The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-04-15
TCommunicated.]
A Tribute to General Spinner.

the press of the country the opportunity to
comment upon his official and personal con-
duct.
His official conduct has been OF that charae-
ter that commands the universal approval Of the
press OF the North, of both political parties
hut that Of the South necer permits an oppar-
tunity to pass without, in some way, rejecting
upon thecharacter and conduct Of prominent
officials of the administration party whenever
they sever their connection with the Govern
mcnt.
Even General Spinner is not free from these
unjust criticisms. For want of something bet
ter, with which to charge him, some Of the
Washington correspondents OF influential pa
pers of the South allegc that General Spinner,
in the management OF his department., has
been the uncompromising enemy of southern
people, and, in one instance, reference is made
to the supposed fact that he insisted upon the
removal of Miss Jackson, who is the daughter
Of the Assassination Of Col. Ellsworth.
Such charge is simply ridiculous to those
Who know General Spinner, and it is my pur-
pose to correct this false impression with those
who are strangers to him.
Miss Jackson is not now, and neoer was an
employee ct General Spnner's division Of the
Treasury; consequently, he could have had
nothing to do with the matter of her retention
or removal. AS an evidence of the liberal
spirit manifested by General Spinner in his
treatment of the southern people, will refer
to e case which occurred in his Depart ment q
short time since.
A gentleman from Virginla, who was in the
Confederate service, was removed from the
Treasury Department., as scas alleged, because
of his having been connected with chat service.
This fact becoming known to General Spinner,
he Immediately sent for the gentleman refer
red to, and rendered him a position in his di-
vision. He subsequently addressed a letter to
friends Of this gentleman in which he indicated
his approval of the recognition OF southern
men who protested willingness to accept the
sit uation in good faith.
This class of people will lose sincere and
valuable friend when General Spinner retires
to private life, and they can lily afford to spare
! even one from among the Jesc who are disposed
to be just to them.
Without representation in any of the De-
! partments, which have the power OF appoint
ments, the people Of the south have been made
| to suffer, and it can scarcely be expected that
| in the campaign OF 1875, southern Republicans
will be found as willing and ready to brave the
| public sentiment OF their own section in the in
| Interests of men who, totally unlike General
| Spinner, practically ignore their claims to rec
sgniien, a 10 x.,, tor +,e t,+,re snocsss 81 tbs
| Republican cause i'll the South, If those con-
| trolling the severa; Departments of Govern
| hor lroul1 lOalif:,St q LITTLE of
General Spnner's liberality i'll the selection OF
their employees.
! Let the yindictive press of the South charge
General Spinner with whatever else it may,
and it has the affrontery to charge corruption
| upon the purest men whose names adorn the
history Of this country but to be Just and
truthful, it cannet charge him with illiberalty
towards the South. No man in America is
more strongly opposed to proscriptlve spirit
| towards any section OF this great country
than General Spinner. He condemns it as hos
tile to everything gQaa and great, and utterly
inconsistent with the spirit OF freedom. No
man has striyen more earnestly than General
Spinner to do all that lay in his power to allay
sectional hostility. General Spinner evnces
an earnest spirit to deal justly with the south
ern people, to recognize them as kindred
reople, and to admit their claims to a full par
| ticipatien in She benefits of common govern
ment, to act in fratcrnal spirit in the great
1 future WHICH OPENS u! 1UfC ClCH, y Weoy ectoe
| but be trle to their country, prepared to share
| their fortunes, for good OF for evil through all
| the yicissitudas which it may bring.
The writer is Ignorant OF the causes winch
led to the resignation of General Spinner, but
| no man has ever left public service more deeply
regretted than he. The honesty, candor, and
sincerity which have characterized every act
of his since his entry into public life, has COM
| mended him to the American people far be-
yond that of any man with whom the writer is
His national reputation, and the familiarity
| OF the American people with the face anu name
! Of F. 4. Spinner, induces me to give your
readers brief epitome of the history OF this re-
markable man.
| Francis Elias Spinner was born January 21st,
| 1902, in the County of Herkimer, in the State
of New York. His father the Rev. John Ie-
| ter Spinner, was highly EDUCATED Roman
Catholic priest, and at the age OF thlrty-three
years became Protestant. E: u: Spinner
the subject Of this sketch, chose Tor himself to
become merchant. and for a year or more
was employed as clerk in a store At the
| age of sixteen he was bound oat to manufac-
ffsrcr and wholesale dealer in confectionery ~
the city OF Albany. The father, TWO years al
ter, on asccrtaining that the son was employed
as a salesman and bookkeeper, had the lnden-
lures broken and put the young man to the
trade of saddle and harness maker The on
w instruction young Spinner received was
from bis father in the languages, and i'll read
| ing. writing, arithmetic and English grammar,
at the vsyy common schools in Herkincr. Al
though he has not read a single book, OF any
kind through in the last twenty-five years, he
| is still an ardent stndent, and feels mortified
| if day passes wherein he has not learned
somenew fact. When young, his associates
were always older than himself, now that he
| is old, he prefers the society OF the young.
| These statements are made to show how one
with but ordinary mental capacity, and with
very small advantages, may, by honesty, APP
plication and industry, attain position and
command the respect of his fellow-iner.
/ In the summer of 1889, General Spinner
was invited by the directors OF the Mohawk
Valley Bank, an institution then being organ
lied, to take the cashiersllip. He accepted
| this invitation and remoyed to the village OF
Mohawk, the place of his birth, where he has
ever since resided. Subsequently he was cleo
| ted president of that Institution In the year
1S45 he was invited by the Hon. Michael Hoff-
man. the then Naval Officer OF the port Of
| New York, to serve under Kim as his deputy
and auditor This invitation he accepted, and
held these offices for a term OF years, without
seycring his official connection with the bank
at Mohawk.
| In 1854 he was elected to represent the Sew
enteenth District OF New York, composed Of
| the counties of Herkiner and st. Lawrence, i'll
1.-THE Congress Of the United States This was
| the memorable Congress that spent the winter
without an organization OF the House. In
this long contest he Was the only member who
- 49, ror,lorJ1, nominated bV tho Demo-