Evening journal., 1913-03-21
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Southern Democrat Who
Went to England to Neg
Otiate Federal Bonds


Il was in hopes that at some time
during my service as a representative
in Congress ! should be able to meet
Robert J. Walker, for there were
many things that I would have been
glad to talk with him about But in
this hope was disappointed. Mr..
Walker died at Washington just be-
fore | took my seat in Congress, in
1853"
So said the late Noah Davis to me
one afternoon In 1896. Judge Davis
was elected a member of Congress
from one of the New York State dis
tricts in 1868 He was beaten in a
Republican caucus TO nominate a
United States Senator in 1864 by RIOS
coe Conkling by a narrow majority Of
two votes. He was elected a Justice
OF the Supreme Court of New York
some years after his term in Congress
expired. He was the judge who tried
william M. Tweed upon charges Of
transportation of public money
and he sentenced Tweed. after con-
viction, to II years In the peniten-
tiary.
"One of the reasons why was
anxious 10 meet Robert J. Walker and
talk with him was due TO his ap-
pointment by Lincoln's secretary Of
the treasury, Salmon ?. Chase, as an
agent of the United States represent
Ing the treasury department i'm Len
don, authorized to negotiate in the
London market an issue Of some two
hundred million hve-twenty United
States bonds
When ! learned of that appoint
ment. In 1868, ! thought it was pc
culiar one for Secretary Chase TO
make. Robert j. Walker had an OK
traordinarily brilliant career while
stu a young man. He was, believe
a native of Pennsylvania and was ad-
mitted to practice law when Just OF
age. lie opened an Office at Pitts
Durgh. but It is my recollection that
within two or three years he remov
ed to Natchez, Miss. He gained a sue
cess in that State which would be-
compared only with that secured by
another northern man. Sargent s.
Prentiss, who was born In Maine.
Il remember very we'll as a youna
man reading of the election of Robert
J. Walker as United States Senator
from Mississippi and of hearing that
he was only a little past 30 years OF
age when elected. remeber after.
ward to have read with great inter
est articles from Washington which
stated that Senator Walker from
Mississippi had offered a resolution
for the recognition of the independ-
ence of Texas. This resolution was
adopted,
after Mr. Polk became President.
Robert y Walkers name was famil-
lar to every American for Walker had
himself prepared tariff law which,
with the exception of two or three
slight amendmants. was adopted.
That was the widely-known and TO
this day well-remembered Walker tar
i'll, so called.
Walker was secretary of the treas
ury In President Folks administers
ton. but for some years after he re-
tired from that office his name was
not SO prominently before the public.
In 1863 IL became known to a COM
paraiively few public men that Score
tary Chase had sent Walker to Eng
land to negotiate a Federal loan and
10 prevent, If possible. the floating of
a Confederate loan in the London
market
Some months later there came an.
nouncement that Mr. Walker had sue
ceeded In negotiating the Federal loan
and had in some way known best to
himself prevented the floating of
Confederate loan
1T always seemed to me that this
was very strange Here was man
who was considered as one of the
many very brilliant men of the
South who I'm public life was a Demo.
crat from conviction. He was a warm
friend of Andrew jackson and of Mar
tin Van Buren, He paved the way
for the admission of Texas into the
Union. How then did it happen.
often asked myself that man of
record Of this kind should have been
selected by the secretary of the trea-
sury az the time of the Civil War 10
conduct very important financial ne
gotiations in London?
II should frankly have asked Mr.
Walker to explain this If he felt free
to do so had he not passed away lust
before ] began my term as represen-
tative in Congress. | was able how
ever TO get an explanation before my
term in Congress ended
III seems that Robert J. Walker and
Salmon p. Chase were both Demo-
Gratis who differed little or not at all
In their views upon public questions.
Walker was always a Union man He
was strong believer I'm the policy of
gradually. emancipating the slaves.
He emancipated his own slaves. This
wes almost precisely the ground upon
which Salmon p. Chase stood as a
Democrat
Furthermore. Mr. Chase was one
of those who learned greatly to adj
mire the brilliant ability revealed bv
Mr.. Walker when secretary of m,
treasury. Therefore when he was
locking around to find Just the man
to send TO London not only to neeo.
tate a loan, but to prevent the mar
keting of a Confederate loan. he re-
membered Robert J. Walker and aa
soon as possible communicated with
him. The result was that Mr.. Walker
accepted the appointment and sue
ceeded just as Secretary Chase ore.
dicted he would"
Copyright 1913. by f. ]. Edwards.
AL rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell o.
A