eciated the high distinction conferred upon me by the people
of the State, through the Legislature, in electing me to the United
States Senate, but I confess that I felt considerable regret on
leaving the Governorship, as during my six years I had enjoyed the
work and had endeavored to the best of my ability to give to the
people of my State a businesslike administration.

I retired from the office of Governor on February 5, 1883, and
remained in Springfield until sworn in as a member of the Senate,
December 4, 1883. General Arthur was President at that time, having
succeeded to the office after the assassination of General Garfield.

I liked General Arthur very much. I had met him once or twice
before. I went with my staff to attend the Yorktown celebration,
and I may remark here that it was the first and only time during
my service of six years as Governor on which my whole military
staff accompanied me. We stopped in Washington to pay our respects
to the President. It was soon after the assassination of General
Garfield, and Arthur had not yet moved into the White House. He
was living in the old Butler place just south of the Capitol, and
I called on him there and presented the members of my staff to him.
The President was exceedingly polite, as he always was, and was
quite interested, having been a staff officer himself, by appointment
of Governor Morgan of New York. We were all very much impressed
with the dignity of the occasion and the kindly attention the
President showed us.

General Arthur had taken considerable interest in New York politics
and belonged to the Conkling faction. He came into the office of
President under the most trying circumstances. The party was almost
torn asunder by factional troubles in New York and elsewhere.
Blaine, the bitter enemy of Conkling, had been made the Secretary
of State; Garfield had made some appointments very obnoxious to
Conkling--among them the Collector of the Port of New York--and,
generally, conditions were very unsatisfactory. Arthur entered
the office bent on restoring harmonious conditions in the party,
as far as he could. He did not allow himself to be controlled by
any faction, but seemed animated by one desire, and that was to
give a good administration and unite the party.

He was a man of great sense of propriety and dignity, believing
more thoroughly in the observance of the etiquette which should
surround a President than any other occupant