The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-10

nenJ Mchlnley JOlO me was MS dtJItuue !"
the matter, and Mr.. CoTtelyou, who was
then his private secretary, writes me as
follows:
M'KINLEY MIsREPREsENTED ~
OFFICE OF THE POsTMAsTER-GENERAL.
WASHINGTON, ID. C.. Dec, l. 1909.
My DEAR Mr.. PRESIDENT: In the PAM
phlet Letter of Bellamy Storer 10 the Presi-
dent and LENDERS OF his Cabinet. November.
1906" are several statements referring to
the late President Mckinley. among them
the following; President Mckinley heartily
furthered the efforts made by Mr.. Roose-
welt. myself and others to promote the APP
polntment Of Archbishop Ireland las CARDINAL.
and in the spring of 1899 he commissioned
Bishop O'Gorman to say TO the Pope that
that appointment would be considered a
personal favor to him.. the President, as well
as an honor to the country. And this the
Bishop did, speaking in the Presidents name,
in a personal audience with the Pope"
This statement of MIR. Storer distorts what
was evidently an expression of deep personal
regard and respect for an individual into
what is in substance a request for his ad-
vancement of an ecclesiastical organization.
Vhe late President never made such a request.
never -furthered the efforts" Of any one
TO bring about such an appointment, nor
would he permit any official Of his admins
tration to do 30. He was scrupulously
particularlin this regard and he made no COM
promise with his convictions on the subject.
Speaking from personal knowledge OF
President McKinley's attitude concerning
Archbishop Ireland, I wish TO say that he
had the highest regard for the Archbishop
and believed that while devoted to his church
he was in full sympathy with American ideals
and that because of this be was able to render
immeasurable service both 70 his church and
to his country. But II Bishop O'Gorman
made any such lions as that alluded
- 49, q CRA.a- - AtI 80 - IL m - N hanltNA
miss pprehension. have repeatedly heard
President Mckinley state that in all such
matters he could not divorce himself from his
position as President and that he would
not under any circumstances interfere with
or attempt to influence the action Of any re-
Iigious organization here or abroad looking
to the p%referment Of any Of its members.
In following this course he was true TO
fundamental principles Of the American
Government. as you have been.
WHAT / have said regarding the particular
quotation above referred TO applies to any
other similar reference TO the late President
in this pamphlet. Very sincerely yours.
GEORGE b. CoETELYoU.
NO AUTHORIZATION PROM ROOSEVELT.
As forM Mr.. Storer's assertion that | author
lied him TO make such a statement "a he
says he was authorized to make TO the
Pope, IL is untrue. | gave him no such
authorization. Mr.. Storer proceeds to say
that he at once wrote me a letter giving a
full account of his visit 10 the Vatican and
of the message he personally gave the
Pope. A careful search Of the files in my
office fails to show any such letter from
him; and neither | nor my secretary, Mr..
Loeb, who receives and all my
correspondence, have any remembrance
of ever receiving such a letter. and had II
been received we could not fail to remem-
Der il.
never received from him any letter
giving any such account of his visit 10 the
Vatican and his conversation with the Pope
as he now says he sent me-, and this Is evil
dent from the letters which he gives as writ
ten by me to him on December 81 and De-
cember &c. i'm which. as you will see, Ispecif-
cally state that ] did not know whether or
not he had pVfrN "a He'd at the Vatican, and
that he mIa,~ merely have seen some
Cardinal prf-s ,ely"-a statement wholly
incompatible with my having received
such a letter as that which he says he sent.
In his answer to this letter he never tray
ersed or in any way alluded to this state
ment of mine, which he could hardly have
failed to do had he already written me such
a letter as he now describes.
On December 10 | had written him anent
a verbal request made to me by an ecClesi-
astioal friend that | should write a letter for
Archbishop Ireland:
Il told him, of course, that | did not in
~terfere in such a matter, as it was none of
my business who was made Cardinal, that
personally | had a very strong friendship
and admiration for the Archbishop and that
individually it would please me greatly to
see him made Cardinal, just as IL pleased me
when Dr.. Satterlee was made Bishop OF Wash
ington: but that I could no more interfere in
one case than in the other-In short. that my
feeling for the Archbishop was due TO my
respect for him "a n useful and honorable
man-just such a feeling IA I have had for
Phillips Brooks and for many other clergy
men of various denominations; but that |
could not as President in any way try 10 help
any clergyman of any denomination TO high
rank in that denomination"
NEVER GOT THE sToRER LETTER
I say that I never received such a letter
"a that which Mr.. Storer alleges he wrote
me. / may add that / am by no means
certain he ever sent me such a letter, my
doubt being due TO the facts ! am about to
set forth, which show that when he now
attempts to escribe the letters he sent
me Mr.. Storer's memory becomes mar
vellously treacherous
On pages % to Is Of his pamphlet Mr..
Storer writes a. follows the having first
stated that from my letters he gathered
that | had resolved TO repudiate all author
ity for his action and to appear ignorant
Shortly after writing this I received
another letter from the President. | quote
the portions referring to this matter:
Let me repeat TO you that in reference 70
matters affecting the Catholic Church events
have absolutely and conclusively shown
that while you are Ambassador you must
keep absolutely clear Of any deed or word
in Rome or elsewhere which would seem 10
diferentiate your position from that OF other
Ambassadors. The mere fact of a Cthel
report in the newspapers about calling at
the Vatican (hasl had u very unfortunate
effect. | dare say you did not call. You
may merely have seen some Cardinal pri-
vately, but the unpleasant talk over the
affair emphasizes the need Of extreme cir
oumspectlon while yoa are in your present
position. While I am President and you
are Ambassador neither Of us in his public
relationts) Ia TO act as Catholic or Protestant.
Jew or Gentle. and We have TO be careful
not merely TO do what Is right. but to SO carry
ourselves az TO show that we are doing what
IL right. I shall ask you not TO quote me to
any person in any shape or way in connec-
ton with any AFFAIR of the Catholic Church,
and yourself not 10 take action Of any kind
which will give ground for the belief that you
as an American Ambassador are striving
to interfere in the affairs of the Church.
This letter with its virtual assertion
that my visit to the Vatican was not only