Letter of Bellamy Storer to the President and the Members of his Cabinet
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OCR Page 1 of 33This does not mean that there will never be another named,
as to what action I ought to take about Bellamy's remain-
but the Holy Father does not seem to intend naming one
ing in the service; that is, she did not give it to me.
at present. The matter is one of a very delicate nature
Your direct or implied complaints of and reflections upon
for it lies so entirely with His Holiness himself and I my-
my own personal conduct give me no concern, but I am
self cannot venture to interfere unduly. Ihad never heard
very gravely concerned at the mischievous effect your let-
that the Holy Father had expressed himself in the way
ters must have in misrepresenting the position of the United
referred to by you and I fancy there must be some mis-
States government, and by the far reaching governmental
understanding. However, I am sure that any attempt to
scandal your indiscretion may at any time cause.
bring pressure to bear in such a delicate matter cannot fur-
I have now seen your letter to me, sent through Mrs.
ther your wishes. I should also say that the same wish
Roosevelt. In it you actually propose that I should au-
has been conveyed just as forcibly and with equally good
thorize you to go to Rome to take part in what I must call
reasons in favor of at least two other very distinguished
an ecclesiastical intrigue - and to drag the United States
Prelates in the United States, so that in the event of the
Government into it. Such a proposal is simply astounding.
Holy Father determining to name another American Car-
You say that Cardinal Merry del Val has stated that I
dinal the choice of the person would not be as easy a matter
have requested that two archbishops - one Farley, be
as it may seem to those who very naturally have only one
made Cardinals. All you had to say was that such a state-
in view. More than this I cannot say without overstep-
ment was a deliberate untruth because you knew that
I
ping the limits of a discretion which I must be the first to
had refused to make such a request even for Ireland.
observe in a matter of this nature. With kind regards
You say in your letter You can trust me, really.'
to the Ambassador I am, dear Mrs. Storer,
How can you say this when you write to Taft a letter
Yours devotedly in Christ,
which if by accident published would absolutely mis-
R. CARD. MERRY DEL VAL.
represent, in the most mischievous manner both me and
the American Government? You have no more right to
meddle in these matters than Mrs. Reid would have to
meddle in the Ritualist controversy, or Mrs. Tower to
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try to take charge of the relations of Germany to the
American Lutherans.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Your letter to Mr. Taft, and the letters to Cardinal
WASHINGTON, December IIth I905.
Merry del Val and Archbishop Keane (of the answers to
which you enclose copies) and your letter to the Princess
My dear Mrs. STORER, - Secretary Taft has just shown
Alexandrine (of the answer to which you also enclose a
me your letter of November 26th, this letter being evidently
copy) are all letters which it is utterly improper for you to
intended for me as much as for him. On inquiry of Mrs.
have written, in your position as the wife of an American
Roosevelt I find that she had received from you a letter to
Ambassador, and show a continued course of conduct on
me which is probably the one to which you refer in your
your part which is intolerable if your husband is to remain
letter to Mr. Taft, but she tells me she treated this letter
in the diplomatic service. In the first place I wish it to be
as she sometimes has treated other letters that you have
explicitly understood that though since I have been Pres-
sent her to deliver to me, when she knew that the receipt
identIhave been approached at different times by prelates
of them would merely make me indignant and puzzle me
of your church and even by laymen in your church with
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