New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-05
TIE JAN AIEy CORRESPONDENCE


Some rccompcnsc for plumbers and misfori
uncS can usually be found by those who lool;
! for II. In the matter Of Mr. Van Aliens ap-
pontment 10 the Italian mission it Is supplied
! by the correspondence relating 10 his rcSigna-
ton Of the high office which his chief beneficiary
! bestowed upon him. These letters are useful In
several ways They show how dcsplcablc were
the assaults Of Sptcful critics upon Mr. Van
Aliens personal character. They enable right
minded citizens who were mislcd by this vul-
gar defamation 10 revise their opinions and do
justice TO his sensibility and patriotism. They
furnish another and convincing proof Of the
| Presidents colossal vanity and insolcnt con
tempt Of public sentiment. The friends Of Mr..
Van Allen will find in them only one cause for
regret on his account. namely, that. having
been betrayed into a false position, he should
have persisted to the last in expressions Of adj
miration and gratitude toward the only man in
the United States who was unwilling that he
should cxtrcatc himself from that position
Every unsclilsh citizen is glad TO Mr.. Van
Allen indicating his honor in manly, straight
forward manner. Mr. Cleveland, too stubborn
TO confess and repair an error, insisted that
Mr.. Van Allen should continue 10 share his dis
grace
The President has revealed himself in numcr-
Gus uttcranccs. but never before perhaps quite
completely and extensively as when, Diminishing
as either malignant or ignorant the almost uni
vcrsal condemnation by the people Of the Van
Allen appointment, he wrote 10 the appointcc:
1--WE should not yield to the noise and clamor
which have arisen from those conditions" The
people who disturb the Presidents rcpose are
always noisy and camorous. Whoever rcssts
any inclination OF his or ccnsurcs any act Is
either knavc or a fool The highest obliga-
ton Of any citizen who, owing TO the Prcsi-
dent, finds himself in false position is not TO
set himself right before the country, but 10
stick fast, for the personal qualification Of the
pcrycrsc and obstinate cgotist who put him
there That Is Mr.. Clcycands creed. and no
body who refuses TO adopt and practise it can
hope TO enjoy the glory or the soace Of his ap-
probation We venture TO say that Mr.. Van
Allen has fallen greatly in the Presidents csti-
nation since he finally refused to subject him
self longer to public ccnsure.
II Mr.. Van Allen fully comprchcnds this char
actcristic OF the President it is greatly 10 his
credit that he stcadfastly resisted Executive
pressure. And we are inclined TO think that
he does understand Mr.. Cleveland pretty thor
oughy For in his letter to Secretary Grcsh
am after describing the great and costly work
which he saw going on at Democratic National
headquarters last year, and acknowledging his
munIfccnt contribution 10 the cause, he says:
1t was by no means the first time | had as
sisted the party since Mr.. Clcveand's aggrcs-
sivc leadership aroused my admiration, and |
do not hesitate TO say that. IL II shall again
seem to be my duty as citizen DESTROYS of
the best government, II will not be the last"
Now If he had not formed more accurate
estimate Of the President than a good many
others have he would have been likely 10 ac-
cept at their face value Mr.. Clcvcland's solemn
and ponderous utterances on the wlckcdncss Of
huge contributions TO campaign funds, delivered
soon after Mr.. Van Aliens impressive check
had been deposited to the credit Of the Demo
cratic Committee. In that case he would prob
ably have refralned from abiding TO his de-
moralizlng subscription, and be certainly would