Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1876-04-08
Harper,s Ferry Property.
Extract of Letter from Hon. Charles j.
FaulknertO a Gentleman in this County.


| saw the article on the morning fits appear
ance and would earlier have given it some at
tention, but for the extraordinary pressure OF
public duties upon me. Between the ordinary
duties which devolve upon me as member OF
two re .ular standing committees, the laborious
investigation into the Emma Mine fraud, day
and night sessions Of the House, and the de-
mands of private correspondence, have not
had that command of my time which should
desire. The article tc which you refer, is man
ifestly from the ever-teeming mint OF the Har-
per's Ferry spectators, and it is throughout
instinct with their feelings and policy.
will refer to each of the statements con-
tanned in the article. First. It states:
"Attorney General Pierrepont says the qucs-
ton of the title of the Harper's Ferry property,
and the legal status Of the Baltimore ana ONO
railroad upon it, IS OF so much puolic importance
that be has declined to assume responsibility IN
the matter, but has decided to bring 1t before the
Cabinet for its action tomorrow
There is only limited amount Of truth in
this statement. Not word was ever brought
before the Cabinet touching the question OF the
/ title Of the Harpers -Ferry property or the 'e-
gal status of the b timore and Ohio Railroad
/ upon it, | Learn directly from Attorney Gen
eral Pierrepoat, that the following are the facts
/ Having had an interview with him on the pre-
yious Saturday, callel his attention to the
/ expediency of directing the execution OF the
decree Of sale Of that property. Ills only OBJ
| lection seemed to be that 1t might not bring an
adequate price in the present depressed condl.
/ ton of the country. ] told him trial could
! be made, and if the government thought there
was likely to be any sacrifice OF the property,
/ the Solicitor of the Treasury had full authori-
" to buy it in, and it would thus become d
| Gain the property of the Government, and the
precise liability Of the purchasers fixed. When
| il had thus become the property OF the Govern
mcut in the absence of any capitalist billing
| for it. the Government could utilize its a.lvan-
taces for any purposes to which it might think
nroper to devote it, or it could resell Il under
! circumstances more propitious for the invest
meut OF capitalists in its water power. 1t vas
/ this enquiry, and this alone. that he hrorght
TO the attention Of the President ana his Cibl-
net. lie did not wish to assume the response
bility of instructing the Solicitor OF the Treas
ury to bid the property in for the Government,
and brought that question, and hat question
only. to the consideration Of the President and
other members of the Cabinet Some opinions
!
again becoming the owner Of the property, but
no decision was made.
The article intimates that undue and extra
ordinary Influence had been brought to bear
upon tie Attorney General in the hope Of re-
yCrsing his decision in favor Of taking the
cause by appeal to the Supreme Court am
aware Of no influence sought to be exercised
upon the Attorney General except those frank
and manly appeals which were made to his
sense of Justice aud right and were addressed To
him by me in a letter which was published in
two. perhaps three, Of the jefferson papers,
That letter was followed by communication
from him 10 me of the both Of December, an
nouncing his purpose to order a sale of the
property. which was an implied Abandonment
Of the proposed appeal nave considered the
appeal ont Of the question since the goth OF
December last.
The article further states;
"Senators Davis and Caperton and Representa-
tive Hereford sent memorial 90 the Attorney
General few DAYS ago, asking that the sale OF
thc Harper's Ferry property be anuu!led and t.
ken back, and that the Governmc II establish ex-
t.nsye mills for the manu- tacturc OF paper there,
and thus utilize that valuable water power. For
some reason best known to himself, Mr.. Charles
j. Faulkner refused to sign The memorial
II is true that refused to sign the letter to
the Attorney General which had been pre-
narel by one Of the gentlemen above named,
and cave nv reasons for such refusal at tue
time. and shall repeat them now. | said so
far As the erection OF paper mill at Harper :
Ferry was concerned. | was IN favor Of that,
or any other public works at Harpers Ferry
that could advance its growth and prosperity {;
but that WAS subject over which the Attor-
ncy General had no more control than one Of
the door-kecpers or pages OF the House that
it struck me as absurd to present any such
scheme to the attention of that officer. He
had but one duty to perform in connection
with Uarpers Ferry, and that assuming the
apueai % be abandoned was 10 order the exc
cution Of the decree Of sale. Beyond that, he
had no legal function or authority that could
touch the interests Of HarperS Ferry | said,
if these Senators wanta paper mill at Harper 5
F,;ry-a subject which had often before en-
garcl nv thoughts. as Hon. VIM. Walsh wei
knows. why not Introduce bill into the Sen
ate for that purpose? Congress alone could
have the authority to take any action upon
snch subject. But it seemed n me inappro-
pirate and out Of place to bring any such .cheme
To the attention Of the Attorney General, who
had no authority Of law to weigh even the
policy or expectancy Of any such measure. |
even went further and said, that if either Of
these Senators would iutroiuc bill in the
Senate to establish paper mill at Harper 5
Ferry, would then, if it met the approval OF
tie PEOPLE Of Iarrer's Ferry, join in the re-
quest to the Attorney General to delay sale
until the Senate should determine whether the
property should be applied to the purposes Of
paDcr mil or not but thought it cruel and
toTtnrng to the people Of ElArper's Ferry to
have their interests any longer suspended upon
doubtful contingencies, when not movement
was being made by those writing this letter TO
bring this subject to the a;tcntion Of the only
body that was capable of acting upon it.
hal a further insuperlble objection to sign
ing that letter. and that was that it distinctly
stated. aud proceeded upon the basis that the
ap, cal from the District Court lrdS sill pend
ina. Il is well known that have asserted
time after time in the public press Of jefferson,
that the appeal was abandoned on the both Of
December last. and should have stutiied
myself by recognizing by my signature that
the appeal was still pending. 1t may not be
imnossiblc that the contriverS Of this letter in
serted that for the express purpose Of excluding
my signature from the paper.
When therefore the letter was handed to me,
determined to take it to my room, and pre-
pare one for myself, tls was compelled to do
upon a former occasonl that would express
my own views in my own language, SO that il
might accompany that letter 10 the Attorney