New-York tribune., 1874-08-14
BRITISH TOPICS.
PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Personal NOTES FROM LONDON.
SUCCESS OF GOVERNOR JEWELL AT sr PETERSBURG
DEPARTURE OF Mr.. BANCROFT FOR NEw-YoRk
-DIsCOvERY OF IMPORTANT HISTORICAL DOCU-
hENTs-sIR SEYMOUR FITZGERALD PERHAPS 10
BE BRITISH MINISTER AT WASHINGTON.
tFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUsE.l
LONDON, Aug. 1-Our new Postmaster-Gcneral
and late Minister to Russia Gov Jewell, is in town
this week on his way home. So we have one good
representative the less in Europe. Gov. Jewell has
been IN st. Petersburg rather less than year. IN
that short time he made imselfpersonally liked and
respected, which is something, and restored the dig
nifty the Legation from the degradation-the word
is not too strong-into which it had fallen in the
hands of Gov. Orr which is more. have heard at
various times during the past year very good ac-
counts indeed of our affairs at st. Petersburg or
diplomatic secrets don't pretend to speak; very
likely we have none but of two other matters which
are of some consequence. First, the personal rela
tiOns between Gov. Jewell and the Emperor and his
Government. These were excellent throughout,
and 1t is not a slight thing that they should Do fof
upon the good or i'll opinion which the Emperor ana
his advisers have of the individual who represents
the United States depends in great measure his use
fulness. So well is this known in Europe that 1t is
the custom, before selecting an ambassador
to inquire Of the Court to which he Is TO
to be accredited whether he will be
personally acceptable. The right OF Court
to refuse to receive ambassador who may be per-
sonaly unacceptable to the sovereign near whom he
is to exercise his functions, is fully recognized In
European diplomacy. Such refusal is no ground
Of offense or of remOnstrance. Whether we follow
this custom can't say, but we certainly ought to
follow it, 80 Tar az not to send abroad man
VIGOROUSLY unfit for society, ignorant OF social
usages and personally disagreeable We were
simply dsNaced by such men as Orr, and by MI
Cassus Clay before him. Gov. Jewell has done as
much as could be done in twelvemonth to efiace
OrIs memory. 1t cannot be too much to ask OF the
Government at Washington to send successor 10
Gov. Jewell who shall continue the good impression
he has created. There were enemies oil ours WHO
relied the evil ways of Clay and Orr as means
of weakening the traditional cordiallty between
Russia and the United States. They have been dls-
appointed thus far, but if we were to appoint as
Ministers many more men of the Clay stamp or the
Orr stamp, the hopes of our i-wishers might I'D the
end be ACCOMPLISHED Gov jewell had in one sense
an easy task in coming after Orr. He acquired
however. a reputation which was fattering to hiIn
and useful to us and on his departure the Emperor
showed him marks Of regard which went far beyond
the reguirements of etiquette the usual manlles
tations of courtesy.
The second point | referred to was the relations
between Gov Jewell and his travelling countrymen.
II happens to me TO see a good many Ahlericans'
| They sometimes do me the favor to make me the
| repository of their grievances real OF imaginary
and especially of their complaints against sundry
legations. Now, SO far as know, there have been
lately but two American Legations In Europe the
chiefs of which think it part of their duty to provide
offices which Americans may visit without feeling
that they are intrudng. The two are faris anu 81
| Petersburg In both of these there Is reception
room apart from the rooms occupied by the Minister
and Secretaries and in which visitors may slt DOWN
and talk or read a newspaper and stlli DE sure tha
they are not trespassng on the time OF any one WHO
hoe official duties. Gov Jewell went so far as to
provide files of American papers and SET up Post-
office for the benefit of his countrymen, things more
feasible in St. Petersburg where Americans are ie"
than in Paris where they are many. Inever knew
an American TO say he made To feel himself un-
| welcome In either Legation. If he had any claim
IN further attention. that also was certain to DE De-
stoyed on him in ST. Petersburg. As have mentioned
Paris must say that the circumstances are too dit
ferent to allow of the comparison beng pushed
Mr. Washburne does much more than we nave
right to expect of him. considering hls salary ana
| the numbers of Americans who are always throhs-
ing Paris The whole question is much too large 10
| discuss in paragraph. 1t Is enough TO polht OUT
| that Gov Jewell took pleasure IN welcoming
Americans and in making them feel at home at the
Legation and in his house. If he is to have sue
cessor without n considerable private income, ana
| the disposition to spend it, the place VIII prove
| difficult one.
II is characteristic of so energetic man as Gov
| Jewell that he applied himself in London to the
business of his new Office heard OF hun AT seVeral
American banking houses, asking what they wanted
done about their American correspondence. Inc
answer was the same in all cases: OlVe us ils'
Tuesday mail from New-YOrk and persuade the
British authorities to accelerate the service from
Queenstown. The latter task may be hopeless, but
believe Gov. Jewell has brought these complaints
To the notice of the POst-Oice here. IL they VIII
not do what is wanted it can be hing but parsi-
monv which prevents them. Lord John Manners,
the British PostmasterGeneral, is, OF course. very
civil to his American colleague, but the real heads OF
the Department here are secretaries and clerks.
Gov Jewell has gone to-day on visit to Mr.. and
Mrs Sartors in Hampshire and sails next week. Sat
urday for New-York Meantime lie visits the North
Of England.
Mr. Bancroft and his wife sail for NewYOrk to-day
His London visit has been, hear, pleasant one to
him. and it has brought him one valuable contrbu-
tjon TO his Uistory-nothing less than a " find" of
important original manuscripts. 1t was not, how
ever. Mr. Bancroft who found them. 1t happened
some time since that young Englishman OF rank
the second of the late head of wealthy and Ia
nous family conceived the notion OF Writing the lie
of one Of his ancestors. Here you see an lncldehtai
advantage of that remarkable institution known as
primogenture If he had been the heir TO the great
estate which has descended upon his elder brother
he would have been too much occupied in taking
care of his property TO think of composing biogra-
ply Of his great at-great-grandfather. He might not