The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-01-28 00:00:00

MR. MOTLEY'S RECALL.

The official correspondence relative to Mr. n tley's
recall flu's a closely print page of the Ntto York
Tribune of the 10th met. Mr. Motley writes, December
7, that he communicated the fact of him resafi te the
British Foreign Secretory, Novemlier 22, and took
leave of the Queen December 0, the delay being due to
her absence in Sc( tland, and on the 7th he committ-d
the archives is t the hands of Mr. Moran, the
Secretary of Legation. It seems that Mr. Motley re-
ceived, July 13, a letter from Mr. Fish, informing him
that "the President finds it desirable to make a change
in the mission to England and that he wishes t
allow you (Mr. Motley) the opportunity of resigning
in case you feel inclined to do so." This was preceded
by a few hours by a telegram directing him to reply by
telegraph, which he did, requesting Mr. Fish to inform
the President he declined the opportunity to resign,
for reasons set forth in a letter of that day. He then
alludes to the nomination and confirmation of Mr.
Frelinghuysen, and adds :—" Thus, my reception of
the President's first and only notification to me, my
refusal by telegraph to resign, the nomination of a
successor, and his confirmation by the Senate, were
events all comprised within at forty-eight hours."
- •

Mr. Motley 'thus gives Lis reasons for -refusiog to
resign: . _ . .

No reasons are Riven why I should resign the post to which
I wax sppointod by the President fifteen months ago, with, I
believe, the unanimous consent of the Senate ; as I, myself,
know of none, and as I am not conscious of having ever
omitted to carry out, to the best of my ability, the policy and
instructions of the President during the period of my mission,
I fail o ceive eby I should be asked to offer my resigna-
iloll. Certainly it Is not no; wish to emirs rase an adminis-
tration which I have always faithfully 'imported, but I owe
something to myself. Were I now to make use if the per-
mission aecorded me to resign, it would seem that I did so
in order to avoid a removal which I knew to be just, and to
escape a stigma which I felt to be deserved. As I know the
record of my mission, as it stands on the archives of the
Department sr dot this Legation, to be free from intentional
fault, and as I have therefore no reason to shun the strictest
scrutlik In this regard, I do not !Ike to have even the at pear-
soca of making a contrary admission.

Lord Granille, in kbe letter to Mr. Motley, of
December 5, say :
am commanded to express to you her Ni sleety's sincere
esteem, and her regret at your departure from the country.
I thank you much Inr the kind expressions with regard to
my predecessor and myself which arc contained In your note.
It was to him, as it has been to me, an agreeable duty to
communicate with you on the atfatrs of our respective coun-
tries. I shall be happy to ad:ress to Sir. M ran, as you re-
quest, any communications which It may be necessary to
make to the Legation.
' -

The New York Tribune. In an article on the corres-
pondence. expresses the opinion that the mannir of
Mr. Motley in his record of the circumstances of his
recall is mobt courtioul and dignified, nowhere betray-
ing the anger which it is natural to suppose he felt, and
his letter will win Lim applause from new admirers.
However much men may differ on reading the cones-
pondence as to his failure in carrying out the instruc-
tions of the Government, none will deny, what is so
evident, that he laboured with zeal in the direction he
conceived to be the proper one. The reply of Mr. Fish
reveals that Mr. Motley represented tee views of
Senator Sumner rather than those of the Praident.