Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-11-29
WASHINGTON.
The Southern Matrimonial Asso-
Citations Still Under Considera-
ton.
Preparations for Obs srving the
Transit of Venus.

Bliss and Attorn y General Brewa
ster, upon the influences surrounds
ing the Star Route trials, and upon
which their removals of Saturday
were based, correspondent of
Philadelphia newspaper called at
tention to the fact that letter from
ex-Attorney-General MacVeagh, up-
on the same subject, had been writ
ten, but never published. I There
has been a considerable demand for
this letter, and to-night7it is given to
the public through the intervention
of the Philadelphia Times, which
will publish it to morrow. It is very
interesting at this particular time,
but very long, and only extracts
from it can be given. It is dated
November 9th, 1881, and is adj
dressed to President Arthur.
After referring to the con-
versation which had gone be-
fore MacVeagh, he proceeds: As I
have already told you, I knew com
paratively nothing about the Star
Route frauds until President Gar~
field called my attention to them.
He spoke very earnestly of his duty
to have them thoroughly invests
gated, to remove all persons who
ought to have prevented them, and
to see that all persons were prosecu-
ted against whom reasonable grounds
for such cause were developed by
investigation. He said he had
explained to the Postmaster General
the same views,and also why he wished
him to consult me rather than the
District Attorney of the District of
Columbia The Postmaster General
called upon me, and we went to>
gether to the President He was
quite as emphatic as before in the
expression of his own opinion upon
the subject. He spoke of the
frauds as unparalleled villainies,
as a loathsome ulcer on the body
polite, needing to be cut out, with
all its roots, no matter where they
He stated that while it
did not belong to my department,
certainly not at all at that stage of
the matter, yet he wished to assos
ciate me with the Postmaster Gen
eral to the extent of having the lat
ter feel at perfect liberty to consult
me at any time about it. He said
he intended to remove General Bra
dy as soon as the Postmaster Gen>
eral could find a satisfactory sue
cessor. At q subquent interview he
regretted the delay IN that
matter, and urged his i'm
mediate removal, as he held
hlm principally responsible for the
great frauds which he evidently was
convinced rad been committed.
After referring to the storm of abu 9
which followed Br dy's removal,
from the newspapers controlled by
him, and giving the principal credit
for the work of pointing out the
vi lains to Inspector Woodward and
A. M. Gibson, MacVeagh says: I
also insisted from the first and upon
all proper occasions, that there was
no possible vindication for anybody
accused, except an open trial before
the court and jury, or frank
abandonment of the cases by the
government, if the evidence did not,
IN the opinion of the President,
justify the prosecution. That was
my whole connection with the cases
up to the wounding of President
Garfield, except that on the day
before he was shot, he repeated to
me his efforts to have Mr.. Riddle
appointed District Attorney of the
District by President Hayes, and
directed me to see Mr.. Riddle, offer
him the place in his name, and if he
acce pied it, to advise him by tele,
graph and he would reply, asking
me 10 request Corkhill's resignation.
/ wrote Mr.. Riddle, asking to see
HIN, but he did not see me
until the night OF the day President
Garfield was wounded, and when we
were expecting him to die very
shortly, then told Mr.. Riddle in
one of the upper rooms of the
White House what had occurred.
After explaining that he anticipated
Garfeld's death, and that conse-
quently his connection with the Cab
met and the Star Route Case would
cease, Messrs. Brewster and Bliss
were selected as sp. cial counsel for
the government, because, for per-
sonal and political reasons these
gentlemen could lot fail but be
agreeable to President Arthur, after
which MacVeagh ceased to be q
member of the Cabinet.
WASHINGTON, November 28. While
the Postmaster General has not yet
formerly declined the privilege Of
using the mail to Southern Matrimo
NAL and Nuptial Associations there
is little doubt that he will ultimate
ly do SO. Assistant Attorney Gen.
eral Freeman, in tranmitting the in
spector's report upon these institu-
tions, takes decided stand in this
direction, but recommends that
further inspections be made before
acting in this matter. This recon-
mendation' has been adopted by the
Postmaster General. Judge Free
man says that the only possible ex-
cuse that can be given for the exist
ence of these companies is that the.
are incorporated unders State char
ters
Lieut.. Col. @. A. Gilmore, of thu
Engineer corps, United States Army
at his own request, On account Q
illness, has been relieved by direc'
ton of the President, of his duties
as a member of the Mississippi Rive
Cimmission, and Lieut.. Col. CyruI
B. Comstock, of the engineer corps
has been designated to be presiden
Of the commission.