“Mr. Stanton, just now called to the War Office [under President Lincoln], but then Attorney General, answered: ‘That course, Mr. President, ought certainly to be regarded as most liberal towards “erring brethren,” but while one member of your cabinet has fraudulent acceptances for millions of dollars afloat, and while the confidential clerk of another—himself in Carolina teaching rebellion—has just stolen $900,000 from the Indian Trust Fund, the experiment of ordering Major Anderson back to Fort Moultrie would be dangerous. But if you intend to try it, before it is done I beg that you will accept my resignation.’ ‘And mine,’ added the Secretary of State, Mr. Black. ‘And mine, also,’ said the Postmaster General, Mr. Holt. ‘And mine, too,’ followed the Secretary of the Treasury, General Dix.
“This of course opened the bleared eyes of the President, and the meeting resulted in the acceptance of Mr. Floyd’s resignation.”
Inasmuch as you were a member of Mr. Buchanan’s cabinet, and one of the persons alluded to among the members of his cabinet who dissented from the proposition alleged to have been made by Mr. Floyd, I have thought it not improper to call upon you to state whether the subject matter of Mr. Weed’s communication is or is not true.
As for myself, I do not believe it to be true, and regard it as one of the numerous slanders which have been disseminated to reflect discredit upon the late excellent President of the United States. I shall esteem it a favor if you will inform me, by letter, of the precise circumstances attending the action of Mr. Buchanan’s cabinet, at the time of the transaction referred to, if any such took place, to the end that the public may be truthfully informed of the actual occurrence.
I have written this letter without the knowledge of Mr. Buchanan, solely for the purpose that the public record of Mr. Buchanan’s administration may be vindicated from a charge which those who know him, as you and I do, can not but feel has originated from personal or political malice.
Yours very respectfully,
Augustus Schell.
[JUDGE BLACK TO MR. SCHELL.]
York, August 6, 1863.
My[My] Dear Sir:—