, 1879-08-20
SEWARD AT RICHMOND.

A T.sttcr Concerning "The Diary of Puh.
lie Man" In tho "Sorth American Ro-
vieW.h
NEWPORT, Aug. 13-7o The Editor Of ths Ntw
Toyh Hord: In the 1por!d OF Suuday, Aug. 10,
/ Irc.il NTH m,uch interest some "reminiscences
ty Nlr. .Tturow Weed OF the Now York Senatorial
conflict OF 1901. In tic course OF those rcmln-
isccuces, Mr.. Weed makes IN al1uson TO "1hc
DarY Of Public Man," pnrt OF which ap-
pcurcd In tho current August number Of the
NORTH american 1tpeN. After spcuktns with
tdfercst of that diary In general, Mr.. Weed coca
on to say:
"Dut tliat part about Mr. Seward leaving
Washington at surh 4 time 10 dtsc with prosAl-
ncnt citizens Of Richmond struck me as particu.
lnr,y Interesting. have been thinking abuut
It good deal. One Of Mr.. 2eward's sons was
hero at breakfast the other das, anil was going
to mention It to lin, but ! forgot oil about It.
can say, however, that no man was mora intt-
mate with Mr. Seward in those times than was,
nini II to accepted such Nh iavltaiinn to 20 to
think OF no occasion for his visiting Richmond
fur such purpose at that time. l WIS III ll.
most constant communication with him, md !
am inclined 10 think TINT thu story Is not true,
although canuot possibly denv It.
1t Ii plaiu from these observations that Air.
Weed lAbors under nl!sappCehcns!on as to the
meanlt. Of tic paa sage Ia ''llle Diary OF Pub
lie Man" TO which he refers, and, ns tle matter
YOUR columns, venture to ask you foE an 90.
portunitv OF clearing It up. ! will BE- as brief
| as possible. The nasaagc Of the :. Diary re-
ferred tu by aIr. Weed bears data teb. =, lsol.
| t1tlcncc III Mr.. Seward shown by the lending
! Yiseiulans then INTENDING tlle peace confcr-
| cnrrs ut Washington, aud refers directly 10
conversation had By himself on @ that aay wsta
tic late Afr. Seddon. This is The pas,asc;
HFcB. s. 1SG1.--1 can anttclpato notlh,g from
the Peace Conyen.!on. T'.e lirEip!ans arc tiriy.
Ing thgs 81 told MI ssau9n ri' asn t1iay sraa mi
nssumrs the aspert rathcr OF an ATTEMPT to
keen Virginia from RceeanE than Of settled
effort to form, bridsc for tue, return Of
the already sccedcd States. Nor nm /
at eli rcassured by his sneulnr confidence
In Mr.. Rewar.l, and Ills mysterious. allusfous to
tic sktllful plans which Ar. Steward Is maturing
for an adjustment Ut Our difficulties. He obvl-
ously has no rea3uct Tor Mr. Stewards character.
md in fact aA,nittcl to me- tuaay as l,urt, tell.
inn nc q story Of alr, Scward's VISIT to Rich.
mond, und Of dinner there given bY n gentle
| man Ut distinction whose natlte ne mentioned,
but 1t has e.cupcd me. At this dinner aceord-
| linz In Mr. Scddoit, d number Of gontleHlcn were
invited TO meet Uoy. Seward expressly becauae
Of their greater or less known sympathy With
what were regarded as his strong views on thc
subject of slavery. Alnung these mas Mr.. Ben
tnr courageous wav In which he maintained tho
ground tint gradual ctnnnclpailon wns the mol
ic1 which Virginia ought tn ailoot. noted thla
name particularly. because, in mentioning 4.
Mr. SedIon SAID: Leigh couldn't come. md II
was well ho couldn't, for be was tuch an old
Trojan Tint II Gov. Seward had made the avow;
al before hiu wa'Sl, he tnaae 1eiors tic rcst Of
hardly rcsttancd from Insulting him on tho
8pot.'
"'rhis aYowa' was in effect as follows: After
dinner, In TT" general ronyersation, some ont
utter officially whit the Vtrginians regarded o.
such truculent language III regard to tho wn1
In which New York should trent Southern rcrla
himself bael1 Il, his cha!r, burst out laughing
violently, and said: rs It possible you gentle
men SUPPOSE hctieEe any such - nonsense
| rs that It's oil very WE'LL and III Tact it's nee
for the hcneat Of The voters. but surely NO ough
to la able to undcrRt md each better over din
ner4tnoleH. Now It doesn't matter In the lcas
whether Mr.. Seward did or dill not eay just tnt'
IN Richmond. Something he must hare sail
Which untsca It pos,ttle for sucl. . story to bs
told n,l believed Of hin by mcn like hir. seu
don; and It IL u serious public mlafostnno al
such tins as ts that such stories arc to'uart
believed by such men q! the nlan who nnDa
rcntIy !s tU control tic first Republican Admin
!stra,on in the face of the greatest difficulties
any American Atlnllllsssrat!on has ever beer
called upon tO rueoltnter."
Of q visit Ut Mr. serasl to Richmond tat TIL
time (" When tie was weltInc. 1lo sncaks ut a,
Incident told 10 him as having otrurrcl durtht
q visit uail by Mr. Seward to Rlel,'nond withou
|p nny way snecfy[ng The tins w!un that visi
was raid. Having no knowledge OF nv own Of
III, subject. uslti having heard from sIycral pcr
sons il1at Mr, Hrwarl never pad my visit at nl
to Richmond; waH naturally iitt.e anxious !.
this story cttel IN New York Journal a. posI
tisetv proving thAt the dlarat could not ba re-
lied on, Mr.. Seward neycr having n!ncd IN kleh
nnn1 at a,l. therefore runsutcd the yo!um
OF Iii. sewar,l's autobiography anl letters put
: lIsheI hy his sou. There, at page 175 lnn
Mr. soward, In letter from DaItlmors giv,,'
M account ii Visit to Richmond and OF til
poiteneas There aaown Inn, mud mentioning
among tho pertons whom he had mt, ~
Leigh, alluded to In Mr. 6e'llon's story, md NJ!
James l.yuns, Tbs lulter gentleman, found
was stllt' living n Richmond. q wh!en he lt u
ingly took lllt liberty Of writing TO him o
tilu subject. In reply to has oblsg.il,Iv sent III
q lottcr on ForsIgn Recognition OF tue Coufc1
crasa States, wlien " ~ haopy chance, u a sssns
Fvr August, 1s7n. of the Southern Hx!orical !5t
eitty l'atxrs Ut Kichsaond, In which l and tn
J, following passa.e:
rial chair u New York hr went 70 Washlagso
| In argus cause III the Supreme Court (u0 toll
Il INC, think, that ftwas naieit case) ai'd drot
. Washington hs camu to Rlchnonu. Mr. Woe
AtEfs Will Wbln}ll ~ HR3 EonA AZ! kuuG ~ h94
,ile most cordial rtatious,- -.lld . man c
o larger heart and nlore genial t'asnre ncYe
= kutw,-w1ote mo VvrY warm letter Of tntradu'
r t!ot by hl,n, and entertained lin, At my Esla
1t night because hu said ha had not time 70 sta
II to dinner next dpy. Mr. stanard, s!F. Leigh
: III. JOHNSON, and oil tho prominent lawyers q
10 Richmond and many o'hcss were Il
!. yted TO meet hinl. III tho cours
j. ot the evening, when Mr.. sswar
y md mYself were sitting OH a so!a
/ Mrssrs. B,anasl nlld Lclst,, wlu were anon
y scwurd'4 urcen ones, bong on tho opposite sld
= | Of kIe ruonl, tue conversation turned upon IL
ia ANNEXATION vt Trxas, Then latrly disposed Q
d antl ! said to Mr. seward, 'Goyerllos, may
It usk you Que question: 'Oh, ~ many Us W
.s piease,' was tic reply. ,l.e, said; ibid Yo
sond in the ' opinion wais ~ - a9xstnSF t,s,
i u,leonstltustona! to annex fexasr Aud WI
Is Ills peculiar lauch .he replied; o no: VI
= very much surprised to seo that sone VI "
D. men aowu Solto ware green snouxh ~
Is caught with that i1ea. II you lsa given ua II
10 territory every man VI Us would have voted +
h TG1aa.i
= II was not ole of ths 'green ooes, but VI
ID always and TO ths blttsr sud in favor Of tue ?
= nsxsuou at Texas, ~. By the way, Mir. Clay TO