Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-05-07
THE CONSUL TO AUSTRALIA.

No official act of President Cleveland has
received as much criticism and comment as
his appointment of Mr.. James NJ. Morgan
consul to Australia. Mr.. Morgan was cred
tied to South Carolina, and naturally enough,
theSouth Carolina press-or at least consid-
erabe number of the papers that had never
before heard the name-instituted inquiries
concerning him, when it was ascertained
that he is a native of Louisiana, but lived in
this State for while several years ago.
While this discussion was going on at
home the metropolitan press of the North
and West were discussing the appointment,
the Democratic papers and others friendly
to the administration protesting great sur
prise that the President should have con-
ferred an appointment upon one who, 1t
was alleged, had been an active worker for
Blaine during the Presidential canvass,
and had even written and published pam
phlet advocating the election of Blaine.
The Republican press was no less indignant
at the appointment of an Confederate
one who had served in the Confederate ma
vy-as proper person to protect American
shipping and commerce abroad. In an
swer to the first charge it was claimed by
Mr.. Morgan's friends that he had always
been a Democrat, and in the last Presiden-
tial canvass supported Cleveland. In re-
ply to this the New York Post says:
An explanatory statement, semi-official
in character, has been put forth in reply to
paragraph of ours on the political action
of Mr.. James NJ. Morgan in the Presiden-
tial campaign. 1t is affirmed that "Mr.
Morgan has always been Democrat and
was supporter of Cleveland" Our reply
is that Mr.. Morgan spent most of the cam
paign season in New York city, and that
he was, while here, openly and notoriously
a Blaine partisan, and an earnest believer
in the success of the Republican ticket.
Our conclusion upon the whole matter is
that Mr.. James NJ. Morgan is soldier of
fortune of Democratic prepossessions, but
without fixed principles: that he became
convinced that Mr. Blaine would be elected,
and hastened to put himself on that side
of the fence; that after Mr.. Cleveland's elec-
ton was ascertained he had recourse to
a large family connection in the South who
were glad to cooperate in any plan for bill
letting him on the government and who
naturally chose the utmost parts of the
earth for his official dOmicie.
In addition to this the Washington cor
respondent of the New York World discuss
es the pamphlet alleged to have been writ
ten by Morgan. While Mr.. Morgan did not
deny having made some complimentary
allusions to Mr.. Blaine in pamphlet which
he wrote in interest of a railroad project
in Mexico, he claimed that it was non par
tisan in character and was written before
the nomination of Blaine. But this the
World correspondent disproves by making
the following quotation from the pamphlet
in question:
"Mr. Blaine has as exalted ideas of the
honor and sanctity of American citizenship
abroad as ever was entertained of the hon
or and sanctity of the British name by Pal
merston or Beaconsfield. Put Mr.. Blaine
into the executive chair, and ten to one,
Mexico will no longer violate the hospitality
and law of nations in the persons of inoffen
sive Americans. In the days Of President
Blaine will be peace, but peace with honor"
Capt. f. w. Dawson, editor of the Ne'cs
dpd C0rier, and a member of the National
Democratic Executive Committee, vouches
for the pure Democratic principles of the
appointee, and says he recommended him
to the President for appointment and does
not desire to share the responsibility of
/
This, so far as it concerns Capt. Dawson, is
a frank acknowledgment of his connection
with the matter; and as Mr.. Morgan has
evidently satisfied the President and Mr..
Bayard of his orthodox Democracy, he
having received his commission and sailed
for Melbourne, the people of the United
States can only hope that he will prove a
creditable representative of the Govern
ment Under all the circumstances, how
ever, we do not think he should be credited
| to South Carolina, when it seems clear that
he is native of Louisiana, and never was
permanent citizen of this State.
Thomas Hamilton, colored, declined the
appointment of mail agent between Charles
ton and Jacksonville, and Mr.: +. W. Leman,
of Charleston, has been appointed to fill the
1.oranp\-