Daily globe., 1880-04-05
INSIDE HISTORY,
HOtU EvGrtS Took Mr., Hayes Proclamation
on the Inter- Oceanic Canal.

on the Inter- Oceanic Canal.
Washington Special, April IL
A bit of inside diplomatic history has leaked
out, which sheds deal of light upon the rela-
tions which exist between the President and
his secretary of State. and the reasons which
induced the latter to take the very unusual
course ofsending special message of his own
to Congress- as q sort of addenda or attach
ment to the Presidents message upon the in
ter-oceanic canal question.
1t appears that when the question of the in
ter-oceanic canal first began to attract public
attention, and as it became evident that the
country was pretty decidedly opposed to al
lowing any foreign government to build a ship
canal, and had a weakness for the time-hon-
ored policy known as the Monroe doc
trine,' Sir Edward Thornton, the British min
lister here, became a good deal agitated upon
the subject, and was exceeding anxious to head
off any such official announcement of the posi-
tion of this country upon that question as was
made by the President in his message, and as
embodied in the resolution now pending before
the special House committee on the canal.
Naturally he went first to Secretary Evarts,
who, SIS he knew very well, held views antago-
nistic TO the general sentiment of the country
on this question, and asked him what proba-
bility there was that this government
would take any official action in
the matter. Secretary Evarts made
light of the British minister's fears, and
sured him over and over again upon divers
occasions that the whole thing was merely &
passing cloud, and that it would never arrive at
the dignity of Congressional action, much less
be made the subject of special attention in the
message from the President. The secretary
stuck to this text until he finally learned Off
cially that message vas to be sent in upon
the subject. Thornton learned of it about the
same time and again hied him to Evarts in q
more perturbed state than before. The secre-
tary again sought to comfort him and assuming
that the usual custom would be adhered to,
and that the secretary of state would be al
lowed to write this, as he does most messages
of the President, assured Minister Thornton
that he need have no fears about it; that he
(Evarts) would have the writing of the mes
sage, and he would see to it that there should
be nothing in it at all obnoxious to the British
minister and his government. 1t should be
merely mass of words and general platitudes,
and should say nothing that amounted to any
thing This interesting out-giving of diplO-
matte secrets On the part of the secretary of
state was made at little private dinner party
at the English minister's house. About ten
days later the President treated his
party by reading him the mes
sage which the President himself had prepared
upon the inter-oceanic canal question. The
amaZement, modification, chagrin and anger
of Secretary Evarts can be better imagined
than described. He used his utmost efforts to
persuade the President to change his mind and
allow the secretary to send in different mes
sage, but the President was ebdurate, and the
secretary found himself badly left. He was
obliged to inform Thornton of the situation of
affairs and get out of his dilemma with that gen.
tleman as best he could. The only concession
which the President would grant to his secre-
tary was permission for the latter to send in a
message of his own with that which the Presi-
dent himself had written. 1t was a terrible
come down for the secretary who has feeling
of supercilious contempt for the abilities of
most of his official associates, including the
President himself, but it was the best that
could be done, and the secretary decided to
take the course he did in order to give sort of
favor to the crow which he was obliged to eat.
1t is unnecessary to add that the breach which
has existed for scme time between the Presi-
dent and Secretary Evarts has not been narrow
ed by the events above related.