The Writings of Carl Schurz/To Rutherford B. Hayes, February 26th, 1877
TO RUTHERFORD B. HAYES
Yesterday I received your kind letter of the 24th [25th] inst. I shall not try to conceal from you that the terms in which you invite me to become a member of your Cabinet are exceedingly gratifying to my feelings. Even if the expressions of friendly sentiment in your letter were not accompanied by an offer of high official honor and of an opportunity to render some service to the country, I should most highly prize them as a mark of the confidence of a man whom I esteem so sincerely and whose personal friendship I shall ever cherish and be proud of. That confidence and friendship it will always be my endeavor to deserve, and thus to show my gratitude by something better than mere words.[1]
Of the two Departments you mention, there is one, the Interior, the business of which I should, with diligent application, hope satisfactorily to master. As to the administration of the Post-Office, it requires so much of capacity for business management in detail and in great variety, and so high a degree of practical business training and habit of a peculiar kind which has so far to a great extent been foreign to my mind, that I should fear to undertake it, while I certainly recognize the very great importance of that Department with regard to the elevation of the civil service to a higher level of character and efficiency.
I intend to go to New York for a day or two and might arrange my trip so as to be on the same train with you as far as Harrisburg, when you go to Washington. In case such a meeting would please you, would you be kind enough to let me know by telegraph the time when you will leave Columbus? Your letter speaks of Thursday, but something may intervene. I shall have to start the evening before, and therefore would have to be advised early enough in order to get ready.
This morning I was called upon by a Mr. Bailey from Michigan, introduced to me by Mr. Ferry, a brother of the President of the Senate. He told me of a scheme gotten up by Chandler to have Senator Christiancy appointed to the Supreme Bench in Davis's place, so as to reopen his, Chandler's, way back to the Senate. Mr. Bailey represented that such a thing would cause a great row among the Republicans in Michigan, and wanted to solicit my influence with you against it. I told him that it was too early to promise any influence for or against anything, and that I thought you would not be in a hurry to dispose of such matters, that you would undoubtedly give them all the consideration they deserved, and then decide such cases upon high principles. He desired very much to talk to you about it, and as I thought you would probably desire to know that side of the story in season, I gave him a note of introduction. I had heard of Mr. Bailey before as a good man.
Assuring you once more of my gratitude for the friendly sentiments expressed in your letter, I remain
- ↑ The deep sincerity of this voluntary pledge was well demonstrated by Schurz's literary services to Hayes at all times. To almost the end of his life Schurz complied with requests for articles about Hayes, if they offered any considerable opportunity to describe Hayes's qualities.