Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-05-19
SENATOR RLACkRURN's POsITIO,
An Authorized Version OF His Rela.
tions with the President.

"Senator, have you anything 20 say In regard
to the publication relating to yourself and your
alleged Interview with the President i'm the
Past of to-day" asked "A STAR reporter to-day OF
Senator Blackburn.
mo. except this" he replied. at never allow
myself 30 be inveigled into appearance I'm the
public print, no matter what newspaper may
see ut to say OF me ar however IL may
misrepresent me. The only annoyance that
experience comes nom the frequent deuials,
corrections or explanations that am sometimes
forced ~ make IN friends who Inquire. rs -
the article i'm this mornings Post can only say
mat If Il Is true. then the article published In
lsst sunday $ issue ot that paper must OF neces-
silly be false. The one describes the interview
as marked by courtesy and AVAILABILITY on
exhibition of bad temper upon my part. The
FoS on sunday declared that the interview
mea oeen aitogether civil and good tempered
upon both his part and lhlne. These two YER
sions, IL would tax the ingenuity OF an average
newspaper man To reconcile. do not see that
the interview between the President and
myself was OF any concern Ia the public
ana Know no way in which any version re-
port OF IL could have been secured nv the press,
Unless obtained from the White House or fron
me. do know that II never was secured from
me, SO that 1 am forced To conclude
either that IL given from the
Executive mansion ar was manufactured
10y some imaginative genIus OF the Post rcporto-
rial corps. IT'S not Tor me Ia hold much less
10 express an opinion as 10 which OF thtAe
methods has been employed As Ia the article
I'm the Post of this morning will simply say.
bodied a little OF truth and aS much OF falsity.
IL contains seven distinct statements when am
alyzed There il not "A semblance of foundation
In lsct Tor either one of six and the slightest
shadow OF an excuse exists for the only
rI remain. one: A perfectly civil aud
ton 10 the secretary of State. conched
in as respectful and friendly terms as I
could draft IL, covering a letter which asked 10
withdraw a certain application from the files OF
that department made by a mutual friend of
the Secretary and myself constitutes the only
SflNh l.a
Poa's statement that 1 had withdrawn every
recommendation that may have made. IhaVe
never experienced that sense of Indignation with
which am accredited with having gone 10 tho
White House on Friday last, nor any anprecia-
tive sense OF that disadvantage at which L
found myself placed. because of the difference
between the President and myself In the mat
ter of amiability. The language put In brackets
to the nomination OF Gen. Robinson. was
never uttered. nor was the nomination OF that
gentleman discussed 10y either the President or
myself. Nor have ever heard until this morn
Ing i'm the Post, OF my determination not 10 set
foot i'm Washington again until next winter. In
you call my attention does great credit 20 the
imagination OF the man who invented
It It's tissue OF misstatements
made in the face OF my persistent and oft
repeated declination to have any interview
conference with the representatives OF the Post
upon this subject. care nothing for it, but am
glad to avail myself Of the courtesy you offer
me TO make through the columns OF THE
STAR this reply. which trust viii serve the
purpose OF answer to those who may desire the
facts. have no quarrel with the President
with the administration. L trust and believe
that IL has no better friend nor supporter than
L I'm all that IL may do propose
that Is right. / have honestly endeavored
throughout this matter to do the thing
which is both hardest and wisest for any man
To do, namely, to keep silent / natter myself
that have succeeded. and that my only failure
I'm this regard is attributable to gratuitous ut.
terances put into my mouth by those who
could not possibly know anything of the facts.
There was witness to the interview
between the President and myself; there could
be no authorized version Of IL given save by hirp
or me. have given none; am not willing To
believe that he has"