The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-05-17

finished, is given as full as it was re-
ceiYed here.-EDs.
WASHINGTON, D. c.,
May 10th, 1881.
Transmitting, as we do, our resig-
nations respectively of the great
trusts with which New York has
honored us, it is fit that we acquaint
you and through your legislature
the people Of the state, with the
reasons which, in our judgment,
make such step respectful and
necessary. Some weeks ago the
President sent to the Senate in a
group, nominations of several per-
sons for public offices already filled.
One of these offices is the collector
ship of the port of New York, now
held by General Merritt; another is
the consul generalShip at London,
now held by General Badeau;
another is charge d affairs to Den
mark, held by Mr.. Cramer; another
is the mission to Switzerland, held
by Mr.. Fish, son of the former dis
tinguiShed secretary of state. Mr..
Fish had, in Difference to ancient
practice, placed his position at the
disposal of the new Administration,
but, like other persons named, he
was ready to remain at his post, if
permitted to do so. All the officers,
save only Mr.. Cramer, are citizens
of New York. 1t was proposed to
displace them all, not for any alleged
faults or for any alleged need, or adj
vantage of public service, but in
order to give the great Office of col
lectOr of the port of New York to
Mr.. William Ii. Robertson as Il re-
ward for certain acts of his, said to
have aided in making the nominal
ton of Gen. Garfield possible. The
chain OF removals thus proposed
was broken by Gen. Badeau'S
promptly declining to accept the
new place to which he was to be
sent. These nominations sum
moned every member of the Senate
to say whether he advised such
transactions. The movement was
more that surprise. We had been
told only few hours before that
no removals in New York officers |
were soon to be made, or even con-
sidered, and had been requested to
withhold the papers and suggestions
bearing on the subject which had
been sent to US for presentation,
should occasion arise, until we had
a notice from the President of his |
readiness to receive them. Learn
ing that the Vice-President was
equally surprised and had been
equally misled, we went to Mr.. |
James, 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 |
were sent in, no dis |
closure of his intention to send them
had been made to him, and that he
first knew of the matter by hearsay |
following the event. After very
earnest reflection and consul
tation, we believed the pro-
ceeding unwise and wrong,
whether considered wholly in rela-
ton to presentation of public SER
vice and public example to be set.
Or in relation also to the integrity of
.he republican party. No public
ltterance of comment or cenSure
was made by either of us, in the
Senate or elsewhere; on the con-
lrary, we thought that the President
would reconsider his action so sud-
len and haSty and would at least
adopt less hurtful and Objectionable
nodes Of requiting personal or in
lividual services. In this hope the
paper was prepared and
igned and presented byMr. James to
he President, who was subsequently
informed that you had authorized
our name to be added also:
70 the President,
We beg leave to demonstrate 5
gainst a change in the collectorship !
t New York by the removal of Mr.. I
Ierritt and appointment of Rob t
rtSOn. The proposal was wholly S
urpriSe. We heard of it only when
everal nominations involved in the [
Ian were announced in the Senate. l
We had only two days before this '
cen informed by you that change q
/ customs officers at New York L
ras not contemplated, and quite b
of the purpose to take any t
ction now, we had no opportunity /!
ntiI after the nominations to make a
le suggestions we now present. 0
Re do not believe that the interests t
public service will be promoted il
Y removing the present collector p
nd putting Mr.. Robertson in his h
cad: our. opinion is quite the re- o