The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-03-26
How Near Horace Greeley Came to Being
Arrested in 1868.

Arrested in 1868.
The following, from the journal of
Henry J. Raymond" in the March Serb
7aer, will be news to some of our readers:
Mr.. Seward talked very freely of our for
eign relations. At the outset of the war,
he said, every foreign minister in Wash
ington except Baron Gerolt, the Prussian
minister, sympathized with secession in
one way or another. Their views have
been changed, until now they were all
solicitous to avoid giving us any offense,
and anxious to maintain the most
friendly relations. France had with
drawn her feet from the mouth of the
Mississippi, and had dismissed her Con-
sui at New Orleans, who had made him
self offensive to us by aiding the rebels.
England evinced in various ways her
kindly feelings, and now asked as favors
concessions which she had hitherto de-
manded as rights. AS an instance of this
he mentioned that an officer of the British
army, Major Winnie, had been taken at
the Point of Rocks coming into our lines
without authority. He was in prison and
was to be tried by court-martial as spy.
Lord Lyons had urged his release several
times. but this had been refused. He
had finally promised to put stop to the
frequent visits of English officers to the
rebel armies, and in consideration of this
Mr.. Seward had agreed that the officer
doned. He recited several other in
stances illustrating the changed DISPOSE
ton of the English Government. And
now (said Mr.. Seward) just when we
have with great difficulty established
these relations with foreign powers and
given them most distinctly to UNDER
stand that Intervention in any form will
not be tolerated, Mr.. Greeley comes for
ward, holds private interviews and opens
correspondence with the French Minis
ter to persuade him that the people
would welcome mediation which should
terminate the war. Mr.. Seward showed
a great deal of indignation at this mis-
chievous interference with our foreign
relations, and expressed fears that it
might produce very serious and iniuri-
GUS results. Mr.. Greeley, he said, had
rendered himself clearly and unmistaka-
bly, liable to the penalties of the law for
bidding all such intercourse with foreign
ministers; but his own personal re-
lations with him would render it
impossible for him to take
any steps in the matter, as it would be
charged to personal hostility, on his
part Secretary Usher (of the Interior
Department. thought this consideration
ought not to interfere with his discharge
of public duty. He said that the ar
rest Of Mr.. Greeley would do great good
by satisfying the people that the Govern
ment meant to punish all violations of
law and all departures from loyalty with
impartial vigor. Mr.. Seward indulged
~, of VII IL of IT,,
Greeley's proposition to make Switzer-
public half Prussian and half French,
half Catholic and half Protestant, held
together only by outward pressure, and
represented at Washington by Consul
General, who keeps s'four and feed
store" near the Capitol, and who knew no
more about the necessities and condi-
tions of our national existence than he
did of the politics of the moon. Mr.
Bancroft, who had fallen asleep during
the more serious part of the Secretary's
exposition, awoke at this sally, and ex-
pressed the opinion that it would be
much better to ridicule Mr.. Greeley out
of his crotchets than to send him to Fort
Lafayette. The rest of the company,
however, thought the matter one of too
much gravity for such treatment Mr..
Seward said that Mr.. Mercier (the
French Ministerj knew Mr.. Greeley as
very prominent and influential supporter
of the Administration, as having, in fact,
almost dictated its policy upon several
most important subjects; and it would be
very natural for him to receive Mr..
Greeley's representations as proof that,
in spite. of the assurance of the Secre-
tary of State, the people would not be
wholly averse to foreign Intervention.