The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-26
SEWARD AND MCTL EY.
WHAT ME-. JOHN BIGELow KNOWS ABOUT TIE
AUSTRIAN MINISTER'S RESIGNATION.

Mr. John Bigeiow contributes paper on ~.
Seward aud Mr.. Motley to tho Juiy-Augnst numper
OF the international ,RepicW Mr. Bige!ow bases ms
claim to = hearing on tho subject OF MI Moneys
resignation OF the Austrian mission to the fact that no
had two private conversations with Mr.. Seward on
shs subject and mis- general knowedse OF the late
Austrian Minister As both Of these eminent gentle
men-Mr Seward and Mr. Motley-are now IN tue
hands OF their bicgrapners, says Mr.. Bgeiow Inc
following statement is submitted as contrlou'
tion toward the recollection Of impressions wnich
are believed 10 have beep the frut OF erroneous
and imperfect Information, and to have done great
injustice who will Ill conspicuous chapter IN
national history. In the month Of March, lSos.
while Mr. BigeIow was breakiasting with DIR. Seward
bis house IN Auburn, few weeks only alter DO nad
ceased TO be Secretary OF State, Mr. Moeys nomina-
ton 10 tho English mission ths day previous became
very naturally the subject Of conversation II re-
Marked" writes Mr.. Bgelow, 'that nothing mad hap
pened auring his career Secretary OF Stale from
which his reputation had suffered much with tho
enlightened classes OF country as from inc
part he supposed have had IN the incidents
which led 20 Mr. Molley's resignation OF the Vienna
mission and expressed my regret thA Judgment had
boon allowed 10 go against him W Default he saa ne
knew the impression lott by that incident was
bad one, but no could not help II.
Then, haYlng obviously forgotten that ne hau
gwen me AN account oil the transaction two years
before, he proceeded to rscits 1t again. made
memorandum Of MS Statemeut6 on UOtu OcCaSOns tuc
day they ieil IRON his iips iney differed IN no in-
porlant particular Wnnout pretending 10 use MT.
seward's precise language | am able. with the ala Of
these notes be ore me, TO give with entire accuracy
tue Impressions wnicu he may DO presumed to nave
Inteuacd 10 leave upon my mind. Ihcy wero IN SUD-
stance as i0llows:-PresdonJ johnson had 0een very
irtsod by what he regarded as the treAcherous
dcscrion OF him by leading republicans In Congress-
May OF the most cons among them, who ike
himself mad ASPIRATIONS Tor yet higher honors had not
hesitxted TO treat him and his measures Win dciD-
crate and aagrant disrespecI White smarting under
fh4Qn mi NJ n IN bA
hod,' nc 70 cved letter from abroad which led lin
TO apprehcnd that the diplomatic representa- ives Of
the government were equally uniai,hiui MIN ana
were cooperating with MS enemies al nome " brIng
him ana his administration INTO contempt he
author OF the letter was obscure man ny the name
oil George w. McCrackin, whose communication would
not prob ably have received attention, even from
dilion OF his mind ut the moment II reached
Instead Of throwing the letter INTO the nre Inc
President handel TO the secretary Of state ana sug
gescd The propriey oil writing to the parties incu-
pated and asking II tho allegations were true. Mr..
Seward knew every man referred 70 ny AcCrackin,
Tor he had appointed MIN; he needed no Information
such The proposed inquiry vas expected 10 elliott,
for his own ejiacation. This, however, he did not
say to the Presiaent. He simply answered, Certainly,
SIR. McCracklLs letter had rendered the President
polous than before OF every body asout him,
and the secrssary did not deem II aprop'tious mo.
ment TO appear less sensitive about The Presidents
dignity than the President himself did. -
Mr.. Seward once wrote TO Mr.. Motley, as we'll as
to the other persons implicated, and received from
him angry undipiomalic letter, in which he re-
signed his p0ston AZ Austrian Minister. Mr.. seward
replied 10 letter that his was eatslac
tory out made no references To Inc resignation When
be saw President johnson and told him the purport OF
MI Aotley's letter, the President reped:-''Wel, let
MN GO" Another letter had to DO written thon. but
by some mistake the nrst letter sent. 10 lmms-
diately cabed the legation at London withdraw II
bag when II should arrive and then wrote 10
Mr.. Motley formally accepting nis resignation.
"Nnen expressed my regret" says Nj Bigelow,
the public timc Mr.. seward replied that that
would been to purchase his own peace at the ex
penso OF tue Presidents, to divert public indigna-
fYssn IA uual n nhtA Ila hA ~
did not comp,rL with MS notions OF Official duty.
remarked that was PITY Motley at least could not
he does know H. was the reply. Are you sure OF
tnatr l inquired Yes said Mr.. Seward,
am sure OF y; Du' though knowing Il. he has has
public Mr.. Stewards manner and Icing mage signihed
that with Motleys friends and with the new President
antagonism 10 him was not unavaIi.ng qualification
Tor Office iavor and that Mr.. Motley ambitious.
Such was substance of Mr. Seward's explanation.
have been careful exclude from It all the implica
tons pure and simple, which It necessarily conveyed
70 the mind Of person familiar rs was with the
political and Official relations Of all tho parties, and
si tho facts aud differences not cxpressly stated by
him, but praSumCq to DC known by me, which
could IN any way qualify or illuminate his
IN his resignation to Mr.. Seward SO pre-
cipitaIely, committed mistake not uncommon with
people who have not boon framed 10 official iife
accustomed to the subordnation Of their personal
VIII to that Of the aggregate Official force, OF whicE
they are only traction. Ne acted with haste ana
With temper-two most ndiscreet ellors every
roession-but especially 10 politics and diplomacy
II Is possible, Of course, 10 ascrioe Dir.
Stewards course 10 the lowest or 10 the highest mo-
uves; a vulgar love OF official Importance or TO
profound sense OF the danger liable to result IRON
brn eng on a crisis tnat should throw tn. State De-
partmcnt and It's then most important INIT ences tno
the hands OF some man TO be selected In a. OF
Jealousy and resentment by President whose
standards, at their best were none oil tho highest.
prefer to believe that Mr. Seward felt AS ict aud
know that many others ict that his continuance In
the state Department during tho remainder oil Prcsi
dent Jon nscn's term OF Office OF serious import
10 the country, anu mat there great peril in
Mr. Motley rendered his resignation for one OF Two
reasons; either because ne felt that Mr. Seward had
wronsed him Ia asking for an explanation oil McCrack
ms letter; or, second, because Mr. AcCrackin had so
correctly represented the views which Mr.. Motley
was known 10 entertain la regard TO Mr. Seward and
the President TO render resg nation the only
OF cx,rcaing himself from faise position. The
offence II any IN the hrst place consisted, not In any
charge or accusation IRON the state Dcpartmcn t
against Mr. Motley, for none was made; but Tor iu-
forming Mr.. Motley that certain charges mad been
made against HIM 10 tho President by an Amcri-
Remains tho question, whether Mr..
McCrackin had so correctly represented tho Vows
which Mr. Motley entertained regard TO
Mr. seward and tho President o make his rcsigna-
tion, under the circumstances hrs only drnied aud
manly resource TINS Is question about which u 10
not 80 easy TO arrive at an entirely Satisfactory con-
clusion. IL IL IA matter oil public notoricty that Mr.
Motley owed his appointment entirely ~ desire on
the part oi Mr.. seward 10 conciate Mr. sumner. who
worry sore At the appoin ment oil Mr.. Adams 10
the English mission. In the conversation with Mr.
seward 10 winch have referred no distinctly stated
that no wouia not have thought OF appointing
Mr. Motley upon any her ground. II was notorious
tnat the political relations subsistng between the
Secretary and hr. sumner had not Tor long limo
been harmonious, and u Is equally notorious that
Mr.. Motey's political as we'll n personal sy npatnios
entirely with Mr.. sumner 1t would be very
strange " person naturally 50 frank ia his utter
anccs and so entirely unaccustomod To The
which political lie sooner or later imposes upon
the tongue, should not have allowed his partiaies
mud expression IN his intercourse at least with tho
foreign society IN which he moved. Even had Mr..
Motley been oil moro r-iiccnt nature tnsn he he
might have easily been thrown on mis- guard by tho
impression, when he undou btedly shared with many
others, that us between Mr.. seward aud Mr.. sumner
tho latter was the greater pocsl force VI the Of
government, anu, lore that there less
sion Tor nim, on prudential grounds TO measure his
words y