New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-15
NEW ORLEANS, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER Is 1875
The Resignation Of Auditor Clinton.


This being the date selected by Auditor
Clinton for his resignation to GO into effecr,
at the time of its tender, last July. the fol-
lowing correspondence is republished, for
the information of our readers. We are in
formed that, at the urgent solicitation of the
Auditor. Governor Kellogg has granted
him ar extension of time until the TWEEN.
tieth instant, in order to give him ample
time in which to put his office in order to
be turned over to his successor:
STATK LOUISIANA,
AUDITORS Office, :
New Orleans, July 81, 1875.
| To his EIcellency william J. Kellogg Governor
| etc:
SIR herewith hand you my resigna
| tion, 10 take effect on the fifteenth day of
| December next. l fix upon that date for
| the reason that an earlier resignation would
| compel you. under article seventy of the
| constitution, to order new election to fill
| the vacancy, and this would involve large
| expense to the State, which / know you
| desire TO avoid. Some delay is also neces-
| sary to enable me to close settlements with
tax collectors, square up my books and put
| the affairs of the office in such shape that
| my successor may enter upon his duties
| without embarrassment. As you are well
| H"NC AobS ht6u6u W ut lTtt from
the wearing and most unpleasant duties of
this Office, having on a former occasion
| placed my resignation, which you then re-
fused to accept, in your hands.
| | trust you will now concede the pro-
prietv of my action in asking to be re-.
lieved. and in making this TT esignation per.
empt0ry. | considered it duty to myself
to retain my position until at east por-
| tion of the true history of the office had
been made public, and my conduct and re-
| putatiOn vindicated This has been done
by the evidence sdduced in Jhe civil and
| criminal prosecutions against me Though,
unfortunately, was not permitted to tss.
tify thereupop, and many facts in my favor,
| only known to me, were not developtd)
and by the report of the committee OF ex-
perts, NJ. ssrs. Phelps. Gardner and Cock
burn, 10 such an extent as to warrant me
in leaving my further and more com
plete viDdicaton to the future and to
that enlightened public sentiment,
which | am satisfied will ultimately
prove both just and correct. The
report of the experts, coming in as it does
from gentlemen OF know capacity and who
enjoy the perfect confidence OF the com.
| munity, vindicates my conduct from charges
| of corruption, only one instance bripg found
! by them in which they intimate anything
more than yielding to undse pressure
| The committee did not feel called upon as
| du uHstb w tUl5 W tAdllllUt lnIO unt report
! upon the almost numberless schemes of
plunder which my opposition has defeated
Of this do not complain, as it was not
strictly their duty, but | am satisfied that
| both they and you are well aware of the
services have rendered in this direction,
and will upon all occasions bear testimony
| to them. A further reason tor my resigna-
| ton is, that find it impossible to satisiac-
| tori carry out my views with reference to
| tue proper management of this office, in the
| interests of the Stat, owing to the opposi-
| ton OF the Treasurer, supported by a GER
| tain class of corrupt men, both in and out
of the General Assembly one of their princi
| pal objects beng to compel me l, issue
warrants Unfortunately in excess of the
revenue, disregarding the constitutional
amendments. l have no hesitation in
| stating that the prosecutions in the courts
| and elsewhere were gotten up for the pur
| pose of removing me from the path Of
those who desire - punder the State
| treasury, and while have been attacked
| ol all sides. ] have been left practically
| without aid by some of those from whom
confidently expected support. | trust you
will be able to find a persun to take my
| place who Will receive more cordial sup.
| port, and at the same time will efficiently
| protect the interests of the State.
! remain, very respectfully.
CHARLES CLINTON,
Auditor.
Governor Kellogg accepted the resigna
ton of the Auditor in the following commu
| nication;
STATE ~ LOUISIANA,
Executive Department.
New Orleans, July %, 1875
Hon Charles Clinton, State Auditor, Louisiana:
SIR have received your resignation In
accepting it, desire to state thst though
in the discharge Of my official duty or
dered investig alton to be made into your
accounts, and directed the law officers of
the State to prosecute the charges preferred
against you, have never for one moment
believed you to have been personally guilty
of dishonesty or corruption in the admins
tratiOn of your office. Before the experts
made their report | had examined into
many of the charges urged against you,
and was satisfied they were, for the most
part, groundless. The official report OF the
experts, whose capacity and disinterested-
ness no one can doubt, and especially the
views and information with regard to your
self convt yed to me by these gentlemen,
together with the testimony adduced in the
civil and criminal cases recently tried, have
only confirmed my previous opinion You
have had very dtli,ailt duties t. discharge.
Under the extraordinary circumstances
surrounding your office during the past few
wears, it would have been almost impossi.
Bile for any one to ill your position without
incurring hostility. Possibly a greater
amount of political experience and tact
might have enabled you TO avoid some of
the antagonisms and difficulties you en-
count red, but have not failed to recog-
Dize the fact that your official acts have
been mainly actuated by a singleness OF
purpose to serve the interests of the State.
l can well understand that, after this long
struggle, you should desire to be relieved of
position which has been a thankless one
to you. /, therefore, accept your resigna-
tioD as you request, and will endeavor to
find some one who will take the position
when vacated by you and guard the inter.
ests of the State. | remain. very respect
iully, WILLIAM 2. KELLOGG.
Personal.
Captain Frederick A. johnson, general