New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-27
THE STAR. ROUTE REPORT.
MP cIpsoyS OFFICIAL POSITION.
SHARP CORRESPONDENTS BETWEEN THE SPECIAL
ATTORNEY FOR THE UNITED STATES AND SAMUEL

ATTORNEY FOR THE UNITED STATES AND SAAOEL
L. PHILLIPS, ACTING ATroRNEY-GENIRAI~
WASHINGTON Nov. 26-The following correspondence
explains i''en' Posi- OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON, ID. @, Nov. %, lSSl.D
e bo,o rocoi'ed from the Chief Clerk Of the Dc
paTtment of Justice % communication OF tnlS Hdte III
which he states that some enc I.' uto ryort in Tour
teriay printed slip pnrports 10 DC ~ ,r In wa
name addressed 10 tire Attorney General INC sup was
not under any address II does NOS conmune5
ton that he writes by authority rr ana
ever deem It proper to address you on the '
10 state that do not know who let upon lue CHi
lac his tSa or any other thing In obedience to the
instructions OF the AtOrncy-Gencrai HlIe SSPV'
10 Yourself The was sealed ana duIeS5eu
to The Honorable the Acting Attothey lici,il, &
delivered $50 p IN. the day ana lale aeoNo @ ]
ed TO the colOrcd messenger VINO staIeH tlo ,c re-
port was submitted TO the late AttOrhel .
approved by him, and by his direction nv tic 10
ton of Colonel George Bliss the cory was tranhn'cu
YOU as Acting attOrncy-Geneial me iInEu.,7o ,I+
the report IL accordance with the I tHe
predecessor submit yOn some o the results o, tno
invest cation, which. ut his request nave llie
adopted at the request Oh COlohe Go1iis nioir and
stated thai ne had yOu In regard TO TINS Iaer anu
at your request had communicated Win me On '"o s
The Chief Clerk further states that there is nothing o.
record in the Department OF Justice 10 authorize
tltIe alIehueu 70 NY Ia. rood stotrs have To
state that on April 22 1851, was employer ny tio
as a Special Assistant Attorney To repre-
sent the Department OF Justice and to assist III tc
investigation and prosecution Oh luc 81
Koute cascs II is proper Tor me to state thnt
this employment was unsolicited by lhyb,u
The first Interview ever had with the Ntlornys
or The PosIlastr( General the subject or the ,'S.
pton OF the star Route frauds AT the residence Oh
fhe Attorney General the night Of April ~ l95a
TgtG General and Mr. Woodward The
Attorney General informed me that my of
as the representative Of the Department , ~
Justice were desired in the investigator, aII
prosecution Of the star Route cases thAI MI. W. % am
and the POsmaster-Gencral had recouu!,n hc
poyInent to The President ana that At hIs 80
had caused be tecgraphed To al NeW ora t
me to come here. tod the Atiothe' i,ift and
my employment sanctioned by inc ir'siciia ,
could be retained special attorney woulu ,pr
The next day at the request OF the Attorney bcuVlh
/ called at the Office Of Attorney General, ana Vac
informed by MN thf abIeedyly " "a No. master
Woodward ana inc fecohich no W iort was re-,
General and the approval Oh tle freNIuent w" 1it
tanned IN tho supposed, OF course nat .io a.
tha iad been retained "'ls h'''o VI no. srb
partment OF Justice. learned subsequently lh'i sum
was not tho case. although Tue Attorney ~ ,r,,"
was positive that lac hau directed the customary FORM
communication To be addressed To me. Upon inquiry no
he addressed note undcr ddic Oi OctpDcl 'ot
in which says: 81 certainly supposed 1t had Deoh
done Of the date OF their requests OR WOODWARD anu
the POstmasterG thal elect AplIl - 100 '
send you this note To certify mat you were
employed ia these matters NJ that date From lnAt
date, April -, nave acted III tho cdpaoi'y III
retained the representative o. tie Dep'i
Justice In obedience the invitation al the Attorney
General, have AZ various times feporltd W nun III
writing. have from the date oil my emoS iyn t ~
tie AtLoncy General As special Assistant AtoiSy oci
iL G oi,,rr sucrlgi asss:nnt attorneys employed by
Route cases
Inc copy OF the report which tansmittod to you on
the 2d INST, acting Attornoy-Gunetl was placed 81
typc Dy order oil tu General, 10 whom
copy vi the same Was gwen, at has request. and
yh5 stated that the Attorney General had
Informed Aim that suCh report mad been made. Inc
Nttorugy General ON Monday morning, eMbcr II,
ISL directed submit report 20 the Postmaster
General Ihe fO-tnh-tcT-br nctal gave directions Ia
hive Inc report printed a. part is annual re- orr aud
designated where the same tO appcar-.umediatcly
tie report the second Assistant FuatmLs
oral On NY return from l-t saturday Colonel
George Bliss. VINO iu,ly aware Oi the fact that
mad prepared the rep"ri, aud 10 wDom one OF the
uurcylsI proof slips ha4 been given by Ncw-loTH
on thy preceding Thursday, informed me that SOME
one hHa gwen y"d ~iI7 =" ihe huIt'I-cd PROOF,
ana that you lad requested hm 10 la
lie report. An the corrections which Colonel Ei.s
s4--,-.d made, aaG t.e revised proof was clScl
hlm. lie 'LDu n'lu.rd I.c thai lg not only endorse
O., ,,i, bat Woulh stand behind %, and tat Should
tDsnI; go lou sI.s OF TIE revised proc! which lul
would iu u,caruIucc with ma understanding ur mad
VITA GA, ifai7Ilit I".HdiD 10 The io'.il-t" hrd
iu orucg tult Irp.t gut come To- Iut through Ito
rr-g,r o,Da 'nannc! "ro regularly appear a. Iart OF
A. Inc ,Irl Crrk OF the Department Of Justice does
any quo iOh a'pus th" i,-@HJ "I lnF en-
special Ass,sauj-ttioT.cy Oi the United s.lj, r.
sccy -Is-cst mat you al ~ early aGatc IS U' 10
auc ouuIi, dc Win i"t 'atc Az 'url ptt' l ON t-'
llrci uUa H-Trc, VITA 81! statement uI 90 r anu
circumstance, laI, y"n wiN direct the chief ctr" 10
IIa1c record %, Iny rny"} n h' ", tp,ra Assistant ~
tal,y for tbs United States. The intention of tIc
A"ora'l General mn.t @r p,rGcuy plan 10
records oinc artncni OF Justice go or d. no. Hho"'
".o-, tul; -. ihat i.it " no" any doubt ~ tHc
Cr. ,c.hs ,lEi noon VIA SUBJECT u Trr"7 10 ne, u
81 be permitted to SAY 3D. an ul ah.cd Htcicf-
enc "a ~ part o" eel .i,' ino " ''' ,i'y,'t "' n''
Ia view oI tc publications ode. ING hir, W"i' nave
boon m,ds here and .wi,.r 49, mon 5"lr aI.Iurl.
ID. Nat IS proper under the clfc- tu.,- 10 tsc sJuo
| notices Of ta,s5 publications. E'iy respectfully your
special I,s.sant Auoruey Tor ,.e Uait.4 s;atea
Tie Ji01i sAaUAL T. IhmLr- Aeh.'g AH,r1ry GeH,'rIi
ME. PuLLIrss REPLY
| DEPARTMENT 90 JU.rICr,
! WAsW>GIps, u. c., NOV, 20, l5,l.}
! A. " GEsoN, esq, BGshi"g'ol, D. O.
SIR In reply 10 your, oI tac 2jth last, have 10 say
his note 10Th l. acted by authority yIT: ma
own authority which C u u8 duty tu cal yuGr Hti,
| upJn Ills liable. a. we'll ~ 10 The tito Resumed by
| you, which ju.tihcd by not.mg upon bic
oiSor way. There is neither comini..oa noi
oa Of oic" urun t' hl'- OF tla Department aud BON
U-c .esrry 70 inc creation o an Assistant orncy
~ Io j e,ltc ol fac.g must assume that yo. have
! have received IIOu AttO!Ect General I.CNrdth.
A. for the contents Of tlc payer 70
Department, it Will b. time enough FOR consid,r
.em on snail have been made % this u, ar,
In ths connect JOI say Ia obedience IN q In.
stfuctous OF tac Attorney raj 1 made a
iui,tci on Wcdu,.iay, the eJI lust, 10 yourself
Ihr communication sealed and u.' ras.,d tot 10 m :
Orata tlc acting Attorney -Gchcra Department of jus
ucci assured h.t tH' same Was dcil' cred NJ $50 -
iu uc day aG datc Doye mentioned, 10 tc courrI Iut T.
fcI.rr WHO stated tJAJ you were Ia your IOIll and
Thai Ee would hand II 10 you" 1t would nave been
| moro regular u you had transmitted an
original report 10 Identified % sIguaturo,
and 10 upon the files Oi the Department BIS
attention has never been drawn 10 any thing cXcrpt
The slip mentioned In tie letter OF ,hc
Chief t.crk. The conversation 10 when
| Won refer bctwlXt ny -cf and Colonel
is AZ one Of the United States attorneys
ia. star iOutc VITA regard report made
by Yea 10 the Postmaster General, covering. ~ under
| STAND, the same cround occupied hy the slip left
upon the iaDic ol TIE Cncf CcrA OF zoe Department
Representations Lai been made 10y officers engaged oT
tne Government ~ the STAR Route prosecution 10 tnc
| cflcct that the publication OF that rcpOrt
! might nJuriOusly affect those eases. Such
| complaint. had reached Colonel phs.
ANA myself independently. / had read the report
aitlougn mad noticed ecyera! Of is expressions i'm one
| particular passage. Colonel bliss had rfud n.
| ,oid bim tHat Il Tor him. Alr
Brew SER and Colonel Cook 10 whether liz uulrl.
| tnn WOuld AFFECT thU prosecutions. lie then suorc
fayOraby oi the matter IN general form OF the report
i - H.. L-.L IL. -.