National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1878-02-23

papers at their control and dead men for
their subjects
Speaking Of this article which seemed to
demand notice, the General said:
1t is most unjust and does not reflect credit
upon the reputation Of Mr.. CURTIS for honesty
and fairness. II Is assumed by Mr.. CURTIS and
other defenders OF Mr.SUMNER that In some
way wantonly attacked the reputation Of
Mr.. SUMNER and Mr.. MOTLEY. Now here are
the facts: When Mr.. MOTLEY died was In
England. Two articles came to my attention
one from the pen Of JOIN JAY and the other
from that Of Mr.. SMALLEy, of the Tribune.
Both Of these articles did myself, and especially
Governor FISH, great justice, saying, among
other things, that we had killed Mr.. MOTLEY,
although he left his mission In 1870 and died
In ls0. Bone time after l was travel
ing from London to Edinburgh and l met
Mr. COPELAND on the train, who
was representing the New York Herald. |
took occasion to speak to Mr.. COPELAND Of the
articles Of Mr.. JAY and Mr.. SMALLEY, and of
their injustice, and to state the real facts as
remembered them. The train was travelling
about iorty-fve miles an hour at the time, and
no notes were taken. Ny statement was writ
ten out aftcrward by Mr. COPELAND from
memory, and sent to the Herald without my
seeing it. When the paper containing the
article reached me, i saw plainly that the
author had endeavorcd to state the converse
ton with accuracy; but there were some
errors both of omission and commission, rs was
most natural under the circumstances. 1t has
been SO long since | read the article that can
not specify what these errors were.
But never said that Mr.. SUMNER. In stat
ing " that when he was removed from the chair
manship of the Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations he left a clean docket, Mr.. SUMNER
asserted what he knew TO be n falschood.."
The fact is, clean docket" is term that has
4 = =
admirers to give this uncallcd-iOr controversy
turn that would enable them to contra
dict my statement successfully. What | said
was was entirely in relation to what had
passed between Mr.. CURTIS and myself in a
| conversation at Long Branch, when he asked
me TO use my influence to have Mr.. SYM
NER restored TO his former position Oh the
| Foreign Relations Committee. Mr.. Curtis
should remember that told him that had
nothing to do with the formation Of the SEN
| ate committees, and that il | had would not
| regard Mr. SUMNER rs proper man for that
| committee under the Administration, because
| he had put himself out Of relations between
| the Secretary Of State and myself aud with
out any reason, 50 far rs either Mr.. FISH or
myself were concerned. | told Mr.. CURTIS
that the chairman of that committee above all
Others should he an good terms ut least with
the Secretary Of State. | said also to Mr..
CURTIS that Mr.. SUMNER had a most unfoItu.
nate temper for any business transactions. He
| was dngmntic opiniOnatch, inftliblc, in his
own estimation-thc be-a'l and do.all in any
matter of which he took part of u temper that
made business with him almost impossible In
proof of this stated that when Mr.. SCMNEI.
| was relieved from the craftsmanship of his
| committee there were several treaties before
| him seven, nine. or Cl"vCn-nOt acted upon.
| told Mr.. CTRTfs that some of these treaties
had been before the committee for about six
t...a L. hat .
know the fact. | would venture the assertion
that the other members of the committee
did not even know of their existence Mr.
CURTIS replied that this could not be true, as
Mr. SUMNER had todd lin that, when he was
displaced, the work before his committee was
finished and there was nothing for his sue
ccSsor to do. told Mr.. CURTIS that / was very
glad that in any question of vcracty between
Mr.. SUMNER and myself il should be upon u
point easily determined, and that he should
be convinced | was right | ut once wrote 10
the State Department for list of the treaties
and conventions before the Committee on
Foreign Relations at the time of Mr..
SUMSERs removal their nature, the
time they had been under considcrI.
ton by the committee, and their final
disposition. Tho reply from tho State
Department showed that there were, as far rs
| can rccolect now, twelve treaties aud con.
vcntiOns, and that Of these twelve two had
bean before the committee for about sixteen
months. ! see that Governor FISH says there
were nine; but my recollection is that the
number was twelve. ] sent the list that came
from the State Department to Mr.. CURTIS. He
can answer whether was right or not, and II
he cannot, then the Hon. J. G.. BANCROFT
DAVIS can. Mr. DAVIS was acting Secretary
OF State at the time and answered my letter.
General GRANT also said to Mr.. CURTIS
then that he did not accuse Mr. SUMNER o
intentionally classifying the facts. That is toe
grave an imputation to be made against any
man unless upon the most indubitable evi
dence ofan attempt to deceive
But what said then and what say now Il
that Mr.. SUMMERS temper and nature wcr,
such that he believed his own illusions with
|, out regard to the facts. II really almos
amounted to mental dclusiOn, and, so fal
as his feelings toward Governor FISH ant
myself were concerned, it is most charitable t.
, feel that 1t was a mental delusion.
| told Mr.. CURTIS of one incident showing how
Mr. SUMNER = temper and nature were affected
This is an incident which can also be verified
A House bill had passed Congress during re
construction times. This bill was popula
with the admirers of Mr.. SUMNER. and /
originated in the committee of which Mr.
boutwell, was chairman. 1t happened tina
+ Mr. boutwell,, who, YOU will remember, tool
structiOn, was almost If not altogether the au
} thor of this bill, and had written it out with
out consulting any one, except, perhaps
, another member of his committee. NOtwth
standing this Mr. SUMNER told Mr.. BOUTwEL
2 that he (Mr. SCMSER) had prepared that bill
f every word and every line himself and hn,
, passed ii through Congress.
General GRANT says he "has no anim0si
ty toward SUMNER or his memory, but hi
admirers, or those pretending to be his al
mirers, Use his name and memory to attacl
, me-"
, He devotes but few words to the hy
pocrsy of Mr.. join JAY:
Here" said the General, smiling, "is NJ
JAY among the admirers and defenders of Nj
!. SUMNER. Now, Mr.. JAY, as no one knows $
# well as Governor Fish and myself, makes
& prctcNt of culOgizing the dead to attack Coy
ernOr FISH. If any one hated Mr.. SUMNER
was Mr.. JAY at the time of the appointment
G of Mr.. MOTLEY rs Minister to England. NJ
A JAY wanted to go TO England, aud was sorcl
: disappointed that change would not i
II made in his favor, even after Mr.. MOTLEY la
= been fully assured of his appointment. VI
n JAY most probably forgavo Mr. SUMNER b,
=, fore the Senator's death, but he blamed hig
for his failure TO 60 to London"
Speaking Of Mr.. MOTLEY, the General r,
u ierred to his dislike to say anything tn;
| could be construed into reflection on III