The Portland daily press., 1866-05-12
Mr.. Bancroft and Earl Russell.

Mr.. Bancroft and Earl Russell.
A very piquant chapter Of diplomatic con-
troversy was contained in the correspondence
between Mr.. Adams, Earl Russell and Mr..
Bancroft in relation to the Lincoln Memorial
Address, which was submitted to Congress en-
Monday by Mr.. Washburne.@ We have net
space for the whole of this entertaining cor
respondence but we reprint the material por-
tiops. The equanimity under all sorts of cri-
ticsm on which Lord Russell has always
prided himself, seems to have been quite up
set by Mr. Dancroft's remarks. The follow
ing extract from a letter which he addressed
to Mr.. Adams on the 2Sth OF February last,
will show the arrow which has wounded him
so solely: .4.s
Dear Mr.. Addms:-I observe in the Daily
Netrs OF yesterday, extracts from a speech OF
Mr.. Bancroft, delivered in the House of Rep
resentatives on the 18th inst. In this speech
Mr.. Bancroft is represented to have SAID, re-
ferring to the breaking out of the civil war:
"The British Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs made haste to send word through the
palaces of Europe that the republic was 10
its agony; that the republic was no more; that
a headsLone was all that remained due by the
law OF nations to "the late Union"
As words pronounced on such an occasion
and by SO eminent man as Mr.. Bancroft
may have an effect far beyond the injury
which my personal character might suffer, |
must request you to convey to Mr.. Bancroft
my denial of the truth of his allegations, and
to refer him to facts Of totally opposite char
acter.
Soon after the news of the resistance in
arms of the Southern States to the govern
ment of the Union arrived in this country, a
member of the House of Commons stated in
his place that the bubble of republicanisIn
had burst. replied in the same debate that
the bubble of lepublicanism had not burst,
and that if the curse of slavery still hung
about the United States, it was England who
had made them the gift of the poisoned gar
ment which was now their torture. In fact, l
have never had any doubt that whether the
United States consented to separation or pur-
sued the war to extremity, the great Western
republic would emain, happily tor the world,
powerful and independent republic.
In his reply to this communication, Mr..
Bancroft thus summarily knocks away the
plausible defence set up by Earl Russell:
New YORK, March %, 1866
My Dear Mr.. AdInls,-I have received
q from you, by Lord Russelps desire, a copy OF
his letter to you OF 29th February last, in
which he denies The truth of certain alleea.
tions in nv address to Congress- on tbe 12tb
of the same month, The PASSAGE which. he
cites contains these three allegations: That
as British Secretary of State for FOREIGN AT
fairs said he viewed this republic as "the late
Union;'' that he sent this view of our country
through the palaces Of Europe; and that he
made haste to do so. When Lord Russell
calls to mind the authority for these state
ments he must acknowledge them to be per-
fectly just and true.
On the 9th day OF May, 1851, Lord John
Russell, then Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs, wrote despatch to Lord Lyons in
which he describes the condition of America
as the disruption of confederacy;" and he
further used these words: "Civil war has
broken out between the several States of the
late Union. The government ofthe Southern
portion has duly constituted ITSELF Her Maj
esty's government do not wish you to make
any mystery OF That view" Here is irreiraga
Die PROOF OF my nrst allegation. ,,- So.
On the day on which the Minister Of the
queen thus wrote he addressed despatch to
Lord CONVEY, her Majesty's Ambassador at
SaIls, designating our republic as 1.-The States
winch LATELY composed the American Union, !"
the late United States" 'the late Union y
ana ne enclosed in that despatch, for Lord
Cowleys instruction, copy of the above cited
letter to Lord Lyons. Having thus ostenta-
nously communicated his view of our country
as THE late Unlon," he asked in return to be
made acquainted with the views OF the impe-
rial government. My second allegation is
therefore, true, in letter and in spirit.
That Lord John Russell as Secretary of
State, was in haste to do this, appears from
his not having awaited the arrival of the
American Minister of Mr.. Lincoln's appoint
ment, and from those very letters OF the 9th of
Ir way .1S IL " t no,d y, GoWiey ana 70 Lord
he had not as vet received from Lord LYONS
any report of the state of affairs and Of the
proposes OF tne several parties; = but that on
Gus and unnrecedented be acteJ ~, tte ~
ports Of ''some consuls" and "of the public
"mis. -
rohn p,Sso, SIi I5 oays aIter Loru
tr as sstha j;s,tn uesoai1eu our c0uil
ia;o Irn;tod Seatdo ), CT ~ conieueracy'
nroyod . ,,aa,,,Lon, 81 4tsn lat ta.e oncon, ne re-
fr o1,aaI o,,,,it; ~ sue 1touse VI -Oollnohs
hnhbte y eAu nanis 'ha5 Tue great repuDhcan
athat tba rennbI;o bod &C., o 90 anu oWneu
{ rreat and free Stotan p,,t ~ o ny eats
1actat;on nv bona of + no ca
ion anJ rather ;nti,,,atad IT, .lso a, ooi
were ssshanf 70 dastro1 ,aI, .S
and frasdom III Ioi,, osAt ~
rightly attr;hnteJ tha rehoIio " az o .s'
astiiouoeu Tue re'einon 70 tne accurs-
ment; ;" that the former governments of Great
Ciiba,u "eIe themselves TO blame Tor the orl-
gu VI tle evH. DuC InlS confession must be