Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-02-21
SACKVILLE'S CASE.
Correspondence Between Mr..
Bayard and Salisbury.
AN INTERNATIONAL OFFENCE.
England's Premier Did Not Think
that Action Was Called For in
the Premises.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD

President to-day sent to Congress tn
correspondence on the Lord Sackvill,
matter, with purely formal letter o
transmission. The correspondence open
with copies of the Murchison letter ant
Lord Sackville's reply thereto. On Octo
Der 25th Secretary Bayard, in tele
gram, directs Minister Phelps to invit'
Lord Salisbury's attention to the Murchi
son letters and to express the confden
reliance Of this Government upon tn,
action Of Her Majesty's Government ii
the matter. On the following day Sec
retary Bayard telegraphs to Ministel
Phelps that Vests usefulness to thi
country is at an end, that strong publ,
sentiment had been aroused and thai
Lord Salisbury should be permitted al
speedily as possible to understand
the necessity of immediate action
Under date of October 28th, Minister
Phelps telegraphs to Secretary Bayard
that Lord Salisbury declines to act unit
he is in receipt of the precise language o
Lord Sackville and bis explanations
Lord Salisbury does not regard the Min
ister's letter alone as sufficient to war.
rant his recall, thus ending his dplo
matte career, which would necessar-
lily be the case if he were dismissed by
the Government of the United States, for
which:course there are precedents. Phelps
states that there will be long delays with
no decisive result, if dependence ia
placed on the movement of the British
Government, and advises that action be
taken upon this intimation OF Lord Sails
bury's. The correspondence then gives
the report of Secretary Bayard to the
President on the conduct of Lord Sack
vile (published heretofore).
Under the date of October 30th, Bay
ard writes to Lord Sackvile:
"MY LORD - The President of the
United States has instructed me to in
form you that, for good and sufficient
causes which are known to yourself, and
have been duly brought to the knowledge
of your government, he has, with great
regret, become convinced that it would
be incompatible with the best interests,
and detrimental to the good relations, of
both governments that you should any
longer hold your present official position
in the United States, and that, accord
ingly, the government of Her Britannia
Majesty will, without delay, be informed
CT this determination, in order that
another channel may be established for
the transmission Of such communications
as may be found desirable by the two
governments in the transaction of their
business. Whenever it is your pleasure
to depart from the United States, ane
instructed to furnish you with the usual
facilities, and, with that view, now beg
leave to enclose your passport in the cus-
tomary FORM"
On the same day Lord Sackville replies
to Bayard acknowledging the receipt of
this letter.
Under date Of October 3lst, Secretary
Bayard communicates with Minister
Phelps, giving statement of the Muir
Gibson correspondence and says: "Such
an answer to such letter can only be
characterized as a gross breach of diplo-
matte privilege, and an uDjustifiable
abuse of his lordship's position here, as
the accredited envoy of friendly power.
He dangerously invaded the exclusive
sovereignty of this country over its own
soil, its own citizens and it's affairs Of
deepest moment"
November 1st, Lord Salisbury asks for
more definite information in regard to
what Minister West had done, and says
he cannot take action until he receives
fuller particulars. On December 5th
last, Phelps forwards to Secretary Bay
ard copy of note to Lord Salisbury in
which he transmits copies of the Muir
Gibson correspondence and newspaper
interviews. Phelps says both the cor
respondence and the Tribune interview
appeared to the Government of the
United States to constitute very grave
and unprovoked affront by Lord Sack
vile to the President and Senate. Lord
Salisbury replies to Phelps, December
"a, 1888, saying he has referred the
aforementioned letter to Lord Sackville.
Lord Salisbury says the action of the
United States Government has rendered
the copies of the letters and interviews
submitted by Phelps of no practical inn
portance, as they were wanted to enable
Her Majesty's Government TO form a
Judgment of the complaint. 1t is, Of
course, open to any government, on its
own responsibility, suddenly to termin.
ate it's diplomatic relations with any
other state or with any particular minis
ter of any other state. But it has no
claim to demand that the other state
shall make itself the instrument of that
proceeding, or concur in it, unless that
state is satisfied by reasons, duly
produced, of the justice of the
grounds ON which the demand
is made. In conclusion he says: "What
view Her Majesty's Government would
have taken of Lord Sackville's action, il
the President of the United States had
laid before them grave and weighty rea.
SONS for his removal, it would be super.
fiuous now to consider. Private commu.
nications made by an Ambassador in good
faith have never, believe, before beer
made the subject OF international com
plants, and considerable doubt seems te
rest upon the precise purport of the more
public statements made by Lord Sack
vile to newspaper reporters. But these
were fair matters for examination ano
discussion, if any such discussion hao
been desired. 1t is sufficient to say thai
there was nothing in Lord Sackville'i
conduct to justify 30 striking departure
from the circumspect and deliberate pro
ceedure by which, in such cases, it is thu
usage of friendly States to mark thei
consideration for each other. will alb
stain from comment upon the considera
tions, not of an international character
to which you refer as having dictate'
the action of the President. I will onl
Join with the Government of the Unite
States in expressing my regret that per
aonal incident OF this character ehoul