Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 February 1887 — MANNING’S RESIGNATION [ARTICLE]

MANNING’S RESIGNATION

Text of the Correspondence Between the President and the Secretary. Predicting a Serious Financial Situation— Mr. Cleveland Expresses His Begrets. Following is the correspondence between the President and Secretary Manning in regard to the latter’s withdrawal from the Cabinet: MANNING'S LETTER OF RESIGNATION. Mv Dear Sir : In view of the near adjournment of Congress, and in order that time may suffice for the selection and confirmation of my successor, I desire again to place my resignation of the office of Secretary of the Treasury in your hands, and trust that you will now deem its acceptance no detriment to the public service. When you requested me last June to delay insisting upon the acceptance of my resignation, as again in our conference last October, you honored me with such terms of personal consideration and expressed so grave a decision in respeet to the requirements of the public service that it was as impossible to question my duty as to forget your kindness, I have not spared myself in the endeavor to comply with your wish and to contribute to the support of the policies which have illustrated your administration. The approaching end of the Fortyninth Congress marks a period in your own term of office and in the divisions of our political calendar. If a change must occur in the heads of departments and at your council board it is clear that your personal convenience and the public interests are best subserved should it occur now. Moreover, the financial situation Is to be seriously different from that which opened before us when the present Congress entered upon its life and upon the opportunities created by a transfer of the people’s trust to new hands. In this most critical condition the circumspect execution of a wise fiscal policy, or of administrative reforms in the collection and disbursements of our collosal revenues, is not alone demanded, though labors such as these have exacted and exhibited the abilities of our foremost statesmen since the constitution of the Government. But there is also an exhausting ground of dally administrative tasks which, however subordinate and clerical, an efficient (Secretary of the Treasury cannot, or should not, evade. These are tasks beyond my present strength. I therefore submit to your considerate judgment that in asking release by the 4th of March, or as soon as you may select my successor, I fulfill a duty to my family that may now be permitted to outweigh the duty of accepting longer that assignment of public service which, two years ago, you did me the honor to make. Returning to the ranks of that great party which has called you to its lead, I shall st 11 hope to follow its fortunes, under your successful guidance, with a fellow-citizen’s loyal pride. Very respectfully yours, Daniel Manning. CLEVELAND TO MANNING. My Dear Sir : Your formal letter of resignation which I have received, though not entirely unexpected, presents the reality of a severance ot our official relations, and causes me the deepest regret. This is tempered only by the knowledge that the frank and friendly personal rela- , tions which have unbrokenly existed between us ' are still to continue. I refer to these because such personal relations supply, atter all, whatever of comfort and pleasue the world affords, and because I feel it to be almost superflous to speak of the aid aud support you have given me and the assistance you nave furnished to the administration of the Government during the time you have directed the affairs of the exacting and laborious office which you now seek to surrender. Your labors, your achievements, your success, and your devotion to public duty are fully seen and’ known, and they challenge the appreciation and gratitude of all your countrymen. Since I must at last relinquish my hope of your continuance at my side as counselor and colaborer, aud since I cannot Question the reasons on which your request to be relieved is based, it only remains for me to accept the resignation you have tendered, and to express my profound thanks for all that you have done for me in sharing manfully my labors and perplexities of the last two years. I feel that I may still ask of you that the Ist day of April next be fixed as the date at which your resignation shall take effect, and that you will so regulate what remains to you of official duty in the meantime as to secure that measure of freedom from vexatious labor which you have so justly earned. With the earnest hope that in any new path of life you may hereafter follow there may be allowed to you more of comfort and of ease than a conscientious discharge of duty here permits, I am very sincerely your friend,

GROVER CLEVELAND.