Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-06-08

Mr.. John Lothrop Motley died of paraly
sis at Kingston Russell House, Dorsetshire.
the residence of his sOn-in-law, Mr.. AlgeI
non Sheridan, Tuesday afternoon. Mr..
Motley was born in Dorchester, Mass ;,
April Is, 1914. His maternal ancestor,
the Rev. John LOthrop. was one of the
original Pilgrim Fathers, and his paternal
foreiathers were Qnakers. lie graduated
at Harvard, at the age of II, and alter
wards studied at Gottingen where he made
the acquaintance of Bismarck who was
then young student. ln 1911 he was ap-
pointed Secretary Of Legation at st. Peters
burgh but held the place less than year
In 1861 Mr. Lincoln appointed him United
States Minister to Austria. In 1867 an
American who was Swinging round the
circle" in Europe. one McCracken, includ
ed Mr.. Motley in a list of American repres-
entatives abroad whom he denounced to
Secretary Seward as being in the habit of
openly and unfavOrsby criticising the
policy of President johnson The Secre-
tary demanded an explanation from Mr..
Motley in terms which the latter regarded
as offensive, and after brisk correspon-
and came home. After the Inauguration
Of President Grant, in 1863, Mr.. Motley re-
ceived the appointment of Minister to Eng
land in the place of Reveriy johnson, who
had incurred good deal of odum by his
too fluent and too flattering after dinner
speeches in regard to the relations between
the two countries. lie was not SUCCESS
as Minister to England. The Englishmen
resented his assertion Of Il right to ''con-
sequential damages" in the matter OF the
Alabama claims, while his undisguised ten
dency to seek his instructions from Mr..
Sumner, who was Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations, rather
than frcm tho State Department annoyed
the Administration. lie finally broke with
the traditions of the diplomatic service by
making statements to the British Foreign
Secretary, which had never been authorized
by the Stats Department, and this led to
tart correspondence with Mr. Fish, which
closed with hint that his resignation
would be accepted. From the blow thus in
tlieted it is said he never really recovered,
and it caused him to avow more frequently
than his be,t friends could have wished his
preference for the English over tho Amer;
can methods Of administration, and for
English over American society. His health
also began to givo way, and two years ago
ho was struck down with a slight shock of
paralysis. from which he never fully rallied.
Mr.. MOtley''s literary career was more sue
cessful than his diplomatic. His first book
was novel entitled "MortOI's Hopo." and
his second another novel entitled Merry
Mount" Both fell stillborn. and he turned
to History. In 1856 his Rise Of the Dutch
Republic" written alter five years study
abroad, made him famous 1t was publish
ed in London and New York, and wa
translated into German and Russian.
Ia 1860 Mr.. Motley, who had continued
to reside mostly abroad, brought out the
first two volumes of the second portion of
his work. entitled "Tho History of the
United Netherlahd- irun the Death OF Will
liam the Silent to tho r~e,yo Years Truce,
l6O9;" and in 1867 this was completed in
two additions s.'rTcs. In 1874 appeared
"The Life and Death Of John Of Bsrneveld,
Advocate OF Holland; With View OF the
Primary Causes of the Thirty Years War"
All of these works were intended by the
author as preliminary to a great history
OF the Thirty Years War" which he de-
sired to write a. the crowning act OF what
he called an Eighty Years Tragedy" 1t
is understood that he has been at work dur
ing the last three or four years on this. but
his health has been 80 poor as to make it
probable that he has lett his task far from
completion.
Mr. Motley married a sister Of Mr.. Park
Benjamin, of New York, and leaves by her
two daughters, one married to q son of Mr..
Sheridan. OF Frampton Court, at whose res
idence, Kingston-Russell, the cradle of the
great English family Of Russell, he died.
and another who was not long ago married
to Sir William Ilarcours, NJ. P. the Ills
toricus" of the London Times, who was
SoIcitor-Gcneral under Mr.. Gladstone.