Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-01-07
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
The True Cause of the Late MIR.
Akerman's Resignation from Gem
eral Grants CabInet-FOster and
Garfield.

WASHINGTON, January S.-Since the death of
Hon. A. T. Akerman, of Georgia, number Of
reasons have been given in the public prints in
explanation Of his retirement from Grant g
Cabinet None of them are correct, nor APP
proach accuracy in the slightest degree The
true reason of his resignation can be given
shortly, and it is illustrative Of the character
OF the man. Akerman was a good lawyer
and when he made legal decision it was
always correct. He was Attorney General.
Delano, one of Grants pets, was Secretary of
the Interior. The Interior Department has
general jurisdiction of the governments in
terest in railroads. Delano was a jot ber-a
trickster-always ready with open hand to
receive money from anybody who had bust
ness before the department over which Grant
had placed him. He, of course, became
the tool of Jay Gould and the
Pacific railroads. Everything they want
ed they could have The law making
the land grants to these roads provided for a
sinking fund to insure the government against
loss on the interest of their bonds for which it
was responsible. There was a flaw in the bill,
no doubt adroitly manipulated by the jobbers
who thrived SO under q Republican majority
ia both houses. Delano. acting upon this
roads, decided that the requirements in regard
to the sinking fund could not be carried out.
Such a question as that had, however to be
carried to the Attorney General of the United
have been had. Delano and Grant both thought
that, knowing their wishes in the matter, Aker-
man would support the position taken by the
former But he did not. He went into an in
vestigation Of the subject, and made decision
that there was no reason why the Pacific rail-
roads should not be compelled to fulfill the
law. He explained away the flaw that Delano
hung upon, and said that the roads should be
held TO an important observance of its provis-
IONS Delano and Grant tried to change Aker-
mans decision before it was publicly an
nounced. He would not hear OF it. They then
tried to suppress the opinion, but Akerman,
after calm reflection, wrote out full abstract
of the decision and gave it to the press Jay
Gould AID the railroad cormorants came
Grant and Delano-most pliable ma.
terial-and demanded that something should
be DONE Delano, especially, was ective in
trying to get Mr.. Akerman out of the Cabinet
That gentleman, of course, could see how the
land lay. He promptly wrote out his resgna-
ton, and it was as promptly accepted. The
Pacific railroads went on evadiDg the law un-
til Senator Thurman framed his bill and Sc
cured its passage, requiring them to fulfill
their contracts with the government This bill,
the constitutionality of which he's been con-
lrmed by the Supreme Court, enacted exactly
what Mr. Akerman, as Attorney General had
correct statement as to why Mr Akerman left
the Cabinet that has been made.
In his connection let me state rather curl
Gus fact. Akerman, as an Attorney General,
was not popular in society at Washington.
He was a plain man in taste, AMI never
put on any style. He gave no
receptions, attended no swell affairs aud
lived the life of q sober old bachelor; his wife
and family were here only two of the months
that he was Attorney General. He courted no
body's favor, but simply attended to the duties
OF his office. Now. this is all right among the
people of the country, but it by no means suit
ed the swell mob. They denounced him. The
women of the swell mob talked with Mrs Grant
and the ladies of the Cabinet" against him.
One of Al1erman's chief failings in the eyes Of
the fashionable world was his carriage. 1t was
an old-fs shioned affair, but substantial. The
two horses looked as if they we're just from the
pillow, and the driver was a plantation Georgia
negro, and, horror upon horror, he wore no
livery, nor was there any footman attached to
the equipage In short. Mr. Akerman's life
here was about the same as he would have pur-
sued at his home in Georgia, and he didn't
care a cent for what anybody said about
him. The curious fact that I wanted to
mention was that while Akermans un-
fashionable life and common eouipage
were an eye sore to Washington society, his
successor Williams was ruined by his extrava-
gance and ''style," and wrecked in an elabo-
rate vehicle for which the government paid,
and for which he is known the breadth Of the
land as "Landaulet" Williams