Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-01-10
FISH-MOTLEY CORRESPONDENCE
E0ilsy Explains TIE Delays Incident to the
Adjustment Of the Alabama Claims
Why MsiIsy souldnt ResIgs.

LEGATION or THE UNITED STATE. ,
LONDON. Decem Der z, 1870.

LEGATIoN or THE UNITED STATE. :
LONDON, December z, 1870.
Rsserring 20 my No. 5Z5, I have
now the honor TO state your No. 285
accompanying the letter, addressed bv
She President TO Her Maiesty thu
Quesu, announcing my recall, was
received by me on she 23d ultimo.
Z had an interview with the principal
Secretary Of State for foreign affairs The
ssme day, and verbally communicated 10
him The fact OF my recall. As Hsr Msiestv
was then iu Scotland, hut intending to
return very soon 10 Windsor Castle. Il
was agreed upon between Lord Granville
and myself that it would be best to defer
for q few days my formal note annouuc-
lag that I bad been intrusted with the
above mentioned letter from the President.
Accordingly, on the 29th ulfimo. I made
a written commun cation Of his Lord
ships copy, which I appended On ths
4.L instant / received a notification an
nounctng hat Her Msiesty would receive
me on the 9Th, and on the same dav q let
tsr from Lord Granville, OF which a copv
is annexed. On the oh instant [ had the
honor Ottsking leave of Her Msisstv. and
stated. In accordance with your instruc-
u0us, tha desire OF the President O. main
tain gbe friendly relations which now so
happily exist between the two countries
JpOn retiring from my mission on tho
TLn instant ] committed the archives and
other property into the hands Of Mr.
M1rsu, who has now charge Of Legation
Having thus closed my brief mission
20 this Court, think IL proper 20 place on
record a statement OF the manner in
which is has been terminated. On the
18th Of June last / read in the Jelegraphie
Intelligence from the United States to the
London journals the announcement, IN
official but verified by subsequent events.
thst the President Of the Uuited States
had sizuihed his intention Of removing
me from my post. i would be imp0ssi-
bic for any diplomatic agent 60 believe
himself more thoroughly possessed Of the
confidence Of tbs Government which be
had the honor 10 serve than 7 supposed
myself entitled TO st that moment, no il
timatilu OF the C0ntem plated change
having been made. No shadow of differ
euCs Of opinion existed between the
President and his Government and my
self as 20 our relations with Great Britain
or any Osber power, or the general policy
of his administration, and I was at that
very period engaged in as delicate and
C1lhdauual s. 1lpiOmGriC cores spOndsnce
with yourself and the British Govern
meut upon several important matters as
could sell hs cgnGdGd by a Government
10 O foreign FEHut. The report ia the
newspapers dismissed therefore as idle
O.
being incapable, as l believed, OF thus
dealing with a public servant whom be
hal himself SO recently appointed. II al
q change been contemplated 7 felt certain
I should have been privately informed
nrst, and publicly afterwards. II I'd any
charges OF d=Telicti0n been possible, I
was sure they would have been pre-
fsrred % my face, so that 1 might
have hsu an opportunity OF answering
them, had pua-ic service or even the eXi-
geueiss oi party policies made a change
IN this mission necessary In the opinion of
the President. / ecu c not dUu5. rhatLhe
C0ur- sgus dispatch would have spprised
me OF the fac- sn5 reasons, coupled with
an aeEEOWlG1g gupur. which felt myself
entitled Co. that i had been Jealous and
faithful Iu the discharge Of the high Office
with EhIcl The President and Senate had
hOuur-l me. No man has the right 10
doubt thar, iI such case, i would 90 once
have offered my resignation. Nineteen I
days later than the appearance of the orig
lnal announcement, frequently repeated I
and commented upon sfterWard by the !
journals of the United SJstes and this
country, I had the honor TO receive. on I
the l5 b OF July. a letter from yourself, TO
the following effect:
"PRIvATE.
"WAsHIyGT1N. JuIvI. 1870.
a. Latbr0p Motley, E-q London.
''aT--L a.u Instructed Dy The President /
OF the United States 10 say bat he finds II ]
dss rsuis r0 make change iu the mission I
10 EuE.aul, and wishes TO aIIOw YOU an /
pF1rlILlty li sIgulug, in cass you feel /
inclined 20 0so. With great respect,
signed HAMILTON FISH,
Secretary OF state "
Complying with the request contained /
iu vOuE Drist Telegram received few hours
earlier than The letter, -I midnight, July
lZ-l. which WaE 10 this effect: ' I sIn
directed % say thai the President would I
Ike au answer b. telegraph of my letter I
Of lhe Est INST, I sent you on tEs l4th
Jf I-y telegram in cipher g. follows:
Do I respectfully request YOU 70 inform the
Preside that I feel compelled TO decline
The offer be makes me in giving me an Op-
pJr-uuliy OF resiguing my post for the
set forth in full in my let |
Ter today The telegraph soon informed
The world that a gentleman was nOmiua-
Ted ln ihe Senate as my successor on that
same day-ths l4Jh OF JuIy-and con-
lrmed on the 18th Thus nv reception I
lf the Presidents first and only nUti6cs-
lion % me, my refusal By telegraph 20 re-
sign, che nomination OF uIv SUCCESSOR. and
confirmation ry lls Senate, were events
al comprised within about f0rrv-efght
hours. MY letter was sent in the dis
patch bag hat day, buG OF course it could
DOT arrive until many days later. Jt was
10 these words;
"LEaAII0S OF THE UNITED STATEs.H
LONDON, July IA, 1870.
"sT-l have the honor 10 receive your
lrlF Ste letter from which 4 learn Won
IRE INSTRUCTED oy the President % saw he
iuls 90 desirable to make change in the
mission tl England, and wishes l1 allow
ne The opportunity OF TesiRuIug ia case { A.,
eel Inclined TO do SO. In compliance ,
Flll tn6 request contained i'm your LeLa- ,
ram of the l2.h inst, have replied this
lay % the above mentioned letter bv tels-
.rapl, The text of the above cited tele-
ram is then givsn) have now 70 Oh
erve, In further explanation Of NV
1urse, that as no reasons are given why
should resign the post 10 which L was
ppOluted BY the President fifteen mOntbg .
go, with, believe, the unanimous { Z
0ussut of the Senate, and a. I myself !
new none, and 81 ] au not conscious Of y
.aFlng ever omitted 10 carry out. To the ,
'sst or my ability, lhs policy and in
Jruc-i0us OF the President during the
.srio1 oi my mission, ] fail 10 perceive /
7ny should BE- asked 10 offer my Tssig-
allgn. Certainly Do b. not my wish 10 l ,
mnarrazs an administration which I
ave always faithfully supported Bug /.
owe something 90 myself Were I
now 20 msks use Of the permission 1
4a :
Old 30 90 avoid removal, which knew I
D be just and escape the stigma which ] s
20 % be- deserved As know the record
my mission as DC stands on the archives
the Department and this Legation 20 be- =
rec from intentional fault. and a. I have h
1sreIors no reason 90 shun the sJrictest 1
1rulluy in this regard, do not ike % =
ave even the appearance Of making
Jutfary admission. A man IS scmetimas "a
srIultIed to resign a poet of honor ard
5spocIa1illty ln order % escape examina-
0u5 c7uaure and remOval5 but q rasigna- e
lon under such circumstance fs NOT a
ACT, and does not seem to me 10
ldsr essentially from removal; therefore !
re-ignaJion on my part would be mis- !
ndsrstoad by many, both AZ home and
broad, whose opinions I value.
" With great respect :
(SIKnedJ y, LATHROP MOTLEY
i suppose, OF course, this letter duly :
5acIsd YOU, although its receipt has new
r been acknowledged, nor indeed q single -.
ne since your above quoted letter has h
BEN received by me in regard to my re- :
oval or the app1iutment Of any one or :
loLler gentleman % This post, until She q
rival of your before men Toned dispatch I =
the TO Of NOvemb Der last. 10 would
dimCult % treat an envoy of The q
nlted oLa, o., accredited 10 a sovereign I =
JWerful government with more marked "
srsspec5 OF ms Cmcial position or his
eiiugs IS a loyal citizen Of the Repub-
g, than has been done in my case: for.
/ am aware, no regularly confirmed zl
mister Of this court has ever been re- 81
owed by the President who appointed
has generally been admitted in our g
.unJTV that power aud responsibility Z ss
e iuaeparabls, and that Repu blicau con q
itullOua are founded upon reason, fus- "
55 aud honor, not upon arbitrary will:
,ti the Government Of the United States
.s deliberately y wrought as much injury {
my reputation IN an honorable posi- m
Jn as it could do, and with no charge I 4,
.alnst me. My smbitiOn always has "a
en 20 deserve The good opinion Of my f-
unJrymeu. The American people are y
50 ana honorable, and should be IN
lined If they believed me uufsitbfuI in ~