The Writings of Carl Schurz/To Thomas F. Bayard, November 21st, 1884
TO THOMAS F. BAYARD
I thank you most sincerely for your cordial letter of the 17th. I need not tell you how I value your good opinion. The approval and esteem of good, patriotic men is after all, next to the accomplishment of good ends, the best reward offered by public life. The attacks you mention which I had to endure in the late campaign were indeed cruel enough. Of course, I have seen a good deal of that sort of thing before; but it was a novel experience to be vilified most meanly and maliciously by a paper which pretended to be on the side of the same candidate whose election I advocated. Well, when we go forth to fight for a good cause, we must also be willing to suffer for it. Words like yours, my dear friend, are well calculated to make me forget it all.
We have all done our duty in this important contest, and now let us hope that our success will be a blessing to the country. Personally, I know no more of the President elect than you do; but I believe that he is a thoroughly honorable and patriotic man, and also a man of courage. It is generally assumed that he will call you to the head of the Cabinet, and as it would be the natural thing to do, I expect he will. A conversation I had with him across a dinner table, a little more than a fortnight before the election, was calculated to strengthen that belief. I hope, when the summons comes to you, you will not hesitate to accept at once. I say this, knowing that it will be a sacrifice, for it would no doubt be much pleasanter to you to stay in the Senate. But you are a necessity to the coming Administration as a member of it. Mr. Cleveland will go into power, undoubtedly with the best intentions, but without any experience of National politics and without much knowledge of persons, and I hope he will consult you early. The character of the Cabinet will be of greater importance than it has been at any time during the past twenty years, and the President should have at his disposal for selection for it the best material there is in the successful party; and he should have the advice of the very best of it at the first moment he begins to move. The only influence I shall be able to exercise will be that of an independent volunteer.
I wrote a letter to Mr. Cleveland a few days ago, congratulating him upon his success, telling him what I hoped his Administration would be, and adding that if I could serve him as a private citizen, I should be glad to do so, especially by venturing an occasional word of suggestion, if acceptable to him, a privilege which I should value. I may, therefore, possibly have some further correspondence with him, and if so I shall always say to him frankly what I think as to what would best serve the public interest.