The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1905-08-05

)O5
the place. The records show that he got
! it without delay
| A letter of recommendation from
James A. Garfield received no attention.
After time Mr.. Garfield wrote another
note, which was not quite 50 polite, and
he got what he was after--a good office
for friend-in exactly three days.
One of the most interesting papers in
the collection is a letter written by one
Perry Moses. who lived in that hotbed
of secession, Charleston, s. G. The cir
cumstances surrounding the writing of
the letter and Mr.. Moses's appointment
to $1,000 Office in the postal service
were somewhat peculiar
Mr.. Moses applied for place just at
the close of the Buchanan administra-
tion. He had prominent backing for the
important place he desired, and Horatio
King, who was then first assistant post
| master general, wrote him personal let
ter suggesting that he send eommuni.
cation to the department on "the State
of the Union" Mr.. King apparently Sc
lected this subject because it happened to
be the first that entered his mind. and
| the letter from Mr.. Moses was desired
merely to show the latter's qualifications
in the line of penmanship, composition
and the like. The following was the re-
suit
Washington, D. c., October 26, 1880.
"Sr:-You asked me this morning for
an expression of my opinion as to the
state of the Union the subject is one of
grave and vast Importance, involving, as
it does, the interests of probably over
thirty million inhabitants.
1T is at this time engrossing the
thoughts of not only every thinking man
| and patriot, but even women and chill
| dren, for the interests of all are indis-
| solubly connected by links of the same
chain. Our political horizon is shrouded
| in gloom and darkness and the ship of
state hangs lowering on the verge of
death; none can say if he will ever wealth
| er the storm or be engulfed in the awful
breakers and we feel the storm, but God
| alone, who rules the whirlwind, can say
| if she will reach harbor of safety or
be shattered into thousand fragments.
| "Section is now unhappily arrayed
against section; the 9Th of November, the
| big day of the destinies of our country
| and our institutions. will decide whether
or not we shall pursue the even tenor of
our way, peaceful and prospecting under
Democratic rule or witness the tri-
umph of party whose policy, it is fear
ed, may be bitterly hostile to the South
and her institutions, an event which from
present appearances we have but too
much reason to expect
| New York is now the palladium of
our safety; may she in her conservative
ness, hurl back the advancing tide of
sectionalism and dispeI the dark clouds
OIL anxiety and trouble which now lower
about us. Should the fates decree it
otherwise, fear the agitation which will
ensue may sever the, bonds that now
unite US as one people.
1The state Of excitement prevailing in
my native State and other sections of the
South, is more intense than I have ever
Witnessed, and perhaps upon the first
news of Lincoln's election will induce
measures that may eventuate dissolution.
Whatever the result of this election, /
trust in God that affairs may so shape
themselves that the people of the South
may find that neither their safety nor
their honor demand such extreme meas
ures. / am very respectfully, your obt.
servt
PERRY MOSES.
Honorable Horatio King.
'First Assistant Postmaster General"
Despite the expressions contained in
the letter Mr.. King Immediately appoint
ed the writer to an excellent place in the
post-office department. An official of
the department read Mr.. Moses's letter
the other day, and then looking up the
record in the case he found that Moses
had been appointed to good place at
liberal salary.
Good Lord he said, how anyone in
authority in those dark days preceding
the Civil War could appoint man to.
d Federal office after he had written a