The new North-west., 1888-11-02

LORD sAckv1LLE,s FATAL orrENsE.

LORD sACKvILLEs FATAL OFFENsE
We publish elsewhere the copy Of lette
received by Lord Sackville West, the Brit
ish Minister at Washington, and his repl!
thereto. Mr.. West is one Of the mos
thorough diplomats In the English service
He has represented that country many year
in Washington. BE knows, and has know,
a. we'll as any man living, that his position
demands Of him absolute non .interferenc'
in the domestic affairs of the country K
! which he is accredited, and that such inter
ference. even to = much less degree than b,
has offended, subjects him to recall BY hi,
own government, or . notice that be will b
no longer recognized by the government te
which he Is accredited. He further knows
that under the Revised Statutes of The
United States severe penalties attach to any
citizen of the United States who, withou,
the consent of his government, shall com
mence or carry on any correspondence with
any officer or agent of any foreign govern.
ment In relation to any disputes or contro.
versies with the United States, or with IN
intent to defeat the measures of the govern.
ment of the United States. Nevertheless,
on receipt of letter, alleged to be written
by former British subject but now citi-
zen of the United States residing in Cali.
fornia, asking certain questions, the reply to
which would influence bis vote aud that Of
Others in the pending Presidential contest,
snd protesting still existing affection for
England, Mr.. West Immediately answers
in most astonishingly direct terms for q
diploma. to the effect that from On English
standpoint "Cleveland is all right" The
unmistakable purpose Of this letter was to
influence his Correspondent, Mureh;eon, auu
Murchtson's friends TO vote for Cleveland as
better friend Of England than Harrison
would be. And to keep the matter al
close and nice the letter was marked ''Pri.
vate." These letters were written in Sep
tember, but only became pablic last week,
and would doubtless have been promptly
denounced Is Campaign lies" or "forgeries"
had not Minister West, At the instant of
their publication, acknowledged having re-
ceived the Murchison letter and written the
reply thereto. That blocked all denial, and
to make 1t worse and more binding the New
York Tines editorial Of August 22d, to
which reference was made, contained the
following in relation to the fishery treaty:
s'There is this further consideration in
favor of supporting the administration on
this issue. 1t will leave the question still
open for friendly means of settlement of
some kind, while support of the Senate's
position will close all avenues of future ne.
gotiations, and bring upon the country the
disastrous consequences of retaliation, hos.
tility, and possible war. It would put an
end to all prospect of improving the COM
mercial relations of the United States and
Canada. This is one Of the questions
which the people should keep in mind in
casting their votes nest November"
The situation threw the administration
into CONSERVATION. It was dead giveaway
As to British sympathy in this contest, and
it was too late to stop that; but to send Mr..
Sackville West his walking papers abruptly
might ALLEVIATE the free traders, Mugwumps,
Golden clubbers and all the Murchison's in
The country, while to retain him would lose
The remainder of the Irish.Americau vote
and "break up the game" So The whole
matter was cabled to London, and Minister
Phelps rushed with it to Lord Salisbury,
and MILFORD looked wise and did nothing.
Meantime everything was going to ruin In
New York, and the National Committee
banged Washington full of kilograms that
he Presidents shilly ,shallying was result
ing in the Irish vote slipping out of their
hands, and so Wednesday, Mr.. Bayard bad
o inform Lord Sackville that he was on the
ist as one of Mr.. Cleveland's fool friends,
md by Mr.. Cleveland's direations hs mus.
%. Of course Lord Sackville understa tands
hat this is all owing to the fact of his hav.
ng "told the TRUTH" as Cleveland recon.
nended in his better days, and ''got. caught
It it," and probably thinks the President
will still feel grateful for good intentions,
'ut if Mr.. Cleveland believes he has lost
Sew York by it, he is probably just as mad
It Mr.. West as he pretends to be in chopping
If his head.
The cry is now that Lord Sackville was
that Murchison is myth, and
he administration has California full of
detectives hunting him up. What difference
8 it if he is myth? Certain question were
lsked of q British Minister and he answered
hem. He showed that his sympathies as a |
British subject, IS representative of Brit
sh interests, were with Cleveland on the |
isheries treaty, and the Democratic party !
md its Mills bill as against the Republican |
'arty and protection to American industries, |
nd that was what the American voter
vanted to know about. Mr.. West gave it |
way. Chopping off his head or finding the |
nan that trapped him into telling the truth,
1ill not alter the facts.