Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-11-28

formed you of my determination to leave
the cabinet as soon as you could conven-
lentiy appoint my successor, and few
days afterwards made public announce
ment of that determination. After your
return from New York, you kindly asked
me to reconsider it, and l as kindly ex-
planned to you why could not do so. You
| then decided upon my successor, and upon
your assurance that he would be nominated
to the senate not later than Wednesday,
Oct. 26, I left Washington Tuesday after
noon, Oct. 25, having made my adieus, and
leaving the solicitor general, with your ap
proval, in charge of the department.
On Thursday last at the depot you ex-
planned to me why yon had not been able
to do as you expected, and why you decid-
ed to leave the solicitor general in charge
until the meeting of congress. I really
think, therefore, the first thing in order is
the acceptance of my resignation, and as
Stunning that to have been done, 1 will re-
state why 1 was convinced it was desirable
on public grounds alone. If the star route
cases are tried, they must be principally
tried in the District of Columbia and ju-
rors must be selected from its residents.
Now, in that District am assured that
twice each week day and once each Sun
day,a newspaper is published and circulat-
ed among the people from whom the
jurors are to be selected, filled with abuse
of everybody connected, during PRECEDENT
Garfeld's lifetime, with the Investigations
that is said to have gone constantly as to
President Garfield up to the day he was
shot, and as to all the rest of US ever since.
and the influence of such study outpoured
upon the community of jurors is sure to be
very great. It is true that the New York
Times, in this case as in the Tweed case,
has printed very many of the records, and
with the aid of the press generally, has
doubtless carried conviction to the general
public, but among the public of the Dis
trict of Columbia, the papers
controlled by Brady and edited by
Gorham and others circulate. l have no
doubt, greatly in excess of newspapers
published elsewhere. Now, while these
newspaper have been abusing me they
have been as steady in praising you, and
to such an extent that they are sometimes
fooiishly mistaken for and called your Or
gans. Then, too, you will have perceived
that, both before and since left Washing
ton, all kinds of falsehoods concerning
our relations have been published, purport-
ing to be semi-oticial, and if not inspired,
at least not discouraged. Of course know
how absolutely untrue all this is, but it
serves the purpose of leading the people of
the District to suppose you are very hostile
to me, and it is useless
to close our eyes to the
fact that Gorhams relations with some of
your most influential friends give these
| pretentions very considerable weight with
unrefiecting people. 1 do not mention
these tactics of the accused parties to
| make any complaint of them. Quite likely
they were to be expected in such circum-
stances as have surrounded these cases.
Indeed, l foresaw to some extent that such
! methods would be employed and success
fully, and have, therefore, always be-
lieyed, and never so firmly as to-day, that
my remaining in Office after President
Garfield died or assuming any special re-
sponsibility for these cases in any shape,
would be construed in the district itself
as notice that you were not in
sympathy with the prosecutions, and
that you intended President
Gartield's administration and
not yours should be responsible for the
further conduct of them. If I had needed
any additional evidence that 1 was right in
this conclusion I would have found it in
the friendly means of the accused parties
themselves that / should continue respon-
sible, and their loud prophesies that you
would not accept my resignation unless l
agreed to such responsibility. They
know as we'll as you and I know that the
gentlemen now in charge of the cases are
all that can be either usefully or bene-
ficialiy employed in them, and that they
will do all which can be done
to bring them to successful
conclusion, but they desire to point to my
supervision of them as proof that they are
controlled by influences to which you are
hostile. In the District of Columbia that
consideration would certainly be very
powerful. and might be fatal.
have written you long letter, but it is
because [ recognize the gravity of the sub
ject, and because wish you to look into
my mind upon it as through an open win
dow. In this matter, as in all others, how
ever much desire to oblige you, must
stand upon my own convictions of duty,
because l believe it would be
wrong. If, however, there is any
other way open in which 1 can
serve you, I will gladly do it If you want
to satisfy yourself Of the utter and shame
y
sonal examination of the records. will
cheerfully come to Washington and assist
the postmaster general i'll laying them be-
fore you. dozen typical cases can be
fully examined in few hours. If, then.
you can consistently give public expression
to the conviction that the government has
been shamefully robbed, and that the men
engaged in trying to bring the wrong doors
to justice have your hearty approval, you
will, in my opinion, do far more towards
securing just result than is possible in
any other way. Meanwhile, whatever
service can render, which is calculated, in
| my Judgment, to help, and not hinder, the
good cause, will gladly render, without
| stint and without reward. I will consult
and advise to the best of my ability, with
you or with my successor, or the gentle
men in charge of the cases, or anybody
whom you may suggest. for in that way, if
l am of little use, I will at least be sure l
am not doing harm.
And now 1 have given you once more my
deliberate opinions upon this whole mat
ter, ana a full statement of my connection
with it. Sincerely yours,
TCippod1 w., Ar