Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-08-03
mr. iarvey ana the administration.


The card Of Mr.. Harvey, American Minister
to Lisbon, which recently appeared in our COL
umne, is attracting considerable notice, and has
called out from some of the papers in the In
terest of the Administration, rather severe
criticism upon the conduct of the Secretary of
State, who is assumed TO be the member OF the
Cabinet with whom Mr.. Harvey consulted /,
respecting the subject matter of his communica.
tion to Charleston, just before the attack upon
Fort Sumter. The administration, in seizing
upon the private correspondence of our citizens
transmitted by telegraph, appears to have
|"caught Tartar" since the very frat revels.
tion from that source implicated Foreign Min
lister of their own appointment, and that Minis.
ter in bis fret public notice Of the charges
brought against him, plainly involves the mem.
bers of the Cabinet in the trsdson.
This comes OF the system OF espionage in
cti!uted at Washington, The act was viola
tion of private rights--an unwarrantable In.
reference with the sanctity of private CORES.
pondence which the condition of tue country by
no means justified, and It will surprise no one
that its result Is likely to plague the inventors
more than any body whom they hoped to involve
in reasonable difficulties. But while we say
thus much in criticism upon the action of thS
Government, we are not prepared to unite II
the wholesale charges Of condemnation which
have been directed against Mr.. Harvey, ant
latterly against the Secretary of State. W.
can readily understand that the Goyernmen
has been and is likely hereafter to be embar
rassed, by the vacilating policy which was pur
sued respecting the proposed evacuation ol
| Fort Sumter, and 1t may be natural enough
that each member of the Cabinet should be in
clined to shift the responsibility, as far as pos
sible, upon his associates. 1t would, however,
be more honorable for them all, frankly to &C
knowledge the absolute and incomprehensibls
| ignorance which existed at the time, and to ab
solve Mr.. Harvey from all blame in the matter
If that gentleman was In fault, the fault, &C
| cording 10 his statement, was shared by the
whole Cabinet, and IL Is by no means becoming
to sacrifice him for wrong in which they wer'
all involved. .-i g. .4 lal ..
Precisely how far Mr.. Harvey was guilty oI
wrong in sending the alleged dispatches Il
Charleston, and how far Mr.. Seward, If cogui
zsnt of the transaction, 10 censurable, will de
u pend in some measure upon the views whicl
may be entertained OF the value of franknes
J and honesty, in diplomatic affairs. If diploma
cy Is to be resorted to for the purpose OF gain
I ing an advantage over another, at the sacritic
, of honor, then Mr.. Harvey and Mr.. Sewar
} may be Wrongful, on the contrary, the rule
: Of irankness and honorable dealing are to be oh
: served in transactions of Government, as bt
tween individuals, then we confess that we thin
! better of Mr.. Harvey for the action which b
8 took in the affair of Fort Sumter. With th
4 knowledge, IL not at the request Of the Go,
I ernment, he had informed the South Caroln
Q authorities that Fort Sumter would be evacl
& ated by our forces,--that its evacuation had,
2 fact, been determined upon. When throug
n . ha oill tiao uolicv naaoa than 4,
+ war,--which prevailed at Washington in th
/, early stages of the Administration, It was fina
d ly resolved that Fort Sumter should be proviI
% ioned and reinforced, or relieved instead of b,
II ing evacuated, Mr.. Harvey, as an honorabl
d man, could hardly do less than recall the il
u formation he had communicated by reQues
% and make the real truth known to his CORE
IT pondents.
% Mr.. Seward was even more deeply involv,
d than Mr.. Harvey; for, in addition to the know
Q edge which he had Of the communications of h
n latter, be had given similar informal assuranc
10 to the Commissioners for the Confedera
d States, through the intermediary agency
/ Judge Campbell; and, as, a man of honor,
i could not well do less than recall such asst
!. ances, when change Of program had be
p agreed to. To permit this TO be done throu
e an unofficial source was mild way of d
% charging an obligation involving the honor
r the Secretary and the Government itself.
ID Probably our notions on these subjects m
to not be strictly diplomatic. Possibly the opi
q ions which we entertain on the subject OF fal
le and honor in public transactions, may not
he such as find favor In Official circles. B
i'd they nevertheless serve our purpose, in deter
le lining for ourselves q point Involving the charl
80 ter Of public men at home and abroad, and th
lie lead us to the conclusion that had Mr., Harv
Ok and Mr.. Secfe,ery Seward done openly a
n. above board, what seems to have been their a
v. to accomplish furtlvely and secretly, they wo,
be have more fully earned the reputation OF b,
r. orable and high toned statesmen, than Il
"a have In fact done. y = = -. Wv 9.s, =
FL Ia this as in other measures which hs
ho fallen to the Administration to decide, the e,
on OF a divided Cabinet are conspicuous I
ed President selected his constitutional adyis
.r- from opposite interestsA the moderate conser
Do, tive and the ultra radical. Mr.. Seward, fr
be the Latter, had under the extraordinary cifcu
pt. stances Of the country, been transferred to 4
m former, before he was selected for Secretary
on State In the Fort Sumter affair, as in thel
70, movement "forward 10 Richmond - the
ch party ruled the Administration The Bla
m, In and out Of the Cabinet, and their eympstl
re ere, we're too much Tot the Secretary OF e,i
gi.iWho, lafter co1sfibuting largely 70 bring
Ice 'fT-.a 0NI r| TtIIIII e.