The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-10
SAFETY or the TELEGRIPH
President Green E~plaiainE Ills Con'pany's
Action with Respect 10 the Ciphers.

To ne Hon. Cidrkson " Potter Chairman
SIR The testimony recently ELECTED by
your committee concerning this companys nc
tion in respect to the political telegrams taken
from us In 1867 10y the Senate and House com
m.ttcrs' subpTnaes. appears 20 have been so
uniformly misundrrstlod by the press n to
make 1t now seem proper 10 amDliiy the same.
by way Of guarding ngainst like misappr'-
hcnslon on the part ~ the committee Itself and
~ the members oi tho House.
The plain truth Is that the company. real
ling great moral obligation 10 preserve
sacred from threatened exposure all tcle-
grams committed to it, confidence and koep-
ing. both before anl after the service of uie
Rubtu.nas. rcsortrd 90 cycry legitimate ana
proper devico consistent " W.tA due respect Tor
The authority Of Congress. 10 prevent such cN-
posture by timely transfer Of tho messages
from the custody Of managers and ON ors
eSe.iitiys ofiioos i'm Sew YORK. and thence. hy
resolution Of the Executive Committee oi the
Board of Directors from the custody of the
executive on ,crs 90 that Of the Executive Com
When. therefore. Manager Barnes Of the New
Orleans office wis suhpunucd by tho MORRISON
Committee almost all ol the kilograms he was
chilled upon % produce had been taken from his
custody and he had no power 10 produce thein'
20. also. when the President OF the company
was brought 10 the bar Of the House Tor con
tempt. he was enabled To plead that 10 had nnl
tho custody Of the messages called Tor IN MS
Tho proceedings Of tho House Of Rcprcsen-
Recori. show that Mr. Orion himself, on this
occasion through the statements Of his answer
ns to the attitude taken by the Executive COM
mitter. disclosed to the House full information
as to where the messages could be reached but
Notwithstanding this fact. no memher of the
| Housr. or OF lis committees. saw fit nt the time
| 10 act upon the information thus given. Inc
| Senate Committee. however. took ne lnltlntlfe
! and sending Immediately To- New YORK on mo
! NEXT day served every member OF the compa-
| ny's Executive Committee with sweeping
subpTna. which demanded the proiurton oi
| all messages 10 or from th9 princitaI ny ,15
! OF the company. whore any important political
| lelegrams were supposed tohaVc been sent or
Under this subpoena the Executive Commit
tee composed about equally Of mompers ol mo
! sagGs 10 Washington. where soon nitcr arrival.
| thoy were served with n like sweeping subpUna
''AA"f < me"ting Of tho Executive Committee was
| thereupOn held and by resolutions then passed
| il was decided 70 respect tho service on the
conlpanys President and Committee alike, and
| 10 surrender TO tho House Committee AL ,the
messages covered by It's Subpoena u freslurht
OrtOn this being prior in time OF service 10 INC
subpUnA from the Committee OF the Senhlr
and to surrender to the Senate Committee gu
heing pri6r in time Of he service to the like
subpoena from the Committee Of tho House;
| Ii was further resolved. In order to comply rs
far as possible with the conflicting suhpu'nas
! that whichever Committee failed to receive IN,
original messages should nav' top,SSs ,,SSse 0 00,hn,
| Committee; or. II II should De confuded thn
| tho immense labor of copying might he saved
| then that the Committee of either House recriN
ing original mrssagca should agree that N,
mcmDers Of the Committee of the other lious'
which had called for them should have FREQ ne
cess to examine such originals, and to make
copies theroirom If desired.
4 cOpy Il these resolutions. OF which the toi
lowing Is the substance. was served upon Ca'l
Committee on Jan. 10, and on tho 2ith ol JAn
uary Senator Sargent wrote 70 the COMPANY
stating that the Committee of tho Senate nae
conferred with the Committee OF the House; an'
TINT tho alternative or latter feature of tn
above mentioned arrangement Was accepted a.
entirely satisfactory 30 both commiltees: Th
, surrender OF the messages was then made. bu
, not until tho company had urgently ondcavore'
10 impress upon the respective committees IN
Necessity Of guarding the kilograms from thei
, and from disclosure to others than those VINO
, from their position upon the committees. wer
! | entitled to their inspection,
. | II will bo seen that our course In these mat
ters was strictly fair and impartial. We wor
, powerloss to take further prc'aut ons In n
, | nremises and wo arc In no manner rosponslnl
ior the Subsequent loss Of tho kilograms in
, | trusted to the Senate Committee, u
= | have the honor 70 remain very respefunil
| vdnrs RS NoRyIH GREES President.