Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-06-13

recalls his quarrel with Grant and
Fish, in which he was vanquished,
notwithstanding he was backed by
Sumner, and during which shindy he
lost the mission to st. James, the best
Office in the gift of the President.
Motley was a protege and great pet
of Charles Sumner. It was the lat
ter's influence with Lincoln which
secured Motley the mission to Vienna
from 1861 to 1867. When Grant came
in, in 1S69,ho was informed that Sum-
ner was crochety and dictatorial
Moreover Sumner had opposed
Grants nomination, fearing that he
would not maintain fidelity towards
the Freedmen on account of his dem
ocratic antecedents. He (Grant) was
therefore, ready to grant any
thing reasonable to placate the great
Massachusetts, Senator, so that at his
request, two men from that State, to-
wit: Hoar and Boutwell,, were ap-
pointed in the Cabinet, and Motley
sent to England.
At that time Sumner was Chairman
of the Foreign Affairs Committee,
and had had control Of the Alabama
Claims negotiations, which had been
drawing their slow length along
through diplomatic channels without
any reasonable prospect of their sat
isfactory conclusion. The first rup-
ture which occurred between Grant
and Fish ON the one side, and Sum-
ner and Motley on the other, was
when the latter asked Fish for per-
mission to write his own instructions.
That sturdy old sturgeon quietly in.
formed Motley that he was running
the State Department himself, where
upon Motley hustled off to England
with considerable sized flea in his
ear. He was directly instructed by
Mr.. Fish that the immediate settle
ment of the Alabama Claims was q
pet measure Of the new administra-
tion, and he was therefore requested
to present at once the ultimatum OF
this country upon that subject. II
was, however, presently discovered
by Mr.. Fish that Mr.. Motley was in
constant telegraphic correspondence
with Mr.. Sumner upon the same sub.
ject, and that in point of fact he was
recognizing the Chairman of the
Committee on Foreign Affairs and
his instructions, as paramount to those
of the authority which accredited
him to the Court of st. James.
This at once brought about crisis,
Fish demanding the immediate re-
moval Of the insubordinate official
otherwise his own resignation was to
be considered az rendered to the
President.
The removal Of Motley; the tower.
ing passion of Sumner thercat, which
lasted him until the day of his death
the way that Grant and the British
authorities cut red tape and settled
the amount in dispute so SATISFACTORY.
ly to this government, are matters OF
familiar history.
Motley was brilliant writer on
historical subjects, but had little com.
mon sense in his diplomacy. Sumner
was q great orator and statesman,
who left an unblemished record be-
hind him. 1t may be safely said, how.
ever, without attempting to dctract
from their well deserved honors, that
in the fight with Grant and Fish they
came off second best in public esti-
nation. and that in this matter, and
in all the diplomacy of Grants eight
years of power, the management Of
our foreign affairs was administered
with greater tact and ability than
during any other period of our his.
tory.