The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-05-08
HrAPAcrrrC
SATURDAY. MAY 8.
The Removal of Seward.

A dispatch from Washington states that the
President has anally determined TO relieve the
country of the odium Of being represented at the
Court OF China, by George F.. Seward. and has re-
Quested that individuals official resignation. In
case it is not rendered with becoming alacrity. the
dshonored official will be removed without cere-
mony. Meantime, the settlement of his accounts
with the State Department has been suspended.
The extraordinary elaboration with which this
action has taken is equalled By the urgent neeess-
ity for it that has existed for years. Seward has
been sojourning IN the Orient for q very long
period, first as ConsuI-General at Shanghai, and
then as United Safes Minister at Pekin, and So far
as his personal interests are concerned. he has not
resided there in vain. From the first he appears
to have keenly realized that his chief business in
the Flowery Kingdom was his own aggrandize-
ment. Any incidental services he could render
his Government have been cheerfully given, so
long as they were not Of a character TO interfere
with his own designs. He has been a resident of
China for money making purposes exclusively, and
seems to have regarded official position a mere
auxiliary TO the more essential object in view. In
getting money. he has apparently exhausted every
ordinary expedient known to disreputable public
servants, and has occasionally yentured upon acts
the proper characterization OF which would require
a very prudent use OF language. His administra-
ton af affairs at shanghai and Pekin has had a
tendency to bring discredit on the American name
in every civilized court.
About three years have elapsed since the Chro-
1icIe first directed the attention of the country to
his doiDgs, and presented startling testimony
against him. At the last session of Congress he
was called home, and articles of Impeachment
were filed against him by the House Committee on
Foreign Relations. During his examination by
that committee he declined to produce his books
on the disgraceful ground that they would crimI-
nate him. He escaped Impeachment by a very
close vote in the House of Representatives, and
then, to the amaZement of the country and foreign
Governments, he was returnd to his distinguished
post. branded with dishonor. The pitiable excuse
was given that the State Department could not do
without his services very we'll at that juncture. 1t
is right that President Hayes should have conclud-
ed to remove him with the ring of CanaiHe,
which has thrown SO much disgrace upon the
American name at the Chinese Capitol, we mean
the renegade religious hypocrite, Rev. Christmas
Holcombe, Secretary of the United States Lega-
ton, formerly a sewing-machine agent in the
wooden nutmeg State, the great American bum
mer, Francis p. Knights the honest receiver of the
late Edwin Smiths Estate, and the Burmese con-
vert. Chester Sebastopol Bradford Taylor, who
parades himself as the United States Charg'd
.Afaires and Diplomatic adviser, thus adding
ridicule 10 the disgrace.
California is interested in the matter particular
ly, for the reason that Seward is believed to have
been largely concerned in stimulating coolie i'm
migration to this coast, if he has not actually reap
ed a personal proat by the traffic. At any rate,
his removal will excite general qualification on
this coast, as well as throughout the country. He
should not be removed, but he should be properly
dealt with by the GOvernment.-ChrOnicle.