The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-04-14


go TO London? offer you the English mis-
sion. 1t is yours" OF his authority from
the president / know nothing. / speak only
of what he said. My astonIshment was
heightened by indignation at this too palpa-
BILE attempt to take me from my post of
duty; but suppressed the feeling which
rose to the lips, and, rejecting that he was
an old friend and in my own house, an
swered gently, " We have a minister there
who cannot be bettered." Thus already did
the mission to London begin to pivot on
Santo Domingo.
/ make this revelation only because it is
| important to a correct understanding of the
case, and because the conversation from be
ginning TO end was official in character. re
lating exclusively TO public business, with
out suggestion or allusion of personal ma
ture, ard absolutely without the slightest
word Or my part, leading in the most remote
| degree to any such overture, which was I'M
expected as undesired. The offer of the sec
rotary was in no respect a compliment or
kindness. but in the strict line of his endeav-
or to silence my opposition to the Santo
Domingo scheme. as is too apparent from the
facts, while it was plain. positive and une-
quivocal, making its object and import be-
yond question. Had it been merely an in
quiry, it were bad enough under the cir
cumstances, but it WAS direct and complete
as by plenipotentiary.
Shortly afterward, being the day imme-
dlately following the rejection OF the
SanIo domingo treaty, Mr.. Motley was
sUMMARILY REMOVED,
according to present pretense, for an offend
ing not only trivial and formal, but condonei
by time, being a year old-very much as Sir
Walter Raleigh, after being released from
| the tower to conduct a distant expedition
| as admiral OF the fleet, was at his return be-
headed on a judgment of fifteen years
standing. The secretary in conversation and
in correspondence with me undertook to ex-
| plain The removal, insisting for long time
that he was "the friend of Mr.. Motley" but
he always made the matter worse, while the
heats OF Sanlo Domingo entered the discus
sion. The day after the rejection of the San
/ Domingo treaty Minister Motley was re-
moved, and it was not until JAM, 1871, that
the secretary made a formal paper giving his
reasons for this removal. Mr.. Sumner gives
extracts from this document and answers in
a convincing manner their disingenuous-
ness and understandable equivOcatiOn. He
shows that the secretary has made false
statements as to the motives leading TO Mr..
Motleys removal, and he certainly throws
by this explanation burden of proof on to
the secretary which that official will prob
ably find difficulty in removing. Concern
ing his relations to the secretary, he says:
Not lightly would Judge an ancient friend.
For a time said nothing to anybody of
the outrage, hoping that perhaps the .secre-
tary would open his eyes to the true char
acter of the document he had signed and vol
unteer some friendly explanation. Mean
, while proposition to resume negotiations
was received from England, and the secreta-
, ry, is geemS, desired TO confer with me on
the subject; but there was evident conscious
, ness on his part that he had done wrong,
for, instead of coming to me at once, he sent
for Mr.. Patterson, of the Senate, and telling
, him that he wished to confer with me, added
that be did not know precisely what Were
his relations with me and how L should re-
csive him. Within brief fortnight L had
, ! been in conference with him at the state de-
/, partment and had dined at his house, beside
about the same time making a call there.
Yet he was in doubt about his relations with
, me. Plainly because since the conference
, the dinner and the call, the document signed
2 by him mad been communicated to the Sen
ate, and the conscience-struck secretary did
did not know how L should take it. Mr.
r Patterson asked me what he should report
g L answered that should the secretary
come to my house he would bt
received as an old friend, and thai
t at any time 1 should be at his service
g for consultation on public business, but that
: I could not conceal my deep sense of per
2 sonal wrong received from him absolutely
q without reason or excuse. That this mes
] sage was communicated by Mr.. Patterson
: cannot doubt, for the secretary came to my
= house and there was free conference. How
3 frankly spoke on public questions without
y one word on other things, the secretary
Q knows. He Will remember il any inquiry
: remark, or altasion escaped from me excep
: in reference TO public business. The inter
: view was of business, and nothing else.
: On careful reflection, it seemed to MI
j plain, that, while meeting the secretary
o officially, il would not be consistent will
self-respect for me to continus
= personal relations with one who haC
Y put his name to document, which, after pro
t tracted ferry toward acother, contained 1
STUDIED ESsULT
: | to me. where the fury is intensified rathe
: than tempered by too obvious premeditatior
n Public business must not suffer; but, i,
f such a case, personal relations naturally
!. cease; and this rule have followed since
Is there any senator who would have doa
q less? Are there not many who would hSv,
!; done more. In referring again to this same
! remarkable document he says: BY way %
a aspersien on Mr.. Motley and myself IN
n country is informed that he was indebted
Il for his nomination to "infiuence' and ar
h gency on my part. OF the influence know
n nothing; but / deny positively any scr
:. gency." spoke with the president on thi
If subject once casually, on the stairs of tn
~ executive mansion, and then again in
e formalinterview. And here, since the effor
of the secretary, L shall frankly state what
U said and how it was introduced. / beganif,
remarking that, with the permission of tn,
! president, should venture to suggest tn
il expediency of continuing Mr.. Marsh il
" Italy, Mr. Morris at Constantinople, ant
"A Mr.. Bancro1t at Berlin, as all these eXert6(
!. peculiar influence and did honor to ou
4 country. To this list proposed to add DIR
q Howe of Greece, believing that he, too
h would 90 honor to our country, and also Mr.
v Motelyin London, who, 1 suggested would
Z have an influence there beyond his Off
d cial position. The president said that nobody
e should be sent to London who was moi
!. right on the claims question, and he
a kindly explained to me what he meant by
3 fright" From this time had no converse
ton with him about Mr.. Motley, until after
the latter had left fer his post, when the
president volunteered to express his great
y satisfaction in the appointment. Such wa,
o the extent of my " urgency" nor was
g much IN advance of the secretary at thai
Z. time. for he showed me what was called the