The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-19

others. Indeed, tho President was overwhelmed
with every variety OF advice from every quar-
nut, f~repest, il Il probable all this deluge. of
advice and admonition was lost upon Mr.. lin
event. OF the great cIvif war demonstrated their
c=apacity to WELD the executive power Of this
case did. MIR. eeward's guarded silence In the
midst Of the ,vociierous storm raised by Capt.
ton and e%quipoise about II; for at the outset
there was very great danger thnt the popular
hasty bravado Humiliation that could not I've
helm in Washington. and to tho dignity and
wisdom Of Charles Francis Adams in London,
last wo were In no. wise hampercd By untoward
commitments which. could not. he recanted.
our &c Gov y%inneiT Sn acton 1%SSf IN HANDLING ifnsoe The 60 affair rraG9
Not until nearly two weeks after 1t bad full
h 1mHES shS o 96 sho n Event did % our out l,St
from Mr.. seward 60 Mr.. Adams. in which tho
Wilkes l;:h,l lnnde tho seizure entirely on bis own
responsibility. without the orders Of his Goy.
erninent and without Its knowledge. This
was tho essential point III the whole controver.
S,y' TN; infor,nnt!on as sent to Mr.: Adams,
ish ultimatum was received In this country,
and before MIR, seward had heard from our
representative in London or had knowledge Of
risen in ENGLAND. This first expression alone
realized the gravity OF the situation With
which II was confronted. 1t felt that the conn.
try yHs menaEGd W,th a great dnHrer, But It
position England would assume, had probably
thus Began to break ground to meet the issue.
The government saw what the Yroat MAORI
Eyropltioas time to be diverted Z" from tho ares re Of
ened by u vast civil war. into side controver-
sizes with quarrelsolnc foreign powers, even in
from being. The paramount object Of Mr..
Lincoln was to save the Union. He could not
the ~freatest maritime power on earth. ON the
contrary, it WAS clear such n war not merely en-
ruin. iii, seizure of y! MASON "SSH" and FsiIdefii was =
not even of transient. much less permanent,
advantage; indeed, it vas a positive injury TO
deserved Importance; IL was certain that as
soon as passion cooled the people would nc
But II the almost universal suspicion at tho
NORTH was correct: that England had for long
only been waiting for almost. any preteIt to in:
tervene in behalf Of the Confederate states. it
was q question now Y any concession whatever
would appease British jealousy and hatred.
ami turn aside the long meditated design to
vironed by this suspicion and fear. Mr.. Sew
ards diplomacy had heretofore boon mainly
tion or excuse for foreign Intervention. This.
indeed, had been uphill work. because In the
field tho Union arms had as yet occurred no
the rebellion had excited abroad more aert-
f foras than sna r ssadenlv NS Isep all r, nd, care ta and f ss
Capt. Wilkes, whose huir-brained exploit had
TsSys' ell ,bD mot a, With the W qlmost h u9'[ {srn,.S ap7
c s;aS%I ! hr''h'@ Egssel Z f nsS : b sS%1 G Shs %h Shs
world for going to war at once;
Mr.. Stewards great anxiety is clearly mani.
fest in his next communication to Mr.. Adams.
proval to Capt. Wilkes. qdvertqd to above.
deense IN retrninins from op pHih the subject
until he knew the wishes Of his Government.
traiio oHT had tT%.sf no,h III sat TO ' an,ie .Rs ea or prs.
cipitatc the expected discussion. and for that
s Mn. Haa n% mfr f nra!spned h" tha ses sRs f% ntei.aSe a to
sum,d by Great. Britain should first be made
known IN WnsninStoH, and that whatever ne
Mr.. Seward significantly enough again reit:
Grated the statement that Cnpt: wilkes acted
sha%iiS S'i EYoT ! Sa y 1di$' ! iq 4 t. hat +; VI y At,
Earl Russell il he thought it INVISIBLE. it isa
same day that Earl Russell was hastily formu-
lating in London the british demand for repa-
British Foreign Office informed that Capt.
Wnkes's act was unauthorized shows that our
t dHH'f fa"t; Should %iH ",', decide iu4 to- y i%iU to the de- e"
mands which Great Britain was sure to make.
tha, was the door through which Mr.. Seward
respect, evidently could and would back out.
SgGretnry Meiless letter 70 napt. Wilkes, IT.
Ear! nnsscll's special messenger reached
following afternoon Lord Lyons called ut tho
Department of State, and, in accordance with
a linsi Mr' se'w WA" W viii id'''t the general srsi tenor &C" Of
the british dssIat.h. wi!ch could not have
pected; hence it is not, likely he was greatly
SURPRISED or alarmed, Lord Lyons added the
accord offer the re2aration demanded, and
said that he had presented himself in this in
mishllt be construed into a threat, in order to
facilitate sucn an arrangement. But he went
gave Step :M IeS% sswn l:iFt to H nnderstn lnit tGnt # rh "4s
WAS any prospect Of an amicablc settlement he
R pSFio nal in Tss wi III had 80 Slr to Ha aane his as 'o to
Government. The British, Minister in his re.
of state received his communication seriously
S I'D, WIN Gisni,I; on but ~ w without any disnIny Of
deerr despq.ch: Mr. seward asked ~ ne delay
before President Lincoln, after %Lich he Would
be prepared to express an opinion gu the sub
S%iilstor iy0 m snantsd in n'"T Thta ait" be h r%f p tSs G ns%i
the demands q his G~oyernmcnt.
Lyons Called again by aGreement Tor the pnr;
pose Of reading the Russell uItimatum and
misIt So I prcbar% %9' ta maSe, The he Dress Me; S Of waSl
lie husinlSs meanwhile, 81 he said. had rem
dered 1t impossible Tor tie Secretary So thor
oughly to examine the controversy from tbs
American standpoint as he desired, aud lie
therefore suggested. without asking il. a fur
thcr delay until Monday before the despatch
should he read to him., To this Lord Lyons
readily nocedcl. On Monday, the pad, the
despatch in full was read, and ut his request
u copy Of 1t was left with Mr. Seward, Lord
Lyons mukOs no coinLlent on tho manner In
which Mr.. seward received the comuunica.
tlou. Tho Secretary cnutcnted himself with
rcmnrlsing that the paper would he laid be-
fore the President at once, and indicated that
an answer would soon he forthcoming.
There appears To- have been no further inter
tintiGns, between Tic SECRETARY and Minister,
until Mr., seward Informed Lord Lyons OF the
decision NJ which Nr. Lincoln lad arrived. In
thv iatorim what happened In the American
Cabinet l.. unknown: Its progress. to a le;er-
minatlon was made behind closed doors, with
out u jar or ripple appearing on the surface.
As before stated, II Is likely its decision had
been agreed LpUn several weeks previously.
The tiuul act was merely to settle won the
form Of answer ana tho manner of its dsl.v-