Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1867-02-06
The Austrian Mission.

In response TO resolution OF the Senate,
| the President sent 10 that tody the CORES
/ pondence between Secretary Seward and
Hon j Lathrop Motley, Minister to Aus
/ tria. The following is Mr.. Seward 5 letter
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON,
/ Nov. 2l, IS66.-SIR \ citizen of the L III
| ted States has addressed letter TO the Pres
/ ident from Paris, in which he represents be
! had travelled extensively in Europe during
/ the past year, In the course OF which he
/ had occasion to see something of our Min
/ listers and Consuls In various countries: that
most OF those whom he met were bitterly
| hostile to the President and his Administra
| ton, ard expressed that hostility in so open
| a manner as TO astonish Americans and leave
a very bad impression on Europeans. He
adds that you do not pretend to conceal your
disgust, as he says you style it, at the
President swhole conduct that you despise
American Democracy and loudly proclaim
that an English gentleman is the very model
OF human perfection that the President
has deserted his pledges and principles in
common with Mr.. Seward, who, you say. is
hopelessly degraded. " Your denial Or
confirmation of the truth Of these reports is
requested. | am, Sir, your obedient ser
want, NM II. SEWARD
Ip -. i%dtitOp -'lOtItg, I1Ntt.
Mr.. Motley's reply to this extraordinary
epistle is spirited, manly and patriotic He
says his first impulse was to content himself
with fat denial, but on further reflection
concluded that as he did not wish that there
should be any doubt as to his political sen
timents, he would say a few words. He
says:
. have always believed it necessary that
strong guarantees should be taken against
recurrence of the rebellion and the estab-
Eshment of some form of slavery before the
seeded States should be re- admitted to reD-
resentation in Congress. Latterly | am in
clined to the opinion that the nobiest and
the safest course would be by an amendment
OF the Constitution prohibiting the distinc-
ton OF race or color in regard to tie attain
ment OF the franchise, together with a gen
eral amnesty to be proclaimed by the Presi
dent These opinions in the privacy of my
own household and TO an occasional Ameri-
can visitor | have not concealed. The great
question now presenting itself for solution
demands conscientious scrutinizing by every
American who loves his country and believes
IN the human progress of which that coun-
try is one Of the foremost representatives.
| have never thought during my residence
at Vienna that because | have the honor of
being public servant of the American peo-
pie am deprived of the light of discussing
within my own walls the grayest subject that
can interest freemen. 4 Minister of the
United States is as deeply interested as 9TH
ers in all that affects the welfare of his coun-
try. In conversation with such of my col
leagues or members of the Government here
as were interested in our politics, [ have
uniformly stated that the conflict of opinions
now prevailing in the United States was in
evltable In free country. That such dis
cusslon was the very evidence of our freedom
and of our capacity to govern ourselves.
That to silence discussion belongs to despots,
and not to a republican government like ours,
and that [ had entire faith that the Ameri-
can people would settle all disputed questions
with justice. [ have always been cautious,
however. in such considerations, to avoid
any expression of disrespect toward the
President or his Cabinet have uniformly
stated that in our own country the people
was not only theoretically but practically
sovereign. and that when great political
questions were to be solved appeal was made
to the ballot box. | have steadily expressed
the opinion that the President and Congress
would be reccnciled after the people should
have pronounced their solemn verdict, and
idfC ttDtiGl liIdI dlI parties Ill Tue tIiLtu
States, as | believed, honestly desired and
required the establishment of the Union
however they might differ as to the wisest
means of securing it. This is the way in
which | have been in the habit of speaking
officially or semi officially, and this is my re-
ply to the charges contained in your letter,
so far as they regard in any way the Presi-
dent of the United States
THAT despised American Democracy.
and loudly proclaim that an English gentle
man is the model Of human perfection. is
so pitiful fabrication that [ blush while
denounce it. Any one personally acquaint
ed with me- or who has taken the trouble to
read my writings whether official or histor-
ical, knows that more fervent believer in
American Democracy than | am, does not
exist in the world. My expressions of rev.
erence for the American people during these
few heroic years have erred, if at all, on the
side OF enthusiasm, and have often seemed 70
the sceptical somewhat extrayagant scorn
to dwell longer on the contemplate charge. |
- That / have called Mr.. Seward hone |
lessly degraded, is a wild calumny, and it |
wounds me deeply that you could listen for
a moment to such falsehood In conclu- !
sion, [ have only to add, that beg herewith |
respectfully to resign my post as United !
States Minister at Vienna.
am. Sir, your ob't serv't,
J. LATHROP MOTLEY"
y n