The Washington herald., 1914-12-23
HISTORY BUILDERS.
A Veteran EmpIoye Of the State
Department.
Written Expresly Tor The Hera
BY DIR. Z. J. EDWARDS.

1
No one could have assumed an impor
tant office with less ceremony or In q
more perfunctory or matter-of-fact wa,
than that which characterized William
II. Seward when he began his servic.
as Secretary of. State In the administra.
tion Of President Lincoln. Mr. Seward
entertained two or three friends at 4
family breakfast at his home in Wash
ington and then. exactly as though hs
were going to the Senate chamber, he
] put on his hat and oYercoat and started
forth unattended except by his son fol
the building In which the State Depart.
ment at that time was located.
Mr.. Seward walked into his office with
no more embarrassment or hesitation
than he would have shown had he been
Secretary OF State for years. He may
have been able to do that because while
serving as Senator he frequently visited
the State Department He took his seat
at his desk and after a moment or two
he called for William Hunter
There are still living In Washington
men who undoubtedly remember William
Hunter. He was a man OF medium size,
well built, with plump cheeks, a large
head, and somewhat scanty hair. He was
smooth shaven and the shape Of his
head and some OF his features occasion
ally reminded some OF those who knew
olcpIGn n DOuBlaS the Little Giant
as Douglas was often called.
Seward knew Mr. Hunter well. He had
often met him on his earlier visits TO
the State Department. He sometimes
spoke OF Hunter as the cornerstone of
the department so far at least as the
technical and Office administration was
concerned.
After greeting Mr.. Hunter cordially,
Seward said: II presume there are in the
department some clerks who naturally
sympathiEe with the South. They should
not be here now. None should be in this
department who is not to be trusted with
the archives. the documents and the
knowledge of his business. / should like
to have you find out in a kindly way
who among the clerks are in sympathy
with the South and let them know that
II is unavoidable that they be relieved
Of their duties
This delicate task Mr.. Hunter perform
ed with great skill and in such a kind
ly manner that no personal enmities were
made.
''I had in the Postofice Department.
when I was Postmaster General. a clerk
who had been there from the time OF
Andrew JacksOn's administration and
felt sure that he was the oldest govern
ment employe in consecutive service In
one department OF that or any other
time, said 1hOnaS L. James. "llb " ~
Postmaster General in Garfield's Cabinet.
to me Just after he had received call
from this veteran cmploye.
But l found out that | was mistaken
I believe Il to be fact that the man
who was longest in the service OF tho
government in a single department was
William Hunter He was a splendid type
OF man. He was the State Department
in the flesh. He lived and breathed and
thought that department. He knew II IN
every detail No diplomat was ever able
to keep closer watch upon his tongue than
Hunter. Yet he was appointed by John
Quincy Adams, think in the year $50.
He was but a clerk. but was gradually
promoted till at one time he was CHIEF
clerk and afterNEard became Second AS
Eistant Secretary. Just think Of it, lie
knew John Quincy Adams and served
under Henry Clay when Clay was Sec
rotary OF Statel lie stayed in the state
Department through many administra-
tions and at last became the most valued
Of the assistants, so far as technical ad-
ninistration of the department was con-
cerned, 10 William II. Seward. and ne
was still there when Gen Grant began
his first administration"
(Copyright, 1914, by L ]. Edwards. Al rsas ~
serTedl
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell OF
When Dickens and Thackeray were IN
America"