644 



NEW YORK. 



in tlie choice of Mr. Platt, the vote being 25 

 for Platt and 8 for Kernan in the Senate, and 

 79 for PJatt and 44 for Kernan in the Assem- 

 bly, or 104 tor Platt and 47 for Kernan on the 

 joint ballot. Subsequent events made more 

 marked the political divergence of sentiment 

 ainon^ the Republicans. When, in March, Sen- 

 ator-Robertson received the appointment for 

 Collector of the Port of New York, his asso- 

 ciates in the Senate adopted a resolution ap- 

 proving the choice made by the President, and 

 this action was followed in the Assembly, but 

 shortly afterward the latter body reconsidered 

 its action and laid the resolution on the table. 

 It had appeared that the appointment was par- 

 ticularly distasteful to the New York members 

 of the United States Senate. (For particulars 

 in regard to this appointment and the contro- 

 versy which it occasioned, see title GARFIELD, 

 JAMES A., and special session of the Senate 

 under CONGRESS, in this volume.) 



Senators Conkling and Platt announced their 

 resignation from the United States Senate on 

 the 16th of May, having addressed the follow- 

 ing letter to Governor Cornell : 



"WASHINGTON, May 14, 1831. 



SIR : Transmitting, as we do, our resignations, re- 

 spectively, of the great trusts with which New York 

 has honored us, it is fit that we acquaint you, and 

 through you, the Legislature and people of the State, 

 with the reasons which, in our judgment, make such a 

 step respectful and necessary. 



Some weeks ago the President sent to the Senate in 

 n group of nominations several persons for public of- 

 fices already filled. One of these offices is the collcct- 

 orship of the port of New York, now held by General 

 Merntt ; another is the consul-generalship at London, 

 now held by General Badeau ; another is charge d'af- 

 faires to Denmark, held by Mr. Cramer : another id 

 the mission to Switzerland, held by Mr. Fish, son of 

 the former distinguished Secretary of State. Mr. Fish 

 had, in deference to ancient practice, placed his posi- 

 tion at the disposal of the new Administration, but, 

 like the other persons named, he was ready to remain 

 at his post if permitted to do so. All these officers, 

 save only Cramer, are citizens of New York. It was 

 proposed to displace them all, not for any alleged 

 faults, or for any alleged need or advantage to the 

 public service, but in order to give the great office of 

 Collector of the Port of New York to Mr. William H. 

 Robertson, as a reward for certain acts of his, said to 

 have "aided in making the nomination of General 

 Garfield possible." 



The chain of removals thus proposed was broken by 

 General Badeau promptly decliningto accept the new 

 place to which he was to be sent. These nominations 

 summoned every member of the Senate to say wheth- 

 er he advised such transaction. The movement was 

 more than a surprise. We had been told, only a few 

 hours before, that no removals in New York offices 

 were soon to be made, or even considered, and had 

 been requested to withhold papers and suggestions 

 bearing on the subject, which had been sent to us for 

 presentation should occasion arise, until we had no- 

 tice from the President of his readiness to receive 

 them. Hearing that the Vice-President was equally 

 surprised, we went to Mr. James, the Cabinet officer 

 from our State, and learned that, though he had spent 

 some time with the President on the morning ot the 

 day the nominations were sent in, no disclosure of an 

 intention to send them had been made to him, and 

 that he first knew of the matter by hearsay following 

 the event. After earnest reflection and consultation 

 we, believing the proceeding unwise and wrong, 



whether considered wholly in relation to the preser- 

 vation and integrity of the public service and as a 

 public example to be set, or in relation also to the in- 

 tegrity of the Republican party, no public utterance 

 or comment or censure was made by either of us in 

 the Senate or elsewhere. On the contrary, we thought 

 the President would reconsider an action so sudden 

 and heavy, and would, at least, adopt less startling 

 and objectionable modes of requiting personal or in- 

 dividual service. In this hope the following paper 

 was prepared, and signed and presented by Mr. James 

 to the President, who was subsequently informed that 

 you had authorized your name to be added al<o : 



" To THE PRESIDENT : We beg leave to remonstrate 

 against a change in the collectorship at New York by 

 the removal of Mr. Merritt and the appointment of 

 Mr. Robertson. The proposal was wholly a surprise. 

 We heard of it only when the several nominations 

 involved in the plan were announced in the Senate. 

 We had, only two days before this, been informed 

 from you that a change in the customs officers at New 

 York was not contemplated, and, quite ignorant of 

 the purpose to take any action now, we had no oppor- 

 tunity, until after the nominations, to make the sug- 

 gestions we now present. We do not believe that the 

 interests of the public service will be benefited bv re- 

 moving the present collector and putting Mr. Robert- 

 son inliis stead. Our opinion is quite the reverse. 

 We believe no political advantage can be gained for 

 cither the Republican party or its principles. Believ- 

 ing that no individual has claims or obligations which 

 should be liquidated in such mode, we earnotly and 

 respectfully ask that the nomination of Mr. Robert-' n 

 be withdrawn. CHESTER A. ARTHUR. 



"THOMAS C. PLATT, 

 "THOMAS L. JAMES, 

 "ROSCOE CONKLING." 



This paper was presented to the President by Mr. 

 James on Monday, the 28th of March. Knowing the 

 frequency with which every one of the twenty Presi- 

 dents of the Republic, and markedly the present in- 

 cumbent, had withdrawn nominations on less seri- 

 ous representations, we did not apprehend that such 

 suggestions would be treated as an intrusion, or an 

 invasion of any prerogative of the nominating pow- 

 er. We were disappointed. Immediately the public 

 press, especially in articles and dispatches written 

 by those in close and constant association with the 

 President and with influential members of his Cab- 

 inet, teemed with violent denunciations of the Sen- 

 ators from New York for " opposing the Administra- 

 tion and dictating" to the President. Persons who 

 visited the Executive Mansion reported the President 

 as resentful and impatient of hesitation to advise and 

 consent to what he proposed. We had made no as- 

 sault upon anybody. W e have at all times refused to 

 answer questions by representatives of the press or to 

 make complaint or comment, or even denial, of the 

 many truthless articles published against us by offi- 

 cious champions of the Administration. Indeed, be- 

 yond confidential consultations with brother Senators 

 and officials, we have said nothing until now on the 

 subject. Nor have we, or either ot us, promoted the 

 dead-lock in the Senate in order to prevent or influ- 

 ence action on any nomination, nor have we ever so 

 stated. 



Immediately after the nominations were published, 

 letters and telegrams in great numbers came from 

 every part of the State from its leading citizens, pro- 

 testing against the proposed changes and condemning 

 them on "many grounds. Several thousands of lead- 

 ing mercantile firms in New York, constituting, we 

 are informed, a majority of every branch of trade, 

 sent us remonstrances ; sixty of me eighty-one Re- 

 publican members of the Assembly ? by letter or me- 

 morial, made objections ; representatives in Congress, 

 State officials, business men, professional men, com- 

 mercial men, industrial and political organizations are 

 among the remonstrants, and they speak from every 





