Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 05.pdf/186

 L. O. С. Lamar. is not far distant when they will recognize my action to-day as wise and just; and armed with honest convictions of my duty, I shall calmly await the results, believing in the utterance of a great American who never trusted his countrymen in vain, — that truth is omnipotent, and public jibtice certain."

His confidence was not unwarranted. He was re-elected to the Senate in 1882. Lamar had something of Lincoln's faith in the people, especially when he knew he would have opportunity to " state his case" before them. • Judge Emory Speer says: — "On one occasion he told me that a young kins man wrote to him, asking him to see what he could do about a certain political contest in which he was engaged, and in which the machine was being used against him. He wrote his young friend that lie had never had any experience in machine poli tics, but that whenever there was a conspiracy against him, all he could do was to go there and make a speech, and break it up.''

On March 5, 1885, Lamar was made Sec retary of the Interior in the Cabinet of Pres ident Cleveland. There was some partisan criticism of the appointment, based on the alleged incongruity of having an ex-Confed erate officer at the head of the Pension Office. These critics must have been surprised at the following language in his first Report : — "I know of no burden of government that is more cheerfully borne than that of the pension system. I concur fully in all efforts to demonstrate that it is universally regarded as a noble benefi cence, and in the view that when well and cleanly administered, it is noble in its purpose, and good in its results, diffusing with liberal and just hand the wealth of a wealthy people among those who suffer from the strokes of war, and have become impoverished by its misfortunes."

In subsequent reports he called the atten tion of Congress to worthy classes of cases for which existing laws failed to provide, and urged that the omissions be cured. Mr. Fewell says : — 21

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"I^mar was very much out of place when Secretary of Interior Department. He was a poor business man; he abhorred drudgery; detail bored him. The duties of that department required business talent and experience; they consisted almost wholly of detail. I knew that he felt him self unsuited to the place. I have reason to be lieve that he longed to get out of it, and that he desired and accepted the Supreme Court Judgeship, not so much as a place suited to his tastes, but as a refuge from the crushing ' grind ' of the Interior Department. I recall my last interview with him. He was seated in his official chair in the Department on Interior, before a desk filled with papers. He shook me by the hand, and looked at me as if asking himself, ' Does this man want office too?' I asked about his health, and as quickly as I could do so with ease stated that I had not come to see him about any office; that 1 had a matter of business pertaining to the Land Office, and I requested a letter of introduction to Commissioner Sparks. He readily complied with my request, — dictating the letter to his steno grapher. That done, he turned to me and we in dulged in a brief chat. He read an opinion he had just given in some land matter. I hardly understood the purport of the opinion, I was so pained to observe how worn and weary he looked; his face was haggard, his eyes were lustreless. I asked myself, ' Have they crushed the ambition out of this man entirely? Is he worn out and done for? Let me see if I can rouse him. — Colonel Lamar,' I said, 'this is no place for you; you will wear yourself out at this drudgery. I will tell you where you ought to be, and where our people need you and need you badly.' "' Where? ' he asked, exhibiting some interest. "' In the House,' I answered; ' there is your place, there is where you ought to be, — to lead. We -have no leader in that body, and things are going to the " bow-wows " there.' "Instantly he was the Lamar of old. His eyes blazed; his countenance cast off its almost per petual shadow; he rose to his feet and glared about him with the manner of a prisoner who was called to break his bonds. He swept his arms through the air, and said with great but suppressed animation, 'You are right, by —! There is where I would like to be. If I were there, I would mash some of those fellows. I 'd teach them some sense.' Then he recalled himself, and resumed his