The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-13
THE PURCHASE OF ALASKA.
History of the Purchase-PresidentL incol
Alone Should Have Credit for 1t.

History of the Purchase-President Lincoln
Alone Should Have Credit for It
G. M. Clay. in New York Sun
/ have lately seen it in print for the first time
that VIM. a. Seward said that the one act of his
life most to be proud of was the acquisition of
Alaska. This, to those who are not ignorant of
the facts, is remarkable claim. AS was min
lister plenipotentiary from the United States
at St Petersburg, Russia, during the time
OF the purchase and addition OF Alaska
to the Union. and Seward Secretary Of State
however, we might both claim to be the peers
of Lincoln in ability-Lincoln was our chief. and
the honor of that expansion of territory belongs
to him. 1t is the general-in chief who wears the
laurels of victory, however CALAMITY his subor-
dinates may have fought. So far them as Sew
ard and myself are concerned, / lay the facts
before the world for the award of honor.
Collins, having explored the route from Amer
lea, through Alaska. the Aeutian isles, and 81
IBERIA to St Petersburg, united with Sibley, the
president of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany, to extend their line to the Russian capital
They placed this project in my hands, and got
a very favorable charter from the Russian gov
eminent, one clause of which was the
privilege OF rebate" or gratuity, In COM
mon phrase, for all words transmitted from
the Pacific to st. Petersburg on Russian lines
Another project of mine was to secure to Ameri-
can citizens the perpetual lease of the splendid
coal mines on the island of Saghalen. on the
eastern coast of Russia. A third was the grant
of the Russian Fur Company's ptivileges-for an
equivalent-to an American company, in the
vast regions of Alaska. Heretofore the Russian
Pacific coast was not open even to foreign con-
sulships, but an American consulship was now
allowed
These projects of mine were all cognate The
telegraph would free US from dependence on
the enemies of the Union by lines in our own
possession. The coal mines of Saghalen were
almost a necessity Of our commerce with China,
Japan and the Corea. And our acquisitions in
Alaska would offer combined force of Ameri-
cans and Russians against a war with England,
which then seemed imminent Collins
and Sibley asked not only for right Of
way through Alaska, but for land grants for the
lines and stations, ali Of which were freely dis
cussed by me and Russian officials in private
and personal way. I found the resources Of
Alaska to be beyond price in minerals, and fish
cries, and forests, and furs, and commercial
promise. wrote to Gov John A. Andrew, of
Massachusetts; and other distinguished citizens
and capitalists, about these projects. A COM
pany was formed in San Francisco, and was
engaged to contract with the Russian Fur Com
pany for transfer Of its chartered rights to the
Americans.
Everything was favorable, when Seward
opened mp his unfortunate Perkins claim and
completely Disguised the Russian autocrat and
Gortchakof with American projects. The Sag
halien en- terprise was cut short. The telegraph
line was refused the rebate" and dropped out.
Notwithstanding Collins. Sibley and l did all we
could to have the terms confirmed which had
been made by the Minister of Telegraphs, Count
Tostoi.
Still, the advantages OF the transfer of Alaska
were so apparent that, having sounded the Rus
sian authorities, had formal meetings with the
Russian Fur Company, and the terms were all
agreed upon. when the news came that Alaska
was purchased outright by the United States.
Seward sent me treaty upon trade marks.
which signed and deivered but ne negotiated
the Alaska purchase, for which he had no more
reason to claim credit than for Jefferson's acqui-
sition Of Louisiana. There was no American so
odious to the Russians as Seward. and | had
worked up the project and cultured the tree un-
til the fruit ripe and FELL by the necessity Of
the case, into his basket