIbed TO your remarks, Of GOV.
ertly designing to cast q shadow upon the name
of an old acquaintance for acts you are employed
10 denOunee, and with which you knew or could
easily have ascertained from the date OF his ap.
poIntment he had nothing to do. neither avow
nor disavoT any responsibility for acts with which
had no connection, and no liberal-minded OF
reasonable gentleman would expect or wish me t
do either.
You suggest to me to initiate the example o
Mr.. Cluss The opinion had formed Of you as o
heightened, honorable gentleman would have in
duced me TO believe that were / to DO so, anC
meanly and falsely SANDER my associates in the
board, you would spurn and despise me. 1t MAY
be that poor Cluss was decoyed BY some such Sug
Restinn as you make to me to involve himself II
the disgrace with which he fs now overwhelmed
ap object Of pity to his friends and Of contempt t.
those who merely knew him in the business
walks Of life. He has fallen victim to mis-
placed confidence and morbidly wounded pride
Of his selEimportance. No doubt many Of
my friends regret my connection with the
board, you allege, and 1t is most likely
fer the reason that they foresaw that the vim
dictire and malicious feeling existing against ny
colleagues in the board among some OF those you
represent, would be visited on me. have the
proud satisfaction OF knowing that many Of ny
friendG old ami respectable citizens, and large
real estate owners, have expressed themselves
highly gTatifed with my appointment. They
Tghtfully believe that abuses will be tolerated
where have the power to correct them, and II
any should exist, and 1 could not apply . cor.
receive, would unhesitatiugly throw up my ap-
pcintmeut and not sufTermy name to be furnished
by extending to them the slightest oountensnce
The situation occupy at the Board Of Publit
Works, like every other have filled, was con
ferred upon me without any solicitation on my
part. l was hundreds Of miieS from home enjoy.
ing G few weeks recreation from the wear and
tear OF a years confinement to my responsible,
duties as the president Of the National Metropoli
tan Bank, when the appointment was made
my return TO Washington, was pleased TO say {,
mo that in making the appointment he wished t
crafty the people Of the District, irrespective o.
party, and knowing the estimation in which
was generally held among them be had concluded
to tender the situation to me. felt proud OF tn,
confidence the President reposed 10 me, and es
pecialIy grateful for the kind consideration TO
my fellow-cItizens that impelled him to do 30
and although fully aware Of the sacrifice Of per
fonaI comfort involved in the acceptance Of the
Office, l concluded 10 assume its responsibilities
10 eV!nce my appreciation Of his kindness aud N,
confidence in him as the Chief Magistrate Of tn
country.
/ was summoned. az / understood, ut the in
stance Of the counsel opposed to the Board o
Public Works, to appear before the investigating
committee. promptly obeyed the summons. o.
my name being called l advanced to the witness
stand, and after waiting there awhile the honor
able chairman Of the committee stated to tn
counsel that / was present, and inquired II the,
wished to examine me, and amer Q pause OF
moment or two Q negative response was made ant
i WAS discharged. Il would be manifestly i'm
proper for me to offer myself as q volunteer wit.
ness, as an in possession OF no Information tina
would shed any light upon the subject Of the In
vestgatfon; and as for my opinion, eDsE supporting
nis IN cons0aGRee vith goHr oieB, presume II
would not have much weight with the able anc
learned gentlemen who constitute the committee
You deuounce the board as an ''odioue body,