The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-02
A SEMI-OFFTCIAL EXPLANATION.

WASHINGTON, Jan. l, 1875.
The following comes from a friend OF the Presi-
dent, and Is the result, it is said Of conversation
with him yesterday upon the difference between
the Message and the synopsis. 1t Is, therefore,
virtually the Presidents own explanation and an
important contribution to the question:
The excitement in England and on the Conti-
nent OF Europe Occasoned by the cabled statement
purportlng 10 represent the Presidents Message
was eeedsfoned entirely through the presumption
teegraphic arrangement. The following antece-
dent facts however, may be mentioned IN expia-
nation OF the manner IN which the cursory vie ~ OF
the Message sent from Washington by the general
press associations was prepared. On 'nsu a,ay;
the reports OF the executive departments, CON-
mesoed tie preparation OF his Message. On
tne iolO@ing i1osqay lne nrsa da, Was lar De-
the Cabinet meeting, the last preceding the
assembling OF Congress the competed Message
was read. From that time UP 10 its submission TO
Congress not one line was altered or amended In
any shape whatever. On Sunday, the cay before
Congress met, the Message was placed in the
The same day the agents OF the two general press
associations called at the Presidents house and
were granted an audience. Tuey stated their
mission. ana in conversation the President men
toned some OF the prominent features OF the Mes
from memory. In the course Of this con.
the qasstion. ,Will sa there os any spe;
reply was, "Yes. probably more definite than in
previous Messages" Upon this suggestion the
agent of the Associated Press, whose account ap-
parently formed the ground work OF Reuters
agents version, prepared his construction of
that portion OF the Message. The foreign agent
however, in the preparation OF his abstract appaT-
emily from the Associated s~Press account, as
sumed the responsibility OF converting the
conversational abstract into literal
copy OF the Message by substituting the
frst person. rhe TACT that The first ABSTRACT and
tue real message when publisher In the European
papers did not agree Is thus easily accounted for.
The first abstract as 1t appeared IN the London
papers was called 70 the Presidents attention,
ana created no little surprise TO him. There was
nothing Objectionable IN the abstracts as they
were sent from Washington. That the European
press growis at the version they received Is mat
ter to be explained by their Geographic represent
alive ut New YORK.
ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SYNOPSIS.
Pine star yesterday evening gave still another
and different version OF the origin OF the now
famous synopsis. It relates tnat the agents SAID
that their information was derived from friends
OF The President, who had colversed with them
freely after he had completed his Message, and 1t
was therefore reasonably TO be inferred tnat what
he had said privately would find puDiic
utterance Ia his Message. The star ADDS =
and we know, from careful inquiry this
morning, that the President had nothing to
do with the shaping CT the ioreshadowngs, nor
did he SuperInduce any publication whatever, nor
did any person connected with the Executive
Mansion or wlLn the Cabinet know OF any publlca-
ton to be made. much less prepare an abs tract
OF the Message in advance 0l Its transmission 10
Congress-"
These two stories do not agree, and there are
now before the public not only these two. but that
Of the Republican, ana that oil the press agents.