The Washington times., 1906-12-10

England or France. l received many
letters Of the general tenor of tEcs
mentioned, enumeratlng their haTdships
aud services and enemies. As Mr..
Storer in his pamphlet quotes "a letter
or November "A from me, marked per
sOual, in which / told his wife thai he
should be made special ambassador Al
the marriage Of the King OF Spain, al
leEing that this was a fresh mark of my
approval Of mis- conduct, / may mention
that the letter containing this state
ment on my part was ia answer u one
from Mrs. StOTcr IN which she begged
Tor the appointment of her husband, her
letter running in part as follows: Please.
please send as 10 Madrid as special en-
VOys 10 the wedding 1t would be very
appropriate. and ! would love it, 1t
10 criticise Mr.. StOrer's effort 20 twist
The meaning OF my granting such re-
quest cOucheu ia 81 ch a style.
IhFre remains Tor me 70 discuss but
one matter. and Jhal IS Mr.. St0rers as
seFtlOu IN ms pamphlet thaL although ln
my letters ] persIsteutly refused 70 ask
the Pope 10 promote Archbishop Ire
land 70 De a cardinal l nevertheless
gave MIN a verbal message commission
ing him TO make the request. ou my be-
half, Of the Pope. Mr.. Storer also as
seTts that President Mckinley took a
similar course. commissioning a gentle
man whom he names 20 ask the ap-
pOintment OF Archbishop ireland as
cardinal as a personal favor 90 him,
the President and as 'an honor T. the
country. This Is the direct contrary
OF what President Mckinley told me was
his attitude Ia the matter. and Mr..
COTtelyOu. who WAS then his private
secretary. wrote me as follows,
office of the Postmaster General.
" Washington. d G.. Dec. J. 1898
My Dear Mr. President. In Tie
pamphlet. Letter OF BeIlamy Storer 20
the President and the members OF the
Cabinet, November 1906 are several
statements referring 10 the late PresI-
dent Mckinley, among them the follow
president Mckinley heartily fur
theTed the efforts made by Mr. ROose-
welt myself and others, TO promote the
appointment Of Archbishop ireland ,as
cardiuaD and IN the spring of 1888 he
commissioned Bishop q. German 10 say
20 the Pope that appointment would be
considered a personal favor Io him. the
President, as wei as an honor 10 the
country And this the bishop did,
speaking IN the Presidents name. In
personal audience with the Pope.
q" This statement OF Mr. StoTer disJorts
what was evidently an expression of
deep personal regard and respect for an
individual into what IS In substance a
request for his advancement as q mem
Der OF an ecclesiastical organization.
The late President never made such
request, never "furthcred the Efforts Of
anyone TO bring about such an appoint
ment nor would he permit any official
scTupulOusly particular in this regard
and he made no compromise with his
on the subject.
" Speaking from personal knowledge Of
President Mcklnleys s attitude concern
ing Archbishop Ireland / wish To say
that he had the highest regard for the
archbishop and believed that while de-
voted to his church ne was i'm full SYM
pathy with American ideals. and that be-
cause of this he was able TO render i'm
measurable service, both To his church
and TO his country. But If Bishop o Cor
man made any such representation as
that alluded TO by MI SJOTer he did
so under an absolute misa ppTeheusiou.
! have repeatedly heard President Nc
Kinley state that in all such matters he
could not divorce himself from his posi-
ton as President and that he would
not under any circumstances interfere
with or attempt TO influence the action
OF any religious Organization here or
abroad looking to the prefemeut OF
any of its members.
- In following this course he was true
to fundamental principles of the AmeFi-
can Government, as You have been.
" What / have said regarding the par
ticJllar quotation above referred to ap-
plies to any other similar reference TO
the late President in this pamphlet
Very sincerely yours.
GEORGE b. CORTELYOU.'