Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-06-05

President said he had received letter from Mat
thews requesting him to give me place, and he
said at the same time he did not exactly what
he could do. | said: Mr. President, appreciate
the difficulties under which you are laboring. |
know that If you give me a place (that is any
prominent place. it will excite the attention of the
country, and will cause untavorahle comment. |
will make a suggestion, which, if you will adopt.
will relieve you and everybody else of all trouble
10 the matter. If you viii appoint such a man a.
| shall designate to one of the New q leans APP
praiserships now held hy Ringgold, who has no
political backing except ex-senator West will
withdraw all NV claims on your administration.
The Preside Mt pondered over the matter a few
minutes, aud asked me when | going to re-
turn to New Orleans. told INN did not intend
to return to New Orleans unless had some def
mite promise made that should be provided for.
Then, he said, you 90 back home aud write me
this proposition which YOU have made and send il
10 me under cover Of Mr.. Gustin, one of my pr
waite secretaries SO that | shall be to receive
it, and will attend to it. The next day wrote
To Matthews. | thought the matter over and |
wrote him. and told him that in my telegram
did not mean to threaten him, because | thought
that he was doing what he could for me, but thai
they worried me so in Washington, and that |
thought it was about time something should be
done one way or the other. | went to Cincinnati
on my way to New Orleans, and stopped over
there and saw Matthews. lie told me to 90 back
TO Washington, and he would follow me that night
came back and we both arrived here Sunday
evening, the lUtn oil June. | SAW nlm three DAYS
after my arrival, and asked him what had been
done. He told me he had not the President
but he would see him that night 90 ednesdaN
| called at his room at the Ebhtt House, and he
told me TO call on Mr.. Mccormick, Assistant Sec
rotary of the Treasury. | went TO the Treasury
department, aud found Mccormick was out of
town and would not return for ten days. | re
turned to Mr.. Matthews room, aud he wrote foi
me note, addressed to General Smith, appoint
ment clerk Mr.. Smith sad that he would take
m he Mr. SIN
had an interview with Mr.. Hayes, at which
was not present. lie came out and said the Pres
dent had instructed him to give me some satisfsc-
toy position politlca consideI atoms. He took
me 10 the Treasury Department, gave me blue
hook and told me to pick out such a position II,
| wanted. lie then said that should have some
thing which would be satisfactory to me. | rode,
that day, to Baltimore with Senator Matthews
He asked me ii | was satisfied, and told him
was, and he referred - Gen. Smiths statement
that il was all right couple of DAYS after thai
Mr. Smith informed me the best position he could
give me was inspectorship in some custom
house, either in Phladel phia Boston, which
was worth from $3.50 to 50 a dav. | told him
that was not what bad been promised me and not
what had right TO expect. and if | could not
get a better position than that | would 90 back to
my old duties as journalist, and that | preferred
going back to them anyhow. said did not care
personally; that the only feeling had in the mat
ter was that certsin promises had been made which
had not been fulfilled and | proposed to see thew
should be. Smith then wrote TO Matthews to The
effect that he made no definite promise, except
that | should be provided for in a sstisfactor,
manner. After nv interview with the President
about the apprsisershp stopped in CINCINNATI.
and 10 the first paper | picked up found the re.
port of coored deputatlon from Louisiana with
the President in which the President promised to
retain Ringgold. 49,
Q. Did you say ANYTHING to Mathews about it
A. did some of the tsllest specimens OF
swearing that Matthews ever heard in that office.
Q. What took place in reference to that letter
from Matthews ; A. | came t. Washington
and told Senator Matthews thought an effort was
being made on the part of the democrats to get
up an investigation aud that information was be-
ing furnished them by some of the boys in Louis
lana and that thought the best manner to stop
the arrangement was by Mr.. Darrals appoint
meut as Co lector of Customs 10 New Orleans |
told him that Dsrrsll understood pretty thorough.
" the men who ought to be provided for, and that
he could do it. He requested me to have Darrall
call upon him, which did Darrall wrote me and
afterwards told me personally land so did Mat
thews) they should work up sentiment in Oar
rails favor getting all the recommen datiou they
could from 4Sew Orleans and Louisiana and get
all the recommendations they could from DsrraiPs
colleagues in the House, and that they would give
Matthews the pretcxt for asking for Dsrrslrs ap-
pointment as Collector of Customs at New Or
leans.
O. What part were you TO play in that H., A.
Matthews asked whether in Darral was ap-
pointed, | would he Justified, and whether | would
be willing to deliver all the papers 10 NV posses
sion and give up all claims on the admins r ton,
which agreed to.
Q What papers were referred to in any Of
your conversations with Mr.. Matthewsi A. He
referred to all the papers in my possession that
evening. spoke of the Sherman letter.
Q. To whom A. To Matthews.
q. Who mentioned the Sherman letter first,
you or he? A. have no distinct recollection
about the matter. Ii was after Mrs. jerks had
called on Senator Matthews in connection with it.
q. Did she profess to hold the letter A. She
professed to hold the original letter
Q. How do YOU know that she professed to
hold the original letter. A She told me her
self, in the presence of other parties, that she
had the original.
Q. Did she exhibit it to You A. No; she
claimed that she had it at New Orleans, and she
fired TO sell it for a certain consideration.