red to. During his entire term, our official
and personal relations were not only cordial, but as close and
intimate as that of brothers could be. I never took an important
step in the process of resumption and refunding, though the law
vested the execution of these measures in my office, without
consulting him. Yet, while expressing his opinion, he said this
business must be conducted by me, and that I was responsible.

Early in his administration we formed the habit of taking long
drives on each Sunday afternoon, in the environs of Washington.
He was a regular attendant with Mrs. Hayes, every Sunday morning,
at the Methodist Episcopal church, of which she was a member. This
duty being done we felt justified in seeking the seclusion of the
country for long talks about current measures and policy. Each of
us was prepared with a memorandum of queries. My coachman, who
has been with me for twenty years, could neither heed nor hear.
We did not invade any of the departments of the government outside
of the treasury and his official functions as President. This
exchange of opinion was of service to the public, and gave to each
of us the benefit of an impartial opinion from the other.

Among the multitude of public men I have met I have known no one
who held a higher sense of his duty to his country, and more
faithfully discharged that duty, than President Hayes. He came
into his great office with the prejudice of a powerful party against
him, caused by a close and disputed election. This was unjust to
him, for the decision was made by a tribunal created mainly by its
representatives. He went out of office at the close of his term
with the hearty respect of the American people, and his administration
may be placed as among the most beneficial and satisfactory in the
history of the republic.

When near the close of his term, he gave the usual dinner to the
members of the outgoing and the incoming cabinets. It was purely
an official dinner, but Hayes said that there were two gentlemen
present who were not in office. We looked around to see who the
unhappy two were, and found they were Garfield and myself. Garfield
had not yet become President and I had resigned as secretary the
day before. This happened to be the only day that I was not in
public office since March 4, 1855.

On the 3rd of March I delivered to the President my resignation,
as follows:

'Washington, March 3.
"Hon. R. B. Hayes, President Un