Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1871-01-18
The Recall of Mr.. Motley,


The President, in answer to a resolution,
has just sent to Congress the correspondence
with Mr.. Motley, our recent minister to Eng
land, in respect to his recall from that mis-
sion.
Mr.. Motley was appointed minister in
April, 1869. His first official interview with
Lord Clarendon was the 10th of the succeed
ing June. On the 18th of June he wrote
a diepatch to Secretary Fish giving an &C
count of that interview. On the 29th of
June Secretary Fish acknowledged the re-
ceipt OF that despatch in the following com
munication
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
WASHINGTON, January %, 1869.
SIR Il have to acknowledge the receipt
of your dispatch No. 8, dated June II, and
have read with much interest its narration Of
your very important interview with Lore
Clarendon. Your general presentation and
treatment of the several subjects discussed
In that interview meets the approval OF this
department In the course of the conversa-
ton, however, it seems that the president :
view Of the right of every power, when civil
conflict has arisen within another state, to
define its own relations and those OF it's citI-
y
TO that view. as | desire to present it to you,
and as it would doubtless have been conveyed
by you bad your communications been made
in writing. The subject may not again be
topic OF OmcIaI CULhuIUHiOt.tie-A between
yourself and the minister for foreign affairs,
but | venture to call your attention to it.
because of the statement in your despatch
that Lord Clarendon observed, at that part
of your remarks, that if there was to be any
discussion Of principles, it had better be done
thoroughly and to the bottom the president
recognizes the importance of thorough dis,
cussIOp, whenever the subject is resumed,
upon all points of difference. He wishes
whenever negotiation or discussion on the
subject of the Alabama claims, So called,
shall be renewed, that they be conducted in
the United States, and be desires that, at the
proper time. you should convey this wish to
the minister for foreign affairs. Ii is impos
sible to say, at present, when that time will
arrive, but it will certainly have arrived
whenever the British government shall pro-
pose the discussion, or shall intimate desire
to reopen negotiations. In the meantime
you may be well content to rest the question
on the very forcible presentation you have
made of the American side Of the question
Ii was strongly done, and, if there werc ex-
pressions used stronger than required by ur
Instructions, the excess was in the right il
rection, and, stopping when they do and uni
ted as they were, it may well be hoped that
they may tend to impress the minister with
the seriousness of our appreciation of the
grievances we have sustained. l am, sir,
your obedient servant
HAMILTON FISH.
JOHN LoTHRoP MOTLEY, ESQ.
This letter contains the only dissent of
President Grant or Secretary Fish to Mr..
MotIey's conversation with Lord Clarendon,
made known to Mr.. Motley until after the
latter had been, about the first of last De
cember, peremptorily ordered to turn over to
the secretary of legation all the papers con-
nected with the mission to Eugland. All
that the State department had then to say
was that the - Presidents view s. was not
conveyed in precise conformity to that
view 80 but that 50 it was strongly done,
" and if there were expressions used strong
"er than required by your instructions
80 the ercess tCas in the RICH! direction, and
e stopping when they do, and united as they
i've It may well be hoped that they may
/" tend to impress the minister with the Sc
e'riousness of our appreciation of the griev
se ances we have sustained This certainly
IS not severe rePFooi lI comes very near De-
ing praise.
Thus matters continued Mr.. Motley hav-
ing no further reason TO suppose his course
did not meet the approval of our govern
ment, for period of thirteen months and
during that time he was employed in nego-
tiating treaties and in conducting all other i'm
portant matters connected with his mission.
Suddenly, and without any previous notice,
he received, on the 18th of July last, the fol-
lowing: