The New York herald., 1876-02-09
VIRGINIA AND THE CENTENNIAL
CORRECTION BY MR. JAY.
EDIToR on THE HERALD

10 IhE EDITOR OF THE hEkALD;-
beg that you will allow o correct at once al
which observe with much regret in the as.
sumption apparently drawn from my remarks on the
Vienna Commission that the Irregularities Of the man
agement IN She hands of a few marked the character OF
the entire commission. Some Of the assistant COM
mssioncrs who not connected with the Office al
New York resigned when they learned the facts Others.
citizens by birth or naturalization rendered at vcnns
valuable service In difficult emergency, commanding
my personal regard and receiving my official thanks
do not name them for the that II
especially undesirable this time to associate with
personal issues or personal considerations the
oi failure Vienna, which properly claim atten-
uon at this moment explaining our loss OF reputa-
ton there and indicating with precision the dangers
to be avoided anL the to be achieved at tho
Centennial
The facts in reference to individuals were by order
OF the President investigated by special commission,
and why the Official correspondence and report have
been withheld from the country is apparent. Thd
suppression OF those facts continues to expose
just imputatons gentlemen Of tho commission wha
were absolutely guiltless Of all impropriety. ThcI
suppression has exposed the government Europe tn
creator scandals than the record would dscloss
for 1t has assisted the effort show that besides the
something wrong in the commission which caused the
failure OF the department. there was secret con-
spiracy among high officials Of the government to over
throw it that the special commission of investigations
lrightluy corrupt and that Of them with
members of tho temporary commisson-Me
Cannon, Roosevelt and Spang-wero privately inter-
estcd in American machinery Tho publication Of tho
record would show the prompt and decided action Of the
Presden the of the department you'd
hblt and temper BETTING the occasion, and the
correspondence and evidence would exhibit each ndi-
Sidual officer of the government in his right position,
1xi cncht tho rpspO 81 " q
disclosing the causes that led TO the scandal
Why should not the record be published2 The Chief
Commissioner loudly demanded its publication and his
pamphlet expressed the wish pago 81 that Mr.. Jay's
leters to the Department of State, during the wines
and spring OF 1872 and ls73 might have been included
in this volume, anording additional evidence, they
do, OF his malice toward tho commission ana of hia
designs TO embarrass and defeat its abors" Let not
only those letters be added but my notes to the chef
Commissioner in person from the time OF his appoint-
mcDt. and which also deposited in tho State De-
partment Let tho record be complete that this thing
may be ended, ana that loose charges invented Tor
purpose may fade before the truth. The Chief Cons
friends have intlmated their readiness fob
the publication by declaring that the record shows OF
his part improper act Tho special commission,
while dsapprovng his acts, did not pronounce tho
motives that prompted them. The publication would
relieve the innocent commissioners of all suspicion or
completely. 1t would show whether the special COM
mission engaged in conspiracy, whether the
commission secretly interested in ma
ohinery or whether both had magncd simply
for obeyng tho orders of the President and executing
his instructions with fidelity and The publis
cation disposing OF all OF fact by the evidence
OF parties themselves, would leave the people free
to scrutinizc two principles of action recognized lin
the management:-First in the appointment come
to represent abroad tho highest culs
ture OF tho Republic OF unknown to tho
Chief Commissioner and whom no deemed 1t pru-
dent to threaten with suspension should he 'be-
lieve them guilty OF any improprety." Second,
in the adoption Of tho rulo given by the
Chief Commissioner 10 his First Assistant, that
he "could not any improperly in borrowing
from Htzel he rcstauratcur) than from any else"
or "from bank"
The extent TO which the First Assistant reduced to-
practice this instruction will appear from the az
well as from the pamphlet (pp. H. IL and l3) OF tho
Chief Commissioner in which he accuses his connden-
tia assistant OF faschood and extortion and OF an
attempt to rob the government itself
Hitherto our official corruption which has so Justly
alarmed us at home. and which Burke calls "thc dry
of the constitution, has scarcely vcntured
itself foreign courts with a new century opening
before us, with international Exhibition giving
a chance redeem tho opportunity lost Vienna,
is 1t consistent with sound policy, with public morality,
with the interests and the honor OF tho ma.
ton TO conceal from the American people
the causes that resulted in the mmoraIitIes disclosed
by the governmental investigation at vienna2 With
the testimony OF tho Chief Of the commission to thcox-
Of tho irregularities committed by his assistant
can the President consistently with hs1ony and just
Of personal honor continue TO subject misrep-
rcscnaton those who, In to his appeals saved
the country from further disgrace, in order to
mcntf Is the precedent a safe for the future9 II
the government to-day has the right to conceal the
moraltics disclosed by tho Official Investigation Vi
emma and confirmed by the Chief Commissioner, wha'
Official wrong committed by officers OF the American
government may be concealed by that government
from the scrutiny OF the pcople2 JOHN JAY.
q WASHINGTON SQUARE, Feb. T. 1876.