The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-03-20
star ROUTE AFFAIRs.
RreWater's Letter Accepting Col. Cool
ReaIgnAtIon.-Why RlIna Il RanEnine

BreWHter's Letter Accepting Col. Cooks
ReaignHtion...Why Bliss Is BanEuIne.
WASHINGTON, March lS.-Colonel Cook,
in resigninS Us counsel OF the star route
cases, says up to the time Of the assassina.
ton he had frequent interviews with Pres.
ident Garfield, and almost daily consulta.
tons with MacVeagh, but it is evident his
relation to the cases now has become
essentially changed; still this was to have
been expected, as he was chosen by The
late administration.
Attorney General Brewster, in accepting
his resignation, says did not think. and
l do not now believe, that the position oI
counsel in these cases has the remotest
connection with any question OF political
administration. They are public cases, not
political cases; they are pro bono putlico.
They were confded to all Of us Us LAWYERS,
not US politicians. Hence have had con-
troll OF them US Attorney General. have
treated them as public cases, and / have
been instructed by the President
to give them my vigilant attention
and to see that they were pros.
ecuted with diligence, and with earnest.
ness to practical result, and these instruc,
tlons have before this as an act OF pub
llc duty, and as Nh act Of personal duly tc
him, made known and had announced.
can not permit the implication you appear
to raise by your reference to your having
been retained by the late administration
pass without objection. You were mol
responsible to any particular administra-
ton as o political responsibility. Nor were
these cases, or are they TO be coniounded
or associated with any idea Of policy sup.
posed to be connected with any admins
traton. They are instituted for the pur-
pose OF justice, and Justice only. They
will be conducted by counsel upon princi,
pies that regulate The administration q
Justice, and not with reference to the
wishes or policies Of any President, nc
matter what his name may be"
Ex-senator Dorsey says he is anxious fol
speedy trial and is confident Of his ability
to dispose OF all evidence that can be pro.
duced, in short order.
Colonel George Bliss says that the cur.
rent talk about prospective miscarriage
OF justice in the Star-route cases is simply
nonsense. 1t grows, he says, entirely out
Of the much ado about nothing" anent
Cooks retirement from the Star.route
cases. 1t is absolutely without foundation
He has the threads OF the prosecution
within his grasp as he never had them be.
fore, and he will soon show the thieves
that he is as much in earnest Us ever
Everybody should understand, he thinks,
that he is devottng most Of his time to
this matter, and that his personal and pro-
Iessional reputation are bound up in it.
II he succeeds be will receive credit pro.
portionate to the blame which will be Wis
tied upon him II he fails. lie does moi
mean to fail. He is glad that men who
would have wrought failure for him had he
followed their advice have left the case. Il
was simply sheer tenaCity Of purpose upon
his part that prevented their switching. the
prosecution or on the discarded Prescott
and Santa Fc case when he proposed lay.
ing before the grand jury the Generals
Dorsey and Brady case, upon which be Sc.
cured indictments. He will exert every Of.
tort to convert indictments" into "convic.
tons" The proposed civil suits are well
in hand.