Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-04-16

hOcE DrluR0 court LILO ucA1 u"ys oouo o
knocked at my door about midnight. The
gentleman sent an apology for waking me
but said he had business which required
he should see me that night. While l
dressed. nv wife and l discussed what
could be the cause of call at that hour
of the night, and we could think OF MOTH
| ing else but that it was an Important
criminal case in which l was wanted. On
going down. saw gentleman having
letter in his hand. He renewed his apollo
gies for so late disturbance and asked II
was Mr.. Stuart? I was. Was l Mr..
Alexander Stuartp I VAST Then he had
, this letter for me. The letter had moth
| ing governmental in its appearance, being
the size of lady's note in plain enVe-
lope, the only official symptom about it
being the frank I'D. Webster" in the cor
ner. [The following is the letter.
WASHINGTON, 7th Sept, so.
To the Honorable Alexander Fl. H. Stuart,
Stanton, Va
MY DEAR SIR:
| am directed by the President of the United
States to apprise you that it is his wish to
nominate you to the Senate for the office OF
| Secretary of the Department of the Interior.
! He deems it important, however, that no steps
| should be taken on SO important subject
| without first acquainting himself with your
wishes and inclinations To ascertain these
is the object of this letter, which Transmit by
| messenger of the Department of State, with
| directions that if not found at your own resi-
dence, he proceed Immediately to the place
where you are supposed to be, and there to
| receive your answer.
Let me assure you, my dear Sir, that it is
not only the sincere wish of the President,
but also of all of those, whom, on such an &C.
casion. he naturally consults, that you should
not decline this offer. We all desire your eff
cient aid and cooperation in the Executive
, counsels of the government at this important
crisis. The President hopes that you will be
able to repair to your post at an early day, the
earlier the better, as the place has been some
time vacant and competent discharge of its
duties is especially desirable during the pres
ent session of congress. After that, perhaps,
some little interval might be INDUCED without
detriment to the public interest.
| The bearer of this is confidential. If you
| please to signify your acqulescence IN the
Presidents wishes to him. be will telegraph
| this Department on his return as soon as he
reaches a telegraphic station. trust my dear
Sir, that both the messenger andthe wires will
bring us the agreeable intelligence of your
| acceptance.
Very cordially yours,
| DAN'L WEBSTER.
The messenger who bore the letter was
Mr.. Geo. Bartle. He said he wished an
immediate answer. He had come by
stage to Waynesboro, and when the stage
stopped there for supper had left it and
ridden express to Staunton in older to get
my answer and start by the Valley stage
for Winchester 1.-THE nearest telegraph
of1ce) at l O'Clock that night. l told him l
could not give an immediate answer and
he would have to wait till the next day
for it. The tender Of place in the
Cabinet was wholly unexpected to me,
the more SO as Virginia was Democratic
State. and cabinet officer from it la a
Wing administration was improbable, and
further, because | had been out of active
political life for some years. When I had
determined to accept, and arrived in
Washington, found
THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
which had been only recently created, a
very large one, which, before 1 left it
numbered several thousand men in its
employment. When l assumed the posi-
ton of its head l didn't know man in
it. I introduced sort of private civil
service test, to ascertain the capacity OF
the men in my own immediate Office;
| I would make memoranda on various
subjects and give them to the clerks
to prepare papers from, and by the
result finally classified them. And speak
ing Of civil service, may say that in the
whole thousands of positions never made
a change merely on account of politics. =
! The Department included the Bounty
Land Office, Commissioner Of Public
Lands, Commissioner of Pensions. One
the test applied, was young thousand
dollar clerk named Geo. G. Whiting
from Clarke county. He showed such
remarkable aptitude that I continued
promoting him until he reached the posi-
tion of my chief clerk, though nominally
he was a Democrat. Another remark
able advancement was John W ilson
who bad commenced life as car
penter, He became Commissioner of
Public Lands. A position that he re-
signed to take charge, at $4,000 year,
of the land office of the Illinois Central
R. R., which had received large land
grant.
| THE CABINET.
The head of the Cabinet, Mr.. Webster,
the Secretary Of State. was already &C
quainted with. In 1850, 1 with others
argued the great Wheeling Bridge case
before the United States Supreme Court
Reverdy johnson was on the same side
with myself. After the case had been
heard, Mr.. johnson asked If 1 had seen
Mr.. Webster. that he was looking for me.
When we met. Mr.. Webster said: II want
to have party of Southern gentlemen to
dine with me next Thursday, and would
like to see you there. This is not a for.
NAL invitation. but if you stand on for
mality 1 will" he added laughing, "have an
invitation made out in due form of law,
with the seal Of the court annexed. F"
During the dinner he asked with great In.
terest after the Sheffey family, having
served in the House with Daniel Shelley
He told me of