Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-01-10
A Diplomatic Intrigue.

A correspondent of The Nation, writing
from Florence, Italy, affirms that the death
Of Hon. George p. Marsh, late minister to
Italy, twas precipitated by the action of his
government through measure as wretched
as any cheeseparing administration ever
adopted" The action denounced in the
paragraph quoted was the suspension Of Mr..
Wurtz, secretary of legation. That official
had the unlimited confidence Of Mr.. Marsh.
He was energetic, efficient, and by long
tenure of Office and intimacy with his chief
had acquired familiarity with the duties
Of the position and capacity to aid the
minister in his failing physical powers such
as no new man, however capable, could have.
Under pretext of economy the Offices of
consul general and secretary of legation
were united. A new consul general was APP
pointed and Mr.. Wurtz was abruptly sus.
pended from his office. The new official,
however intelligent and willing, could not
take Mr.. Wurtz's place and Mr.. Marsh had
not the physical energy left to initiate him
in his duties. "The preparation Of such
an open and extreme act Of i'll will toward
a fuuotionary whose condition was SO well
known as was Mr.. Marsh's" is ascribed TO
the secret intrigue of a congressional COM
mittee, the malevolence Of which was the
more apparent from the fact that advantage
Washington, on account of grave domestic
affection, to carry out the proposed change"
The economy realized by this movement did
not exceed $500 even at the loss Of efficiency.
But economy, it is alleged, was not the real
motive. The diplomatic corps at Rome
had refused to receive as an official colleague
consul general of the United States, and
the committee proposed to compel it to do
so by uniting in one person the two officers
The scheme did not succeed, since the It.
allan government refused to recognize the
two officers in one individual and the new ap-
pointee became simply secretary of legation.
1.-THE sudden change in all Mr.. Marshs Of
fetal relations" says the correspondent,
"the contemplation of the difficulties thus
thrown on him, and the conviction of his
physical inability to carry out the accus.
toned duties in the new conditions the
arrangement in his habits thus forced on
him, and the slower-coming grief and an
noyance at the indignity thrown both on
him and his secretary by his own govern
ment, gave him shock which broke his
courage and moral force together" The
correspondent severely characterizes the &C.
ton of the men who were thus responsible
for shortening the days of Mr.. Marsh. If
his statement of the facts is correct, no ex.
ception can be taken to the vigor of his
structures or to his hope that merited obo.
guy will overtake those who were guilty of
so great an indignity to the nation and to
its faithful servants, but Vermonters espe-
cially will prefer to believe that the cor
respondent has been misled. 1t is difficult
to believe that any committee would adopt
a course of procedure willfully designed to
dishonor a venerable functionary like Mr..
Marsh, the effect of which must be under
any circumstances to impose upon him bur-
dens too great for his impaired physical
strength.