New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-24
ORLEANS SATURDAY, JULY a. 1875

Resignation Of Auditor Ci'nson-It is Ac'
cepted by the Governor.
The Governor has received the resigna
| ton eff the Auditor of Public Accounts. al
! the following letter will explain:
STATE OF LOUISIANA,
Auditors Office, ,
| New Orleans July 81. 1875.
To HIS E1ceienoy William p Kellogg. Governor
| SIR-I herewith hand you my resigna
! tiOn, to 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 l 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 we'll
| aware, have long desired to be FREQ from
the wearing aud most unpleasant duties OF
this office, having on q former occasion
placed my resignation, which you then re-
| fused to accept, in your hands.
! trust you will now concede the propriety
of my action in asking to- be relieved, and
considered it a duty to myself to retain my
position until at least u portion Of the true
history Of the Office had been made public,
and my conduct and reputation vindicated.
This has been done by the evidence ad-
duced in the civil and criminal prosecutions
against me Though, unfortunately, ! was
not permitted to testify thereupOn, and
many facts in my favor, only known to me,
were not develOped), and by the report of
the committee of experts, Messrs. Phelps,
Gardner and COckburn, to such an extent
as to warrant me in leaving my further
and more complete yindicatiOn to the
future and to that enlightened public
sentiment, which l am satisfied will ulti.
mately prove both just and correct. The
report of the experts, coming as it does
from gentlemen OF known capacity and who
enjoy the perfect confidence of the com
munity, vindicates my conduct from charges
af corruption, only one instance being found
by them IN which they intimate anything
more than yielding to undue pressure.
The committee did not feel called upon as
an offset to this to examine into the report
upon the almost numberless schemes Of
plunder which my opposition has defeated.
Of this 1 do not complain, as it was not
strictly their duty, but am satified that
both they and you are we'll aware of the
services I have rendered in this direction,
and will, upon all occasions, bear testimony
to them. A further reason for my resigna-
ton is, that find it impossible to satisfac-
tOrily carry out my views with reference to
the proper management of this Office. in the
interests Of the State, owing to the opposi-
tion of the Treasurer, supported by cef-
tain class of corrupt men, both in and out of
the General Assembly, one of their princi
pal objects being to compel me to issue
warrants indiscriminately in excess Of the
revenue, disregarding the constitutional
amendments. 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
treasury. and while have been attacked
on 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 person to take my
place who will receive more cordial sup
port. and at the same time will efficiently
protect the interests of the State.
l remain. very respectfully,
CHARLES CLINTON,
Auditor.
Cover Kellogg yesterday accepted the
resignation of the Auditor IN the following
communication:
STATE OF LOUISIANA
Executive Department ;
New Orleans. July %. 1875. }
Hon. Charles Clifton, State Auditor, Louisiana:
SIR have received your resignation. In
accepting it, | desire to state that though
in the discharge of my official duty l or.
dered investigation 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 l 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 conveyed to me by these gentlemen,
civil and criminal cases recently tried, have
only confirmed my previous opinion. You
have had very difficult duties to discharge.
Under the extraordinary circumstances
surrounding your Office during the past few
years, it would have been almost impossi-
BILE for any one to fill your position without
incurring hostility. Possibly a greater
amount of political experience and tact
might have enabled You to avoid some Of
countered. but 1 have not failed to recog-
nize the fact that your official acts have
been mainly sctuated by a singleness of
purpose to serve the interests of the State.
l can we'll understand that, after this long
struggle, you should desire to be relieved
of a positlon which has been thankless
one to you. /, therefore, accept your resig
nation 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. l remain. very respect
fully. WILLIAM P. KELLOGG.