The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-13 00:00:00

much

JOHN LATHROP MOTLEY.

Mr. REVERDY JOHNSON has publicly announced
his resignation. " Eight or ten days ago," said his
Excellency, in a graceful and becoming speech, " I
sent it to Washington ; and I will shortly return
home, perhaps never again to see my many kind
onefriends''
on this side the ocean." He expressed a warm
wish for the diplomatic success of the next Minister,
a gentleman of great talent and literary fame. In
a few words, he replied to some ill-mannered re-
marks of the Times, and we congratulate Mr.
JonNsoN that that journal has swung round the
circle; and now fires its bolts at instead of soft-
sawdering him; and we only hope that Mr. MOTLEY
may not have the bad luck of being patronised by
Printing-house-square. No American Minister
could have a worse introduction to his fellow-
citizens ; indeed he must be strong in their affec-
tions and respect to withstand the laudation of the
limes. The latest news by mail from America
spoke of Mr. MOTLEY'S nomination as certain. Many
weeks ago information was given to us through a re-
liable source, that it would be so, as that gentle-
man was backed by the influence of Senator SU3I-
NER, the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs, who, since the retirement of Mr. SEWARD, is
all powerful in these matters at Washington. JOHN
LATHROP MOTLEY, of Massachusetts, was born on
the 15th April, 1814. He graduated at Harvard
College in 1831, and proceeded thence to Europe,
where he travelled extensively. The first book he
published appeared in 1839, and gave a graphic and
amusing sketch of German society. His talents were
shown so conspicuously as to attract the attention of
DANIEL WEBSTER, then Secretary of State, who
appointed him Secretary to the American Legation
at St. Petersburgh. On his return to the United
States he devoted himself to literature, and be-
became a regular contributor to the North Ame-
rican Review, and a writer of fiction. It was dur-
ing this period that he matured the idea of his
great work, to accomplish which he recrossed the
Atlantic in 1851, and took up his residence at
Dresden. There he diligently commenced the col-
lection of materials, but it was not till 1856 that
the first part came out, entitled the " History of
the Rise of the Dutch Republic." Four years
later it was followed by the " History of the
United Netherlands," works which placed the name
of MOTLEY on a firm pedestal as an historian. The
year following, that is in 1861, he was selected by
Mr. LINCOLN for the Embassy to Austria, where
he was well received as his literary fame was then
widely known, though the Hon. ANSON BURLINGA3IE
had been rejected by the EMPEROR on account of the
sympathy he had formerly expressed for the pa-
triots of the Hungarian revolt. The world is fami-
liar with the extraordinar:, way in which Mr.
MOTLEY left that post, but it istomoaanm,
wushiongtocmit this portion of his career. A
de-
scribed himself as of New York, and called him-
self GEORGE W. M'CRACKEN, after spending-, the
early part of 1866 in European travel, wrote from the
Hotel Meurice, Paris, a letter to the PRESIDENT,
giving a full report on the American Diplomatic
Missions to European nations. The insolence of
this proceeding was only excelled by the manner in
which it was transacted. He commenced by telling
the PRESIDENT how hostile to him were the majority
of the Ministers and Consuls, more especially of the
New Englanders, a very indifferent set collectively
and individually, who furnished most. " Mr. MOT-
LEY does not pretend to conceal his disgust,' as he
styles it elegantly, at your whole conduct. Having
been appointed exclusively by CHARLES SUMNER he
applauds him and his revolutionary doctrines, de-
spises American Democracy, and proclaims loudly
that an English nobleman is the model of human
perfection. There is not in all Europe a more
thorough flunkey or a more un-American function-
ary. He tells every traveller that SUMNER is en-
tirely justified, and that you have deserted your
pledges and principles in common with Mr. SE-
WARD, who, he says, is hopelessly degraded." This
was but mild abuse to what Mr. M`CniwKEN
launched at other Ministers and some Consuls. Yet
the PRESIDENT was 00 ill-advised by SEWARD (we