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

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 27.-The following
letter from Attorney General Wayne Mac
Feagh to President Arthur just before his
retirement from the cabinet will appear in
The Times tomorrow:
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. s, 1SS1.-My DEAR
Mr.. PRESIDENT: Your letter has just
reached me, and I will come to see you and
talk over once more the subject of which it
treats in the same spirit OF Cancellation in
which we have heretofore discussed it. I
will tele graph you in advance of my com
ing, which will be just as soon as I can
free myself from engagements here In the
interval l wish you to consider again
the reasons why 1 cannot. share
your opinions upon this sub
iect. As I have already told
you, knew comparatively 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 Investigated, to remove
all persons who ought to have prevented
them, ana see that all persons were prose-
cuted against whom reason4e grounds
for such course were developed by the in
vestiyalion. He said he had explained to
the postmaster general the same news.
and also why he wished him to consult me
rather than tAe district attorney Of the
district. The postmaster general called
upon me ana we went together to the pres
ideut. lie was quite as emphatic
as before in the expression of
his own opinion upon the
subject. H spoke of the frauds as III
paralleled viiiainies, as a loathsome ulcer
on the body polite, needing to be cut out
with al It's roots, no matter where they
extend. He stated that, while it did not
belong 10 ny epartment-certainly not a:
all at that stage of the matter-yet he
wished 10 associate with the postmaster
general TO the extent of having the latter
feel at perfect liberty TO consult at any
time about the matter. He SAID he in
tended 10 remove Gen. Brady as soon as
the postmaster general could find a salts
factory successor. At a subsequent inter-
view, he regretted the delay in that matter,
and urged immediate removal, as he held
him principally responsible for
the great frauds which he
evidently was convinced had been commit
ted. As soon as Gen. Brady's resignation
had been demanded, his newspapers, not
unnaturally. began abusing President Gar
field, the postmaster general. myself, and
everybody IL any way conn ected with the
inyesti cation. On this subject I speak
without the slightest personal warmth, for
thencefortil I ceased reading them, and I
only know what have been told by others
Or read in other newspapers. President
Garfield subsequently, expressed his regret
that he had exposed me to such attacks by
connecting NE with matter not necessa-
rily Il part Of my duty at that stage; but I
told him I regarded it as an honor to be
be abused n his company. I added the
general proposition that in these days the
abuse Of thieves is about the only decora-
ton IL onr public life worth winning, and
is the surest passport to the good opinion
of honest men.
In this spirit and in this companionship
L went on advising with the president and
postmaster general as occasion arose. My
functions were slight and infrequent.
Woodward was special agent of the post
Office department, best acquainted with
these frauds and most jealous in their IL
vestigatior. He not only possessed the
entire confidence of the postmaster gener-
al, but had been commended to me per-
sonaly by Senator Eawley as a man OF
excellent Judgment and not only of I'M
doubted but OF aggressive honesty. When,
therefore, " oodward thought it desirable
that he should have the assistance of Glib
son, and the postmaster general conceded
in that opinion, I went with the latter to
President Garfield and explained the mat
ter to min and received the direction to
employ Gibson. When sub
sequently, woodward and Gibson
agreed in requesting the employment of
Cook. precisely the same course was pur-
sued with the same result. Whenever they
brought me any person supposed to pos
sess knowledge of these frauds, I advised
him 20 tell the truth, and whenever l re-
-ceived letters suggesting sources of infor-
nation l wrote to the parties indicated, ey
pressing the desire of the government to
obtain any knowledge of papers relating
to the subjec5 under their control, and
whatever responses were received, I of
course turned over TO the gentleman charged
with the inquiries which were progressing.
[ also insisted from the first and upon all
proper occasions that there was no posi-
BILE vindication for anybody accused ex-
cept upon an open trial before court and
jury or a frank abandonment Of the cases
by the government, if the evidence did not
i1A ohO oliAio-i VI Tic 1iSSltiout- JUSTLY d
prosecution.
That was my whole connection with the
cases up to the wounding of President
Garfield, except that the day before he was
shot he repeated to me his efforts to have
Riddle appointed district attorney of the
district by President Hayes, and directed
me to see Riddle, offer him the place in
his name, and if he accepted it advise him
by telegraph, aud he would reply, ask
ing me to request Col. Corkhill's resigna-
ton. wrote Riddle, asking to see him,
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. I then told Riddle in one of
the upper rooms of the White house what
had occurred. As you had the best of
reasons for knowing, 1 never expected
President Garfield to recover, and as
did not for a moment entertain the idea of
remaining in the cabinet after his death.
[ supposed such connection rs 1 had had
with the star route cases was ended, and
that any further relation which the depart
ment might have with them would devolve
upon my successor. AS, however, Presi-
dent Garfield continued to live, I continued