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

a statement in view OF the TACT tnat the letter
YOU quote derives its entire Importance from
the accompanying letter, which you we're
asked to read and hand to Mrs. Storer. in
which Mrs. Storer was informed that unless
she took certain definite action your connec-
ION with the diplomatic service would haV
10 he severed. II Is, Of course, unnecessary
to discuss, aud II ought to be unnecessary
even TO allude to. any proposition so absurd
as that this severence OF YOU from the service
would be asked for, not by the President as
President nut in his private capacity.
10 President was anxious to treat both
you and Mrs. Storer with the utmost gentle
ness and consideration. and II seemed to him
that his end could he achieved in the way
easiest for you by following the course which
he actually did follow. The letter to Mrs.
Storer. Of course. became part OF the matter
of which YOU were required 10 take coCnl-
zance. In IL Mrs. Storer was asked to fulfl
certain conditions. failure 70 FUN which
would require. she was informed, your sever
ance from the service, which conditions she
never fulfilled. You were requested to read
this letter and hand il to her. II Is dlni"uIt
to stigmatize merely IA folly the proposition
that under these conditions the Presidents
letter required no answer.
l have the honor 10 be, sir. your ooedlent
servant.
ROBERT BACON. Acting Secretary.
II il never pleasant TO have to discuss
DtTStTldl dtdllb vi W NV vi
personal correspondence. which is one
reason why il is held to be a peculiarly
ungentlemanly thing to publish private
correspondence. But as Mr.. Storer IN ms
extraordinary pamphlet prints various
letters written by himself, by me- and Mrs.
Storer, | snail set forth briefly the facts OF
the case giving certain letters winch are
necessary in order to understand clearly
those which he prints.
HIS A~CorAINrANCE WITH THE sToRERs.
| first met the StorerS while ! was Civil
Service Commissioner and he had come 70
Washington as a Congressman. They were
then kind and friendly in their relations
with me and my family. | retained a Lively
recollection of this kind and friendly at
titude, and because of the affection II IN
'spired | submitted to conduct from Mr..
and Mrs. StOrer to which | would nave sun
mitted from no other Ambassador and his
wife, and | did not resent their actions
until it became evident that they were
likely TO damage American interests. Mrs.
Storar insisted to me often that their change
y of creed had proved "A deadly blow 10 her
husbands career, and that they were SUI,
fering for conscience sake l accepted
this statement as true ami II gave me a GER
tain chivalric feeling that | ought TO do
what | could to help them and be as patient
as possible with them,
nde President Mckinley Mr.. Storer
was made Minister first to Belgium and
then to Spain. About the time of my ac-
ceesion to the Vice Presidency | wrote at
President Mckinley's request TO Mr.. or
Mrs. Storer that the President desired me
TO saw that Mr.. StOrer was ultimately to
be made an Ambassador. Mr.. and Mrs.
Storer were greatly Interested in securing
the promotion of Archbishop Ireland TO
be a Cardinal. l had, and have, a sincere
respect and admiration for Arch9lshoP
Ireland, a respect and admiration which |
have often publicly expressed. The letters
from me to Mr.. and Mrs. Storer quoted in
Mr.. StOrer's pamphlet give witt precision
my views both upon Archbishop Ireland
and upon the possibility or propriety OF
my taking in his behalf the steps which the
Storers asked, and | can add nothing to
what these letters themselves show.
HIS FIRST MOVE TO HELP IRELAND.
When they first wrote to me on the sub
iect l was Governor of New York. Not be-
ing President myself. and not having
thought out with clearness the exact situ-
alton, | asked President Nick inley whether
he could properly do anything to help
Archbishop Ireland. He responded that
IL was not a matter with which we could
with property interfere, although he ex-
pressed himself as having the same high
opinion of the Archbishop that l rad |
had a further conversation with the Presi-
dent on the subject either Just before or
lust after INV election as Vice-President
in which he stated what he felt was the
proper position, a position with which l ao-
solutely agreed.
to Mrs. Storer of November %, 1900, quoted
by Mr.. Storer in his pamphlet, | stated
with absolute clearness my position and
why il was out Of the question for the Presi-
dent TO try to get any Archbishop, made
Cardinal; and all the letters quoted by Mr..
Storer as having been subsequently written
by mo to him or TO his wife take precisely
the same position.
explained repeatedly that my friend
ship and admiration for Archbishop Ireland
(which Is like my friendship and admira-
ton for Bishop Lawrence OF the Episcopal
Church and Bishop Cranston of the Metho-
dist Church, like my friendship and adj
miration for many clergyInen of many
denomination -Baptists. Lutherans, Con-
gregationalists, Presbyterians and othersl,
would make me pleased to see any good
fortune attend him.. or any churchInan
like him, of any creed; but that | could not
interfere for his promotion, or indeed in
any wav in the ecclesiastical affairs Of any
church. This was also the position l took
in all private conversation, and the asser-
ton that in any private conversation l
took an opposite position from that which
was thu repeatedly expressing in writ
ing il not only an untruth, but an absurd
untruth; for l. would, OF course, not say
privately to any one the opposite OF what
was repeatedly writing to that same
person.
ACTIONS SIMPLY DISHONORABLE.
Mr.. Storer asserts that he and Mrs.
Storer and various other people, after
conversations with =, pun down memo
randG as TO what u r~etneinbeTeu 1 nae
said II such action was taken IL was OF
course SIM ly dishonoTahle. No one OF
them ever showed me or would have ven
tured to show me any such memoranda
and it is nonsense TO expect to bind me by
a memorandum the existence OF which
was concealed from me. The Storers were
my guests at the time when, as they assert
thew made these memoranda OF private
conversation with me. As a matter OF fact
the statements they allege me to nave tC
made were not made, save in so far as what
thew allege me to have said agrees witt
what, | cfore and after, / wrote to them
In IN : connection l call your attention &c
the following statement issued from tbs
White House on November 0, 1906, clever
DAYS before the Storer pamphlet was re
oefved by me or that had any knowledge
whatever Of IL:
DANGER IN QUOTING THE PRESIDENT.
For many years It has been the invariabl'
practice never to attempt to quote a privat'
conversation with the President. II has beei
found that as a matter of fact the man wh1
quotes such a conversation usually mispuote
II, whether consciously or unconsciously; ant
such an alleged conversation is under M