The New York herald., 1877-03-16


o voting have explained To you personally the
reasons which have prompted this action These res
sons are OF an overruling character but do rot pro-
pose at this Time TO giva them public simply
intend In this note to communicate my resignation rnt
position ! have held IN the Department OF Parks,
although responsible IN character ana attended WITH
NO pecuniary compensation has, nevertheless, bcer
exceedingly agreeable 10 me Ia The opportunity haf
afforded TO advance important public improvements
and ia the pleasant oihcial relations which have
Joyed. ] sever my connection with the department
with regret. | have i-lt AN ardent interest 10
tho Improvement OF tho city parks. aud desired to
continue my cooperation IA iher development nndei
the new plans until completion. fhcy aro now prac-
tiealy nnisned. Asking your prompt acceptancc o.
th, gnation am very respectfully, your obcdieat
crvant, PETER b. SwEENY, Commissioner. &c
THIS the first STEP " not toward his downfall,
toward that proon ged exile from which he has just
turned The announcement OF his resignation was
held back at his request until alter the election.
aud the tact OF his retirement was made public smul-
taneously with the news OF the defeat OF Tammany
Hall Aitcrward only those IN his condolences knew Of
the whereabouts OF Peter b. swecny He indicted
by the Grand Jury for completely the Ring ira IDS IN
February. 1872, but when he wanted he could
not be found II would have been considered irrev-
tue time to say that Peter had skipped"
but hc had disappeared mysteriousy that not
q OF him could be discovered.
EXILE.
From time TO time came romantic rumors concern.
ing him, aud at last 1t seemed definitely deter
mined that ho was living in Paris IN such
splendor as would have entitled him instead
OF Tweed to rank 1.-THE American
Baron" The description oil his apartments Ia tho gay
capital hl.cL columns In newspapers and ap
parcny his life abroad was us oblruve IL had been
quiet and reserved home Then whispcrings
OF his unhappness IN exile Of his desire to return and
negotiations actually begun looking to that end.
Then heard OF his princely apartments
He longer even In the fertile imagina
tions OF newspaper correspondents or the tongues
oil the gossips the ircqucntcr Of tho opera
or the gay AID debonaair man OF the world
Even in Paris he tho simple Peter b. Sweeny b.
had been home, aud he had tho natural ,ongings
again. not only Of Tammany exiies, but oi
cxiles Of whatever class.
THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR RETURN
He WAS wanted by those who were prosecuting the
Ring suits quite as much as he wanted 10 return.
Restitution tho order OF tho day. "we
wiling to exact the largest ball." said Mr. O'Conor at
the time when these negotiations were going On, 'and
get him over here " could; but AZ
could not we shall have to him to come by the
promise OF small bail" Mr. John Mckeon, his couu.
sell Indicated that he would appear If he fo sure that
u reasonable amount OF bail would DO accepted-such
q amount rs he could give. II was possible appar-
emily 10 arrange the matter FAR rs the counsel
both sides were concerned but Mr.. Swccny
did not come This in July, 1875, and
haps apparent enough Ho had been charged
in Ingersolls affidavit with sharing to the extent
Of ten per tho Ring plunder, ana II from
this charge that Mr. PecKham wanted him to come
homo and vnd,cate himsoiE vindication was not
probably what Mr. Swccny sought so much as
way out OF his difficulties. His property was all
under attachment A number of suits were pending
In the against him. An indictment hanging
over HIM. lie was safe at least where he was.
and reduction Of bail scarcely u temptation
against risk Of his personal liberty. The negotiations
not given over entirely, however, and early In
tho present year 1t was announced that Mr.. sweeny
coming homo 10 attend tho trial Of the suits
against him, agreement having beon made by ,hs
both sides excmpting him IRON any arrest,
civil criminal including arrests at the suit Of
taxpayers citizens, during the pendcncy OF his
and for thirty days thereafter The Attorney General Of
the STATE the District Attorney Of tho county ana the
Counsel to tho Corporation all joined In the guarantee
and SO finally arranged that Mr. Swceny should
come home. and his arrival yesterday
quently not unexpected, although like most events
which have been long IN contemplation, his coming
was surprise last, ut least TO the community His
case up In the the ID of next month.
With Sweeny back and Tweed In Ludlow Street
JAIL though probably about To emerge therefrom
compromise OF his own, II becomes question what
will be the futuro Of these magnatcs of tho
old Tammany ''Ring" in regard to the politics
OF New York. Swecny tho brains
Of tho Ring though In his letter rcsignny his func.
nons Park Commis ho spoke u local leader
simply, It Is we'll known that his ambition was no,
bounded by the confines Of the metropolis which he
had ruled conjunction with Tweed long, and sa
tho results proved disastrously to the Taxpayers
swEEyY's DREAM.
At ono timo Mr. Swceny seriously meditated nom.
mating Hoffman the democratic candidate for the
Presidency. And this brings US to the consideration
OF what always Of the principal purposes OF
tho Tammany Ring, or, at least OF the man who
It's thinking hcad-that is, the political control OF tho
whole country. Through tho Tammany political
chnery Mr. Swceny had really political aspirations OF
the highest ambition. hc desired above all things
TO be Secretary oil Statca position which hc once
u friend emphatic,lly. ''rhe highest in the land.
being tho President OF tho President Mr. swecny
always kept an eye to tho political condition OF tho
country, and perfected tho Tammany organization to
the utmost, because, as ho once said, 'It Is
easy ana as difficult TO govern country
as u town." Tummany under him .
power whose influence felt throughout tho land.
Tweed merely looked to local results and municipal
power; but Swccny endeavorcd to control national
politics, und once nearly succeeded. II was through
his indirect action ana wire pulling that Pendicton
was defeated in bis Presidential aspirations. II was
also through Mr. Swecny's influence that
HoratiO Seymour was nominated as tho
democratic candidate Tor Tho Presidency. Mr. Swccpy
likewise directed tho tactics OF the Seymour campaign
and had Horatio Seymour become President OF tho
United States, It is claimed by some that Peter B.
Swccny would have occupied the place in tue Cabinet
lilcd by Seward and In which thcro is ta
doubt that the Tammany Ring would have been per.
pctuated indefinitely in tho city OF New York. How
much Of this old dream rcmainsS DID Peter u.
Swccny bring back any OF II In his baggagcy
ADVANCED PASSENGER RATES.