The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-08-02
soNEru1Ne OF ruE FAR EAsr.

During his 10 years of service he has been
unemployed-thati is, waiting orders or on leave
but eight months, and during his official life
he has visited and explored more of the surface
of the globe than most officers would see in 80
years service. He has lots to tell, and, what
is more, knows how to tell it in such manner
as to make him one Of the most interesting
men to listen to that have ever met.
l ran across him the other day for the first
time in almost half dozen years, and we began
comparing notes of our travels, but my story
was tame. Since / last saw him he had made
that celebrated exploration of the great Island
of Madagascar that gave the world the first
real knowledge Of the people, government, Gus
toms, resources, natural history and topography
of that huge adjunct of the African Continent
Some time ago l wrote a brief sketch of the
| Shufeldts, but did not say in that what close
| observers and restless spirits all of them are
Not one OF them all Is easily satisfied with the
narrow routine of strictly professional life, and
| all are distinguished for valuable work outside
! their professions.
Since Commodore Perry's time, when that
| gallant officer opened the Silent Nation of
! Japan to intercourse with the outside world,
| no officer afoat or ashore, has done so much
| for the country and the flag he has served so
! well as Rear-Admiral Robert w. Shufeldt u. s.
Navy, the father of Lieut.. Shufeldt. 1t was he
| who made the trip around the world in the
| TicOnderOga, that opened up large trade with
| the West Coast of Africa, and his efforts pro-
| duCed the same results along the East Coast and
| the Mozambique Channel. His appearance at
Madagascar checked for a time the encroach-
ments of the French there and gave poor Queen
! Tamativa a breathing spell that has enabled
her to hold her empire intact.
| But his crOWning achievement was his reach
| ing the secluded COrean-or REORGANIZATION,
| and finally concluding so advantageous a treaty
| the first one ever made by that shy people,
! except with the neighboring countries of Japan
| and China-that Americans found the Corean
| ports open at least to trade and friendly inter
! course. lie went further and kept peace be-
/ tween the COreaD ruler and the Chinese EN-
/ perOr, who claimed the former as feudal SUBJ
! jeCt.
! In doing this he gained the admiration and
| respect and even the affection of the Chinese
| rulers, so that to-day no "outside barbarian Z"
| has such potent influence in the Empire as he.
Admiral Shufeldt is now in China engaged in
! projects for building railway and telegraph
| system there, and his son tells me that there
are excellent reasons for believing that he will
/ be successful
| Lieut. Shufeldt is a close observer, and is
| thoroughly informed on every subject that has
! come under his observation in his travels. He
! tells me that This Pole, MitkieWicz, who
/ obtained the huge concessions through the Chi
| nese Prime Minister made his chief mistake
! when he left China for the United States as
| soon as the concessions were duly signed. He
| should have sent the papers on here by an
! agent, with the Chinese envoy, and remained
| on the ground to defend his interests. The
| fact is, he was pulled up by his wonderful sue
| cess, and hurried homo to enjoy the glory; but
| the moment he had sailed the envious and
! jealous English and German interests Joined
! hands for once to defeat the plan and procure
| If possible a revocation Of the grants. If the
! Polo had remained out there his int ests would
! have been worth 100000 within a year !;
! but he has hard row ahead Of him now.
There IS an intense jealousy among both
/ English and Germans in the East against
| Americans, because, despite the strong hold
] they have had for many years. Americans are
| the real fayorites with all classes in China
/ japan and Corea. If our Government would
| only take half the interest in promoting our
| interests abroad that either Great Britain or
! Germany does, we would speedily have posses
sion of nearly the whole trade of those three
eastern countries, and of most of the outlying
| island groups as we'll"
Lieut.. Shufedt applied to be ordered back to
the Asiatic Squadron, from which he just re-
| turned home, but the request was denied, as
usual, as not according TO "customs of the
| service" He then had an interview with the
Secretary of the Navy, asking leave for year
! with permission to go abroad, so that he could
! join his father in China. Mr.. Whitney prompt
| ~ sdI uOWu Oh inc pIOpOSitlOD5 ana suggested
| that there is rather too much of love of explo-
! ration existing in the Navy, and it would be
/ better If more officers applied themselves pro-
| fessionally TO studying the making of steel for
| guns and plates, and building steel ships
! am unable to say what MIR. Shufedt thinks
! of the rebuff and the manner of its application,
/ but it seems TO me that the advancement and
| protection of American interests in foreign
lands is one of the highest duties of an Ameri-
| can naval officer and such things were encour-
| aged in the days when it was not expected that
! every officer should be an expert iron maker,
mechanic or shipbuilder. Those things were
| left to the Naval Constructors and other me-
| chanical bureaus.
| RUSSIA AND THE REBELLION.
| Sitting recently with party of officers and
| ex-otficers, the chat turned upon Alaska and
| the development of the great resources of land
! and sea Of that far-0R adjunct to the United
| States
! An ex-oficer who served there under the
| late Gen. JEFF. &. Davis when the Territory was
| occupied after its purchase, told Of the early
| experiences of the troops there, and of the
| hardships that were then endured. His story
was interesting, and as he wound up with a
| history Of the organization and workings of
| the Alaska Commercial Company which has
| the furseal and otter monopoly he added
| AS it happens, the purchase of Alaska from
| the Russians has turned out to be lucky in
| vestment financially; bat for the life of me /
could never understand how Mr.. Seward hap
! pened to set his heart upon and carry the
! scheme of that purchase through"
i can tell you that and give you chapter
| Of rebellion history that few know besides"
said another gentleman of the party. The
| speaker is a well-known man about town, who
! held an important confidential position under
| the Government during the war, and whose
! relations with various officials of the State and
! other Executive Departments enabled him to
| know of many things that never reached the
| public.
You know" said he, "that the greatest
! danger that menaced the Union during the
| war was the possible and even probable recog-
milton of the COufederacy by France and Eng
land, and Mr.. Seward turned all his energies
| to avert it; for if such recognition had been
given, it would have in etfectO opened the block,
| ade and made it impossible to crush out the
| rebels. Russia's hatred of England made the
| Gar inclined to friendly feelings for us, and so
| Gen. Simon Cameron was sent as Minister to
| Russia.
THAT astute old statesman succeeded in
making secret treaty of alliance, and in
| September, 1862, just at the time the country
| was so depressed by McClellans failure on the
| Peninsula before Richmond and the dire disas-
| ter of the Second Bull Run campaign, a Rus
| sian feet Of 10 vessels appeared on our coast
| The flagship and six or eight other powerful
vessels of that day rendezyOused in New York
| Bay while the rest Law at Portland Bost0n