The New York herald., 1869-01-30
Much Ado Abort Nothing.

in adding to the archives of the State Depart
ment another heavy volume of correspond
ence. The Minister last fall, as matter OF
paramount public duty, urged the Admiral 70
60 with his whole squadron to the rescue OF
two members of our late Minister Wash
burns legation in Paraguay, held under arrest
by Lopez after Washburn's release, which was
due to Webb's persistent demands. Webb had
talk with Davis on the subject Of the two
detained officials by Lopez and then wrote
Davis October 6, 1869 long letter, enclos-
ing still longer one from Washburn, on the
state Of things in Paraguay. Davis responds
October S):-s'Since your opinion is formed
without knowledge of all the circumstances
of the case, may not possibly attach so much
value to it as you seem to expect;' and that 8
all he has to say. Webb Is fred up by this,
and October 81 writes to Davis regular lee
ture, hot and sharp, but full Of dignity, at the
opening Of which he says:-"0n returning
rom the United States Consulate yesterday
afternoon, when passing Portuguese corner
grocery known as Portuguese Jpe's, the pro-
prietor stopped my carriage and placed IN my
hands your official letter dated yesterday. :,
The lecture closes with this Feprimsld -
should this corresb6ndence Sc continued request
,ou NE, that that You have heretofore forwarded
same ms..3s nsnondence- is by boat from
Inc Guerrere direct " yr attars sua ~
snqgla BE- please & he Meet
snce between the United States Minister an tAs
now esas y 81 saa Be M
corner grocery to be forwarded when the proprietor
groceries to the Minister'S Kitchen One proceeding
OF that nature is quite Sufficient to indicate your con-
tempt for the sn1ss. dlscYssea even not intended
to be personally offensive to your Minister.
Admiral Davis replies October 13) that the
style, language and imputations Of the Min
ister's letter forbid, to the Admiral, the con-
tinuance of the correspondence. Minister
Webb then, after another letter to Davis, trans
mits the whole correspondence to Secre-
tary Seward, with long letter reciting
the facts and circumstances, and suggest
ing that either the Admiral or the Minister
should be censured or recalled. So far as the
subsequent facts appear, however, Webb's ad-
vice was not followed; but new minister
General McMahon) was sent up to Paraguay,
with the squadron Of Davis to back him, and
on his appearance the way was opened by the
Brazilians, and the two members of Washburns
legation left by him under arrest were deliv-
cred up by Lopez. Meantime Webb, having
made visit to Washington, has probably left
a rod in pickle for Davis.
In the Webb-Davis correspondence it ap-
pears that the British Minister at Brazil, G..
Buckley Matthew, was very active in pushing
Webb up to his work. For instance October 81,
Matthew writes to Webb :--'' Is your fleet going
down to the river (La Plata) and up? hope
SO. declare to you think we should have
general raid upon the wretch Uopez), who,
with such foe as Caxias (the Brazilian COM
mander), will go on for months" Webb gives
two or three other notes from Matthew, show
ing that the lives of those two secretaries Of
Washburn bliss and Masterman) were in great
danger, that Bliss had been writing as IL under
torture, and that there was no time to be lost.
Now, this Matthew (formerly II. b. NJ. Consul
at Charleston is diplomat OF the same school
as Webb. He is fond Of good dinner, lively
company, gay dresses, pomp and ceremony
and "fuss and feathers" He stands to the
ninth point of hair on his official dignity, and
instead of seeking to avoid an ENHANCEMENT
has decided liking for diplomatic hot water.
1t shows that he is wide awake and doing
something. With two such heads together
against Admiral Davis his only resource was
to stop the correspondence. Otherwise they
might have kept it up to this day and swelled
their Brazilian budget in the State Department
to the magnitude of that Of Seward himself on
the Mexican question.
We all know the peculiar weakness of Webb
on point OF honor, and his readines, in get
ting into scrape, even though it be the scrape
Of other parties. The Duff Green mahogany
stocked pistol affair, the tragical Graves
Ciley affair, the ''serio-comico" Tom Mar
shall Hoboken affair, winding up with Gov
ernor Stewards pardon, were only sharper
illustrations Of this cropping out in Brazil. In
one Of his letters to Davis Webb refers to still
another case. He says October los
General QuItman q Northern man and q class.
mate OF mine, brought me q challenge from Brooks
aiterf isf his brutal assault upon sumner and my aC
count OF that Infamous affair; and, In Justification OF
his bringing the challenge ne informed me tnat no
he proclaimed himself more ultra upon the question
or slavery than .he shareholders themselves. May
not this be the condition OF our countrymen IN the
employ OF Brazils Be this as 1t may, the only pur-
pose for which the United states squadron Is sta
TONED on this coast, at enormous cost to our Trea
sury fs to give protection TO American commerce
and American citizens and to defend and vlndcate
the national nonor, matter by whom assalled.
Here, with Brooks, was an opportunity to
be shot at which was wisely avoided; and
Justice 70 our Minister requires us to say that
In all this correspondence with Davis he
speaks more in sorrow than in anger. We
presume, too, that there would have been no
serious difficulty between Webb aud Davis had
not the Admiral left that letter to his Minister
for delivery at Portuguese Joe's" corner gro
cery. AS IL is, let us hope that this tempest