The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1868-12-03
oorrs.poaasncs o5tAs Democratic Advocate.
Our Washington Letter.
Minister Johnson Radical Strictres-Di-
plomacy-An old Story, dc.
WASHINGTON. ID. c..

l.
Minister johnson Radical Structures
| ptomacy An old Story, dc.
WASHINGTON, ID. c.,
November %, 1868.
Messj;s Editors At last we are
told that the Alabama question so long
pending has been atisfactorily adjusted
between this Government aud Great
/ Britain. This is due entirely to the
diplomatic sagacity of our Minister,
Reverdy johnson, and will no doubt
have the proper effect of quieting the
4 unjust assertions of certain Radical
| journalists, who, it appears, since Mr..
| Johnson's brief residence In London,
have seen all manner Of things in him
to condemn.
First, he made two many speeches for
them; secondly, they allowed that he
was over.sanguine of an early settle
mcnt Of the existing difficulties, and
that Lord Stanley .pointedly snubbed
him at the Municipal London Banquet
for being so and to make matters
worse, in order to reach a climax, they
assert that he is altogether too truculent
to the aristocrats of England
Now, the fact is, these Radical crit
les, are regarding Minister johnson,
with argos eyes, in the hope of discoya
ering something eggregerously wrong
that would warrant his recall. They
are--uot satisfied that any but a Radical
should be the Representative of this
Government at the Court of Std ames,
and they know that, although chosen
for the post by a Republican Senate, he
was mot in any degree SO selected by
being Radical. The eminent ability
of the man is nothing in point Of weight
with them, Tins, however, we have
good reason to believe, was the all per-
vading consideration which gave him
the vote of the Senate. No man in this
country, probably, is better suited to
fill the station of diplomat. His ac-
quaintance with international law, and
the usages of nations his immense le-
gal reputation, sustained for fully bal.
a century before the courts; his pro-
found acquisition Of knowledge, coll ssal
IN its magnitude; and possessing as he
does, in an enyiable degree, keen in
tellect and a faultless memory sit can
not be denied that, judged by this COM
mon standard, the measure of his
abilities are such as to qualify him be.
You'd question for the station he now
occupies. -
| In short, these sneering Radicals are
too weak sighted to perceive that Mr..
Johnson's great reputation, as scholar
and statesman, had long enough ago
preceded him to England, and prepared
the English mind to give him proper
reception; they did not discern this as
reason why the eminent men of Eng
land have met him on terms so friendly.
But, after all, these Radical criticisms
on the conduct of Reverdy johnson, are
similar in their growth and bearingJ
with these of the remarkable Forney,
whose persecution of. Buchanan, they
serve to bring to mind. 1t seems that,
after the election of President Buchan-
an, Forney was not rewarded with Of
fee +; he made this omission very sem
sitive matter; for in his viewit appeared
that the election of Buchanan was the
result of his (Forney's) iudefatigable
exertisns !; (and indeed it might have
been SO, and who cares certainly very
few, at this late day) Be it as it may,
receiving no Office, he poured his broad
sides of abuse into the hapless Buch-
anan as long as he lived although, it
is perfectly charming to relate, after
the eminent Lancasterian died, he devo-
ted one or two columns OF the Washing
ton Chronicle to his appropriate eulogy,
in which he absolutely failed-and
which was quite enough to astonish the
saints-to embody one reproachful sen
timent.
But the principal thing which makes
us now remember the matter of Forney
Us. Buchanan, is the fact that while Mr..
Buchanan was Minister to England he
committed what was deemed by many
of his fellow, citizens at the time seri-
Gus blupder in diplomacy; wherein the
then Premier Palmerston waited upon
him at the ministerial residence, and
intimated that he had something to COM
municate which it was not advisable for
,,Ir. B. to tell his Government for the
present, whereupon Mr. B. refused ut
terly to hear or receive it; SO the Pre-
mier went away from him disappointed.
The true line of policy it was alleged at
the time was for MIR. Buchanan to have
received the communication.
We heard enough of the affair at the
time it TRANSFERRED; but alas |! after Mr.
Buchanan became so unfortunate as to
lose the social friendship of Forney, the
story of imperfect diplomacy was re-
hersed, number of times, probably
legion Even so imperfect is the po-
litical Uneven SO unsteady is the
political gait G. NJ.