The Van Buren press., 1870-01-11
MISCELLANY.
Parker's Private Secreraty.

an incident in the history Of England
which is bit little known, and which you
will not find in books, but one which
nevertheless had great effect on her des'
tlnics
About the beginning of this century
while the Revolutionary wars were rag
ing, communication IN cipher was natu
rally very prevalent; and ingenuity was
taxed to the utmost, On one hand to in.
vent, and on The other to detect, the
medium used in secret correspondence
AS rule, the decipherer had beaten the
cipher, and no known method was secure
OF detection. Ii conventional signs mere
ly were used, the recurrence of the dif'
ferent symbols gave u key easily follow
ed out. Some ingeniyns spirits cerre
sponded by reference to the pages ant
lines of particular editions Of books
methods, although they might preserve
the secret, disclosed what was often quite
as dangerous, that there was a secret.
am about to tell you Of plan which foi
a long time was not only undetccted, but
unsupported.
1t was at that time when the first Ma
poleon had assembled his feet and trans
ports at Brcst, with the ostensible, and
as is generally believed the real view, OF
making descent on England The great
est precautions were observed ty the
English government in regard to CORES
pondence from France, and an amount OF
espionage was practiced at the Post OF
fee, which left Sir James Grahsm's sub
sequent performances in that line far be-
hind The national excitement was in-
tense, aud the political departments OF
the government were administered with
an iron sway.
Ny uncle, Sir George Trevor, was as
all the world then knew. high in the Adj
mirality-and as it was from him that |
heard this anecdote, yeracity may be de-
pended on. .
The dispatches to and from the Ad.
mirality were the subject Of the greatest
vigilance, and the most stringent regula-
tions The clerks were not permitted to
send or receive letters which we're not
first submitted to the chief clerk; and it
was believed that letters addressed even
to private residences were frequently
opened at the post office
At the time l speak of, the chief clerk
was an elderly man of the name of Parker
"a wizened, wiry, dapper individual, so
imbued with the official 'inciure Of W hite-
hail that it had become second nature to
him. He lived and breathed and thought
and slept solely tor the Admiralty; and
knew no other pleasure or care. He was
wltial a genial and kindly. .n"i. keen and
energetic in the affairs OF his office, and
in all others a mere child.
He had assumed as his private secreta-
ry young fellow Of the name Of Beau
mont, who was one Of the most promis-
ing subordinates in the establishment.
He was modest and unassuming, very
good looking, with countenance and an
air suggestive of depression and melan'
choly. lie was evidently Of good educa-
ton, and probably we'll born also, for
his manners were easy, and indicated
good breeding He was a native of Jer.
sey. and had been introduced to the no
llCo VI TIC ANuiiIalitN au'ioiitiSe w oo'hS
Influential member of Parliament. lie
was much liked in the office, and dis
charged his duties to perfection.
One morning Parker presented himself
before my uncle with visage pale with
woe and trembling with exc tement.
"Why, what is the matter, Parker
Has Bonaparte come r.
He may have. for aught ! know"
said Parker " Things arc all wrong,
Sir George"
"What is wrong?'
81 The letters are wrong. There is a
spy among us. have known it for long
now | am quite sure; but i cannot find
him out" .4.
Parker went on to explain that he had
for some time suspected that some one
in the office communicated their private
information and dipatches outside. He
had redoubled his precautions; but, more
than ever confirmed in his suspicious,
was entirely bafiled in his cndeavors to
detect the culprit.
"But, Parker" said my uncle, +" how
do you come to he so sure that your sc
crcts have transpircdY'
"By the funds, Sir George. They an
swcr to the news ms surely as the bell
down stairs answers to the bell-repe, !
find them going up and down as if they
were sitting in the Office said Parker,
personifying the stock exchange for the
moment.
Have all the letters TO the clerks been
cdamincd strictly2"
Yes, read them all myself"
"Find nothing in them Z"
"Mighty little. Some are from home
and some from friends but most of them
from sweethearts, said Parker, twisting
his face into q grim smile, land rum
things they say in thsm.'
"And the young mems letters. Are
they rum, tooY'
"They are more careful like, as they
know am to see them but Lord save
YOU. sir, they are all stuff; not ha'porth
of harm in them"
"This matter must be seen to-" said
my uncle +" have had my own misgiv.
ings on the same subject. Bring me al
the letters which come to and arc sent by
the clerks for the next week. There Is
no reason why you should have all the
rum things to yourself"
SO my uncle had the letters for week,
and found them very much such as Par
ker had described them. The suspicious
symptoms increased the Stock Exchange
Ia