The Portland daily press., 1875-09-27
SECRETARY DELANO'S RESIG-
NATION.
His Letter to the President and
the Latter's Reply.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26.--The following is
the letter of Hon. G. Delano, resigning the
Office of Secretary of the Interior, with the
Presidents reply. 1t may be stated that on
TIE I'D inst, the date of the Presidents letter,
Mr.. Delano in company with friend, called
on the President at Elizabeth, N. j., to urge
the Presidents acceptance of his resignation.
1t is probable from present indications that the
appointment of successor will be made from
Pennsylvania and that his name VIII be an
noanced tomorrow:
WASHINGTON, July 5, 1875.
Mr.. President:-I have the honor to trans
nit with this note my resignation of the office
of Secretary of the Interior, You have been
aware for some time of my earnest desire 10
retire from pu ,lic life, and you have under
STOOD the reasons connected with my private
business and domestic aft ;ctions which have
produced and intensified this DESIRE Last
November requested you to accept my resig-
nation. You asked me not )insiSt upon it
and requested me to remain in your Cabinet
I'LL the end OF your ad nlnlstratiop, or az long
as found 1t agreeable to do so. AT your re-
quest and solicitation decided then not to To-
sist upon your acceptance of my resignation,
assuring you, however, L must res On IN the
arly part of the ensuing spring When that
period arrived and during the months OF April
and MAY you advised me again not to resg1,
~hich advice agreed with my own Judgment
The reasons for this conclusion ueeC not be
stated here. Since you were called by your
fellow citizens 10 perform the duties OF chief
magistrate you have invited me wi hout the
solicitation of myself or friends, SO far as |
know and believe, to take charge of two i'm
portant and responsible public trusts-the In
ernal Revenue bureau aud the Interior De-
partment l was commissioner OF internal rev.
euue from March. 1867. to November, 1870
The results of my administration you know
aud they are not trust, ent, ely unknown to
my fellow citizens. The difficulties OF this DO
SItion and the diligence, care aud labor requir
ed OF me in dscharging its duties you also un
derstand, aud of these / trust the public has
some correct apprec alton. | assn med the du-
les of the Interior Depa rtment iu November,
1870, and have discharged hem to the best of
ability for a period of four years and eight
mon his. They have b-en laborlous, difficult
and delicate. They have embraced the super
' on OF The general land office the Indian
oure al, pension and patent offices, the bureau
OF tducatioa and mass of miscellaneous bust
ness unkown to any except to those connected
with the public service, The business of the
land office is very extensive and Involves the
adjudication a0d settlement of the legal ques-
tons growing out of railroad grants literally
add proiusely made few years ago, and Mex
lean aud Spanish grants made before we &C.
quired California and New Mexico, and also
those growing out of the mineral laws aud
large mining interests, to say nothing of those
that arse under our homestead and preemp.
zion systems These cause the head of the de
partment vast amount of judicial labor and
responsibility which is not generally under
stood The Indian bureau, as you know, is
iull of intricate, delicate and vexatious ques-
tions growing out of numerous Indian treaties
and the imperfectly defined relations existing
between the government and the Indian races.
The execution of this service is also greatly
embarrassed by the remoteness of localities
where much of it has to be perfo- med, thus
preventing contact and personal supervision of
the persons employed as well as by the want of
talent, character and capacity equal to the du-
ties aud responsibilities of the positions.
Many OF the important duties of the head of
the Department are connected with the mate
rial and pecuniary interests of individuals
These interests are often large in amount, and
the Secretary in deciding must necessarily re-
ject the claim of one of the parties, and thereby
not unfrequently find himself assaed by the
misrepresentation and falshoods of the defeat
ed claimants. feel confident that thorough
and impartial examination into the present
condition of the pu) lic service connected with
each, and all the bureaus attached to the
Interior Department will show to all fair mind
ed and candid men that it has never been in a
more prospecting condition than now, and feel
that the most scrutipizing examination will
sustain the opinion here expressed, and that it
will also lead TO the conviction that great i'm
provements have been made under your policy
in the service connected with the Interior De-
partment | allude to these matters briefly to
remind you of the exhaustiug labor which fidel.
ity to my duties during the past six years and
months has demanded of me, and to show you
IN part that one OF my age requires rest and
recuperation.
During all those years of toll L have had your
support, your patty, and as 1 believe, your
entire confidence. Had it been otherwise |
should have long. since retired. / have also
said your political favOrS have come unsolicited
and therefore have been highly appreciated
You have always lightened my burdens by
cheerful, prompt and cordial co operation.
When official relations q I cbau
always continue to cherish for you the highest
regard, founded as it is upon unqualified conf
dence in your unselfsh patriotism, in tue accu
racy and soldity of your judgment, and in the
high sense OF justice which has always charac-
terized you, and from which, in my opinion,
nothing can tempt you to deviate. l have the
honor to be- with the greatest sincerity, your
friend and obedient servant,
(SIgned) G. DELANo
The following is the Presidents reply:
Long Branch, Sept %, 1875:-Dear Sir: Youl
letter of the 9th of July taudering your resig-
was duly eceived, and has been he'd by me
until this time without action because of the
continued persecution which 1 believed aud
sCll believe was being upjustly heaped upon
you through the public press.
i only now take action because the time is
approaching when The Secretary of the Lutte
r or shall have to commence his labors prepar.
atorv 10 r-nderlng his annual report to ac-
company the executive message to Congress.
L therefore accept your resignation to take eff
feet on the first day of DC ober, leaviLg little
more than two months from the Induction of
YOUR successor until tine assembling of Con
gress. 20 accepting your resignation am not
unmlndful of he fact that about the time of
the meeting OF Congress- one year ago you stat
ed that you felt the necessity IF retiring from
the Cabiott, and asked me whether l would
prefer your resignation so as to have your sue
cessor confirmed by the Senate during the la
session, or whether would prefer it in vaca.
ton My answer was that l woul pr fer not
having it at all That was my feeling at the
time, aud now believe that you have fulfilled
every public rust confided to you with ability
and integrity, and | sincerely trust that the fu-
ture will place you right 10 the estimation of
the public and that you will continue to enjoy
Its confidence as you have done through so
many years o. public and off .a life With
continued respect and friendship, 1 remain very
truly your obt servant,
U. S. GRANT
Hon. G. DELANO Sec'v of Interior