The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-14
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THE SACKVILLE INCIDENT.

It is thought in Washington that Lord
Sackville will be promoted by the British gov
eminent, and that instead of appointing new
minister to the United States the British lega-
ton at Washington will be left for some time
in charge of secretary. This will be Great
Britain's method of quietly resenting the af-
front placed on her minister until such time
as she can find a good opportunity to repay in
kind.
We are far enough removed from the Sack
vile letter incident now to see how indefensi-
BILE the Presidents action was, though we can.
not tell yet what it may lead to. That his
treatment of Lord Sackville was undigniied
and ungentlemanly there can be no doubt,
and it grew out of the fact that he considered
himself the government. Louis XIV said, al
am the state' President Cleveland has said
the same thing in effect time and again, but
never more plainly than in the Lord Sackville
incident. The Murchison letter was really
very harmless affair. in an international sense.
II put Lord Sackville in a ridiculous light,
but it did not show the slightest unfriendli-
ness to the American government or people.
There was nothing in it that the American
people could take the slightest exception to
from any other than partisan stand point.
If the British minister had written letter
abusing the American people or government
there would have been no doubt about the
propriety of demanding his recall. But he
did nothing of the kind. He simply ex-
pressed an opinion. and very guard
ed one at that, concerning one of
the candidates for President. Suppose
he had expressed an opinion concerning Gen.
eral Harrison's candidacy or advised Murchi-
son to vote for him, would that have been an
insult to the American people9 Does any
body imagine that in that case Mr.. Cleveland
would have demanded his recall7 Not bit
of it. The letter would have been used as
campaign document against the Republican
candidate. and Lord Sackville would have
been regarded as a mascot instead of mar
plot. But because his letter. intended to be
friendly to Grover Cleveland, was thought by
that great and mighty potentate to interfere
with his personal plans and personal ambi
ton, it was made an international offense and
the minister was bounced Mr.. Cleveland
said in effect, '1n crossing my path Lord
Sackville has insulted the American people;
in meddling with my candidacy he has COM
mitted an offense against the United States
government. l am the state, and when any
body treads on my toes he harms the Repub-
lic." So the well-meaning minister was
given to understand that he had committed
grave international offense, and was sum-
marily and brutality dismissed from court.
The British government and people are
right in regarding the Presidents action as
an international affront They admit that
Lord Sackville blundered, but they say it was
not necessary to humilate him and his govs
eminent and country besides. By far the
most digniied course would have been to pay
no attention to the incident and really
great and self-respecting man would not have
done so. Even the President must see now
that he stands in much worse light than
Lord Sackville does. He has not only done
an arrogant, unjust and ungentlemanly
thing, but he has magnifed trifing per-
sonal incident into al international affair that
is pretty sure to bring unpleasant results
hereafter