New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-12
GRANT AND SUMNER.
mn Mr.. FISH OFFER Mr.. SUMNER THE ENG
LISH MISSIONf

SUMMERS ACCOUNT oF Ahho"H" -N'~
yiKw-MR. FIsH's DENIAL
fssnersl Adam Badeau in his exceedingly inter-
sxtipe paper on Graut and Motley" published
last Sunday, says
/ Motley was pressed by Mr.. Summer. for tho
Nission to England. John Jay, Of New-fork was
= prominent rival, but Summers influence prevalioo
md Motley received the appointment to London
: And again, describing hls last interview with
President Grant be ore his departure for London
e assume the duties of Consul-General, General
Badeau says;
He IPres,dent Grant, went to the door Of the
White House to bid me good-nye, anu ma ths,s he
told me that he meant to remove Mr.. Motley. ms
was on the 15tt of May, 1871 nearly two months
He charged me not to disclose his intention
TO any human being and declared be bad not SAID
90 much even to Mira Grant S or to any one "nAS
General Badeau mentions Frelinghuyssn and
Morton, of Indiana, as having been offered the
English Mission before General Schenck was
finally appointed
1t will be noted that General Badeau fixes May
Is, 1871, as the date when President Grant rrst
disclosed to him his secret purpose OF removing Mr'
Motley, and, by adding the remark that this was
nearly two months before tie final vote on the
Saint Domingo matter apparently seeks 10
Answer the assertion If such an one should DO
made. that Mr. Summers course in opposing the
discrediting Mr.. Motley with tho Administration.
Nor does General Badeau mention Mr.. Sumner him
self "a one OF those to whom the Mission to England
was ever offered. Indeed. the whole drift OF his
paper would seem to prove it Impossible for snon
tender to nave been made. And yet Mr. Sumner
died believing that he could have had the position
If he would have consented to accept it, and that
the offer was made to him several months before
May 15 1871.
Mr.. SUMNER AND TIE SAINT DOMINGO SCHEME
. The Saint Domingo scheme was conceived ana
the treaty negotiated during the first year OF Presl
dent Grants Administration. and submitted to the
Senate during the session of Congress that began In
December 1862 Mr. Sumner sntagonzed it at
once and then it was that the differences between
the Administration and the Senator from Mass
achusetts first began to engage public attention.
At the next session of Congress- beginning In
December, 1870, the President nominated
Commission to go to Saint Domingo and make an
investigation, and no action was taken upon their
report before that Congress expired on the Attn OF
March The new Congress met on the same day.
and the Republicans of the Senate. in their caucus
to organize the committees, dropped Mr.. Sumner
from the Craftsmanship of the Committee on Foreign
Relations. which he had held for several years.
promoted Senator Simon Cameron 10 the vacancy
and created the new Committee of Privileges and
Elections, the craftsmanship Of which was offered
to Mr.. Sumner.
The Committee on Foreign Relations was the one
to which the report of the Saint Domingo
Commission was to be referred. and whose report
upon it, it was supposed. would determine It's fate.
The purpose of the majority OF Republican Senators
in dropping Mr.. Sumner from that committee was
of course. to please the Administration, and to
save the Saint Domingo scheme. which was certain
ly doomed if it fell into MIR. Summers hands. The
REASON given TO the country by those who
represented the Administration was that the public
business was blocks ied by the lack of cordial
relations betwe n Mr.. Sumner and the Secretary OF
State. That matters that ought to have mao
immediate attention were allowed to gather dust in
the pigeon holes of che Committee on Foreign
Relations undoubtedly true. but 1t Is equally
certain that If Mr. Sumner had approved the Saint
Domingo scheme, some other way OF expediting the
public business would have been found.
On the evening of the day on which the vote was
taken in the caucus of Republican Senators upon
the removal of Mr.. Sumner. called at his house.
adjoining the Arlington Hotel. to show him q yea
and nav list had made up and ask him to correct
it, He had not attended the caucus. and was not
therefore under obligation to preserve its secrets
and I supposed of course, that Senators VINO
eyrnrathlzed with him had told him how eacn OF
his associates bad voted. found him alone In his
library on the second floor of his house, lying
wood fire upon tue hearth He WAS good deal
excited and spoke with great bitterness against the
Administration aud against those Senators who had
taken an active part in the in deposing him
He was much greved at the votes of one or two
whom he had expected to stand by him. but who
had gone TO the Administration side and said that
he was unable 10 un ierstand W by they had done it.
THE ENGLISH MISSION OFFERED w
As Mr. Sumner seemed disposed to talk with great
freedom about his relations with the Administra
ton my call was longer one than usual tie SAID
that his personal misunderstan ling with president
Grant and Secretary Fish was not the result of g
difference of opinion IN regarl to the sam
Domingo scheme. unwise. scandalously outrageous
even, as he believea that scheme to be, but of {
personal insult that bad been offered him.
sBy wbomf" asked.
aBy MIR. Fish as the representative Of the Presi
dent" lie replied.
Iexpressed surprise, for although had thez
known Mr.. Fish only few months, he seemed tt
me incapable of insulting any public man. especially
one whose standing in the party and in the country
was 90 high as Mr. Summers then was. and ont
with whom his personal relations had always beer
90 cordial
Mr.. Sumner in reply. said again that Mr.. Fisf
had insuited him and had come to his house to d.
it, and, in explanation said that the Secretary Of
State bad called upon him in regard to his attitude
on the Saint Domingo scheme and having beer
informed that he unalterably opposed to Il
and could not conscientiously support it, Mr.. FISH
then spoke of tie pIecarous state Of his, Summers
health, the benefit that change of scene woul'
probably work, and asked why no did not &c
abroad.
al told him." said Mr. Sumner. "that my worl
was bere and that it would not DO right for me u
leave it." He said something. also. about tn
necessity of further legislation to secure to tn
coored people the enjoy of their civil rights
and added that, unless he was in actual danger o
breaking down IN health. he was not SO situated
financially, that he could then afford to 10 abroad