The Hawaiian gazette., 1893-12-19
HE WILL NOT ACCEPT.
The $4,000 ambassador De-
cIines the IaIian Mission.

WASHINGTON Dec. 81 j. Van Aler
will not go to Italy as United States
| Ambassador. He respectfully de-
clines to accept the appointment ano
| in spite of the Presidents request thai
he reconsider this determination, be
firmly declines, the correspondent
was made public. Under date OF
Newport. November Goth, Van Allen
writes to Secretary Gresham acknowl-
edging the great honor conferred, and
stating that after serious and careful
reflection he decides not to accept the
appointment.
In the letter Van Allen refers to the
public charge that he received the
appointment in return for $4,000
contribution to the Democratic cam
paign fund. He does not deny having
contributed not $4,000, but consid-
cradle sum of money, but he insists
that it created no obligation whatever
to him and says he feels confident
that President Cleveland, who was
kind enough to say to the Rhode
Island Democrats that his personal
acquaintance would enable him to
consider the appointment on Van
Aliens personal merits, will bear him
out in this statement. Under date of
November 22d the President writes
as follows:
'tHon. J. J. Van Alen-My dear
sir: The Secretary of States has sub
mitted to me your letter Of the 10th
inst, in which you tender your
resignation as ambassador to Italy.
/ hasten to express my earnest wish
that you will reconsider this conclu-
sion. The sentiments contained in
YOUR letter do credit to your con-
science and Americanism, but you
must allow me to dissent from their
application in this case. did
not select you for nomination to the
italian mission without satisfying
myself of your entire fitness for the
place. am now better convinced of
your fitness than ever. You know
and l know that all the malignant
criticism that has been INDUCED in
regarding this appointment has no
justification, and that decent people
who have doubted its propriety have
been misled or have missed the actual
considerations upon which it rests.
We should not yield to the noise and
Glamour which have arisen from
those conditions. My personal pre-
ference should enter very slightly
into your final determination, but so
far as / have such a preference it is
emphatically that you accept the
honorable office conferred upon you
and vindicate by the discharge of its
duties, the wisdom and propriety of
your selection.
Awaiting your early reply, 1 am,
yours sincerely,
GROVER CLEVELAND"
On Nov. 26, Van Allen writes from
Newport, thanking the President for
the very kind and flattering senti-
ments expressed, but stating that for
the reasons already given in the for
mer letter, and after long and serious
consideration, he feels that he cannot
accept the appointment. Van Allen
concludes his letter as follows:
'My only regret in this decision
which / must beg of you to consider
finally, is that il is contrary to the
personal preference which you so
kindly express. But l cannot think
it would be advisable for me to invite
further misrepresentation by taking
advantage of your generosity. Again
thanking you for your most gracious
words, and with earnest hope for the
continuance of the successes which
have already marked your Admins
tration, beg to remain, yours sim
! cerely, J. ]. VAN ALIEN"