The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-05-26

BY E. B. MURRA.1
WHY THEY DID IT.
The New York Senator'S State their Rea-
sons for Resigning.
ALBANY, N. Y, May Is.
The following is the letter of resigna-
ton of Senators, Conkling and Plat:
WAsHINGToN, May Il, 1881.
SIR-Transmitting as we do our resig-
nations respectively of the great trusts
with which New York has honored US, il
is ft that ne acquaint you, and through
you the Legislature aud people of the
State, with the reasons which in our
Judgment make such5a step respectful
and necessary.
Some weeks ago the President sent to
the Senate in a group the nominations
of several : persons for public offices
alresdy filed. One of those Offices is
the collectorship for the port of New
York, now held by General Merritt, an
other is the consul .generalship at Lon
don, now held by General Badeau,
another is that of charge d'afaires to
Denmark, held by Mr.. Cramer, another
is the mission to Switzerland, held by
Mr.. Fish, q son of the former distin-
guished Secretary of State. MIR. Fish
had, in Difference to an ancient practice,
placed his position at the disposal OF the
new administration, but like the other
persons named he was;to remain at his
post If permitted to DO go. All of these
officers, save only Mr.. Cramer, are citi.
zens Of New York. It is proposed to
displace them all, not for any alleged
failure or any alleged need or advantage
of the public service, but in order to
give the great Office Of collector at The
port sof New York to Mr.. William 81.
Robertson, as the reward Of certain acts
of his said to have aided in making the
nomination of Mr.. Garfield possible.
The chain :of rewards thus proposed
was broken by General Badeau's prompt
II declining the acceptance of the Office
/; to which be was to be sent.
These nominations summoned every
member of the Senate to say whether he
advised snchsa transaction. The move.
ment was more than surprise. We had
been told only few hours before that no
removals in the New York Offices were
soon to be made, or even considered,
and had been requested to withhold pa
pers and suggestions bearing on the sub
ject which had been sent to US for pre-.
sentation should the occasion arise, !un-
til NE had notice from the President of
his readiness to receive them. Hearing
that the Vice President was equally sur
prised, and had been equally misled, We
went to. Mr. James, the Cabinet officer
from our State, and learned that though
he had spent some time with the Presi.
dent on the morning of the. day the nom.
nations were sent in, no disclosure of
any intention to send them had been
made to him, and that he first knew of
the matter by heresay, following the
event. After earnest reflection and con.
sultation, we believed the proceedings
unwise and wrong, whether considered
wholly in relation, to the preservation
and integrity of the public service and the
public example to be set, or in relation
to the integrity of the Republican party.
No public utterance OF comment or cen
sure l6as made by either of US in the
Senate or elsewhere. On the contrary,
we thought the President would recon-
slider the sudden and hasty step, aud
would, at least, adopt less hurtful and
Objectionable modes of requiting per-
sonal or individual service. In this hope
the following paper was prepared and
sigped and presented by Mr.. james to
he.President, who was subsequently in
formed that you had authorized your
name to be added also:
r >lb the Presidsnt:s We beg leave to re.
monstrate against the change in the Col
lectorship Of. New York by the removal
of Mr.. Merritt and the appointment of
Mr.. Robertson. The proposal was wholly
a surprise. We heard of it only when
several nominations involved in the plan
we're announced in the Senate. We had
only two days before this been informed
from you that a change in the customs
Office at New York was not contemplated
and quite ignorant ofa purpose to take
gany action now, we had no opportunity,
until after,the nominations, to make the
suggestions; we present.
We do not believe that the interest of
the public service will be promoted by
removing the present collector and put
ting MI. Robertson in his stead. Our
opinion is quite the reverse, and we be-
lieye no political advantage can be gain
ed for eitherithe Republican party or it's
principles, believing that no individual
has claims or obligations which should be
liquidated in such mode. We earnest
" and respectfully ask that the nomina-
ton of Mr. Robertson be withdrawn.
CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
]. G. PLATT.
THOMAS l.. JAMES.
Roscoe CONKLING.
This paperwas presented to Mr.. James
ON Monday, the 10th da? of March.
KnoHing,the frequency with which every
one of the twenty Presidents of the re-
public, and markedly the present incum'
bent, had withdrawn nominations on less
serious representations, we did not ap-
prehend such suggestions would bo
treated as an intrusion or an evasion OF
the prerogatiye ofthe nominating power.
Immediately the public press, especially
in articles and dispatches, written by
those i6yclosea and constant association
with the President and: with an infuen-
tial member Of the Cabinet, teemed with
violent denunciations of the Senators
from New York for Opposing the ad-
ministration" and "dictating to the Pres
idant." Persons who visited the Execu-
tive Mansion reported the President as
resentful and impatient of hesitation ito
advise and consent" to what he proposed.
We had made, we have made, no assault
upon. anybody. We have at all times re-
fused to answer questions by the repre-
sentatiyes of the press, or to make COM