The Wilmingtonian., 1884-11-22
OUR ACQUISITION OF ALASKA
An Interesting Historical Event.

| remarkable story upon the SUBJECT OF our
acquisition of Alaska. Though the narrative
which S rather lengthy, has abundant inter
nal evidence of credihility, its professet
anonymous origin will deny it acceptanc,
as matter of authentic history.
The pth of possibly historical value cou
tanned in it goes to show that in the winter o
1867, the Russian Emperor being pressed
in money matters, that fact becoming
known to our government authorities, b!
whatever process of discretion the delicat,
matter was discovered at Washington, i
was taken bold of, sub rosa, as basis
through the gr-atest delicacy of diplomacy
by which Russ'a was recouped for her gooc
offices to us during the war of the rebellion
The cession of the relatively worthless terri
tory of Alaska being quite accidental and
furnishing the equivalent for the handing
over to Alexander the sum of $1,000, 900 as
a consideration therefor.
The story reads as follows:-
"During the winter of 1867 Mr.. Seward,
Secretary of State, in conference with sever
al Senators, among them Mr.. sumner, sug-
gested the idea of a suitable reciprocation of
the Jealous friendship of the Emperor OF
Russia for the United States during the
struggle for national life pending the rebel
ion Of the South. The Secret ary OF State
and Privy Counselor Edward de Stoeckel,
his Majesty's Envoy to the United States,
had previously reached an understanding
how this desirable result might be reached.
Mr.. Sumner at once recognized the propriety
of the general proposition and was then in
formed that while the Emperor would not
accept direct gift of money lie was not in
different to cession of all his territory on
the Western Hemisphere to the United
States for consideration. The negotiations
then became simply question of amo INT,
MrSeward agreeing that it should be liberal.
The sum at first agreed to was $1,000, 600,
which was subsequently increased 5000, 900,
which sum was to be Sin consideration of
the cession" of the territory free and unen-
numbered. A convention to this effect was
signed by Seward and de Stoeckel, the rep
resentatives of the high contracting parties,
aud was submitted to the Senate.
The venerable ex- Envoy to Russia and ex-
Senator of the Uunited States, Simon Cam
eron, said to the writer: "The cession OF
Alaska was elaborately discussed in the com
mittee of which l was a member and in the
Senate. Mr.. Sumner was strongly in favor
Of it, buG at fist there was reluctance mani
tested in the committee. At the same time
the purchase of the Danish islands of St.
Thomas and Santa Cruz was before the COM
mttee, Mr.. Seward was anxious for coal
ing station in the West Indies. This was
part of his policy in the dir ection Of AIneri-
can commercial expansion. Mr.. Seward hav-
ing successfully carried the country through
the intricate questions of diplomacy grow
ing out our troubles in tine South was an
xious to distinguish himself by some such
achievement as The acquisition Of St.Thomss.
This would have been the first step to the
ultimate absorption of all the islands of the
Antilles. Put his motives, as always un-
derstood them, were quite different in the
acquisition of Alaska"
A point indicating claims of credibility in
the above statement is the fact, well known
at time, that popular feeling in 1907 was
SO strongly in favor OF some overt testimony
bearing proof of the fraternal sentiment ex-
isting here towards Russia that the cabinet
was importuned thereby to foregothe highly
polite movement, which then offered itself,
of obtaining West Indian coaling station
and accepting in its place the arid wastes of
Alaska.