Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-11-20
4 RUSSIAN WIFE'S REVENGE.
FIT TAT-A CHOICE MORSEL
OF DIPLOMATIC SCANDAL.
Back Stairs History of the Reason
why the Attorney-E eneral Ia not
been sent TO ST. Petersburg.

to a friend. let's out a bit of gossip rife
among the every select few" who en-
JOY the confidence Of that most anna
BILE ana diplomatic lady, the better-balf
of our highly respectable Secretary Of
State. This bit o. gossip is communi-
Gated with many assurances that It is
'awfully contidentiap' and that ga
publication of ii or even an intimation
concerning it in the public prints
would create panic III society here,
(Washington)'. But the fair purveyor
Of news is over-cautiOus. The publ
crtion of her awful confidential bit of
court scandal viii not harm anybody,
though it will interest a great many
people. Moreover, it touches upon a
theme Of inter national interest and
demonstrates that n tho diplomacy of
nations, So well as in the dealings of
Individuals, time calls around occa-
sionauy, and makes things even.
Tho pitiiul story OF Madame de
Catecezy is still fresh in the public
memory. Her beautiful face las in
deed vanished from the saloons Of the
corps diplOnaUti9uG; her queen like
presence is 10 longer LGo1n in the
pariors Of the Capitol nor III the gal
ler,es Of the Capitol; her gol;j-sh-eded
HAIR 80 longer uutyieS the sunshine On
tie promenade SIDE OF t.!e avenue.
She his goAc back % ;.Cr II ,;.loyito
home, carrying with iioc many bitter
memories Of America, many wounds
Of pride alt - sit a. tuo lands of
American men a.. woMcu. But those
who knew her bls., aa,. who had no
selfish interest il L. downfall, re-
member her pleasantly ..:.s svIe crate
fully cherished n return.
Among those who nooIild 30 the on
sl.:uGht, after Mrs. Fish, ia the strong
sa!f-riGh toCiueas OF her Connecticut
oItic-bi9oI, hao least the hrst stone, -
WIS tLat other leader Of society III
Washington, Lrs. AttoIney-General
Williams. 1t IS lot pertinent here to
resurrect the Catacazy scandal in de-
tail. Nor is it requisite to reproduce
the hoarse whispers that were rife at
select tea-tabies, and swelled INFO out
spoken allegations behind mysterious
curtains last Winter. when somebody
was OF trial before the Senate Julici-
AIRY Committee in respect to his men
sai, moral and social fitness for the
Chier Justiceship. In both cases the
story has been told, and is of house
months ago tie country Was astonish-
| cd by the recall OF Minister Jewell
from st. Petersburg to take the posi-
Office portfolio. Then came the usual
Vaccinations IS to who might be the
choice of the Sphinx IL the White
House Tor tho succession.
Prominent among the names men
toned was that OF the Attorney Gene
raj. lie would like to deepen and
broaden his already elaborate culture
by q lew years OF diplomatic inter
course with the ruling inteliects Ct the
Old world. The madame pinned for q
change OF social atmosphere ard of
scene. Washington had been the
theatre of her humiliation. \ wicked
and calumnious half dozen Of newspa-
Per correspondents Lad en- Uttered her
lie and stung her soul. What balm,
then, so sweet as the social yiudica-
ton Of being received with 0mhassa-
dOcial hOnors IL The haughty court Of
all the Russias ? 50 there was talk OF
Williams and the Russian mission. Il
IS 10 secret that some Of t.ia elderly
and dignifed DANES who lend to
" ashlngton society q prudegY that IS
not altogether uLne9dtuI 20 preserve
the equilibrium OF decencT have lorg
revolved IN their minds lie woman
from Oregon, along with tAe problem,
What shall we Go W:,d he - II She
weot to Russia, TIE prch.c.u would he
solved. 1t wonid 10. bo necessary fuT
a lady in Washington to exchange calls
AID CARDS vita Il LADY n -. Peters
burg. The tail n0Laton Ga Rhode Is
land avenue, with its yard. whose
beautiful terTacng and Soddino were
explained in the testimony taken by
the JOINT select CONT ittte on the con-
duet Of the board OF public works of
the District OF eCOlumhin, would be
closed or leased to some ono Who
would not "en.barrass societT." 1T
was happy thought. Williams you'd
resign his command of the army and
navy, let so the Threats o. Lou s;aua
and Alabama, and sail for S.. Peters
burg with the credentials OF ijrst-
class mission in his pocket. Mrs.
Williams would so with him. and :ae
Kit-kat Club Of the West End would
breathe free once more.
Dut all Of a sudden the talk ceased.
Presently it was seni-onicialiT an
nounced that there was 10 idea Of
sending Williams 10 Russia; that his
gigantic legal intellect could not be
spared from the department OF Justice
at this Particular juncture without
grave peril to free institutions. The
cause OF this sudden change IN our
diplomatic policy toward the govcru-
meEt Of Alexander Ii might forever
have lam : mystery but for Tie native
enterprise OF ouc young lady, who
writes to tell her friend al about II.
1t seems there IS "s3ciefy ia II.
Petersburg" as well as .roc;ety in
Washington. and 1t seems that GER
tain people not far from I, S33 G street,
Washington, .'t-:Ie party by the
uamc Of d'U1Ienburr IS aupposed to
reside, quietly suggested t. some pee
pie ii tie vicinity Il i 500 [ street,
where IS Located the d ..3iciIo Of Dig
uifed persoHage by the name OF Fish. !
that perhaps the Russian 70 -er1men5
would consider itself bound to adhere
to the dipl3matico-sociai precedent cs-
tab.ishod IL the CatacaZv case. This.
YOU sec, = the diplomatic way Of put |
ting things. The ambassador or min
lister resident never SAYS aDy thing. |
But he uttera a great many rarabIes,
and gracefully 1uterwincs his small |,
talk with an inf..itude q iaa!laat;ous. |
1t is a part OF his education.
Thus the Russian envoy e1traordi |
nary, the Baron Henri d'O1tnburg.
could never have said to the precise |
ana punlpvee Fish, ssGir, Wy, rr~.-n,.,,
ment will feel bound to apply TO the |
Gaze of Mrs. Williams the precedent |
which your government established in
The case of Madame De Catacazy.'. That
would not have been diplomatic, But
he may have said something like this:
Sir, the Russian Government, which
have the distinguished honor to rep
resent, (matual inclination of the dip
omatic heads.) is characterized by It's
idelity to precedent, even in the mi
lutest affairs pert lining to the inter
course of nations Nothing was said
about Mrs. Williams, nor about
Madame the Countess de Catacazy.
Then the erulite Fish counts his dip
omatic fingers. Mem. The Russian
government IS devoted to precedent.
Mem. The Government Of the
United $ ;stas once secured the recall
f a Russian minister on account OF
one alleged infOrmaiities in his court |