The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-31
PURCHASE0F ALASKA.
a Remarkable Transaction In J" niea
william ~. seward, Edonnrd de
~so@ckI and Gassiu- ~. atar
Played Very Conspicuous Parts

founded undsr the patronage OF Dolly p
af@aGson. wsse o. ris@ fcarsh president of
the tinted States. for erTesars o. soldiers
and sailors OF the Un8sed States In the war
~-sssng sna fowzng tide Of time twsxt the
zsn AID Nh Gays 81 March. in tae year
ISs7. swo statesmen Of worthwhile fame.
Tee ssrnpIy furnished and s0newhzt
veaFu3y lighted apartments had the ap-
pssraEce OF the casnirastrg stages % s1gne
great event II IRE affairs % mar and
nations. There we're present the plentpo-
Tertiary. secretaries and attaches 81 a
mighty empire. ard the secretary Of state
and his assistants OK a great republic
There we're pre- ent Esle scrfbes and also
ready interpreters q swo powerful ma
tons. Ia Md confusion ssrewu over the
tables WIS a mass o. stationery. covered
win fhe mystic characters OF the Slavic
or the simpler ehfroTrapny Of the Anglo
Saxon ard Latin family OF languages
Through solemn Hour. of the Night.
As time sped onward toward dawn this
babel OF roughly inscribed annotated
eneess sn slavic and Roman characters
ard three tongues under the def manipu-
lation Of the secretaries assumed tire ele-
eaxlce and accuracy ~ engrossed parch-
nnents. with great seals and other csre-
rnonfaI ans,ers4err~ Of International state
documents attached, conveying In parallel
columns the AnxIo-saxon veruacuiar and
the French diplomatic version OF the
ssfpuln4lons, word for word agreed
upon by the high contracting parties.
A Mysterious Packet
Tn the earlier part 81 the evening Of the
9th ar OF date the 18th In the tardier no.
taffon OF time In the imperial calendar,
there arrived hurriedly a. the portals OF
an historic mansion on Lafayette place
a messenger wearing the livery Of a royal
master. who conveyed 20 the porter with
In q sealed packet embossed with the
srnorial bearings Of the vast empire Of
the North.
It's contents. simple In terms and brief
IN detail at once electrified not only the
aged and decrepit statesman TO whom the
packet had been handed, but brought
forth a prompt response Of acknowledge
rnent and Invitation 10 final conference.
Rasso-Amerfcan Diplomacy.
An hour later the principals were in
earnest adjustment ~ the finishing terms
Of the great act. Their assistants were
ia scrupulous supervision examining and
comparing the terms and phraslngs as
they would stand recorded for war or
peace 80 far a. human agencies could
make them Upon the duplicated sheets of
parchment for signature. imperial con-
frmation. senatorial ratification. mutual
exchange. presidential proclamation as a
bond Of perpetual friendship and moral
union between the most powerful repub-
lie and most formidable empire OF ancient
or modern times.
an Imps rial Cessfon to- the Uaion.
These scenes OF activity and jealous ne
goiiailon AZ o'clock on the morning OF
the s0th day OF March, American style,
IN the year 1867. reached a triumphant
euimlnstion In "the treaty concerning the
cession % the Russian possessions IN
North America by his majesty. the en-
peror OF ali the RnssIas. 70 tho United
States at America" concluded by the
slgnatoFv powers and their agents Will
tam II. Seward. seere 81 state OF the
United States. and "a de Stoeckl
envoy extraordinary minister pleni-
pofentiary 70 the Unite,l States and privy
counsellor to hts majesty the emperor OF
All the RUssias IN consideration Of the
payment Of S7,oooota for the coded terri
tory and 900 90 10 cover contingencies and
eucumhrances by the associated compa-
mics in gold.
THE mysterious packet which had SO
suddenly turned expectancy into reallza-
ton contained the following translation
words: by a telegram dated
fs-ss Of this month. from 81. Petersburg
Prince GoTtchakoff informs me that his
majesty, the emperor OF all the Russias.
gives his consent 10 the cession OF the
Russian possessions on the American con
slnenf 20 the United States for the stipu-
lated sum OF 7.se0 e80 dollars in gold. and
that his majesty. the emperor. invests me
with fun powers 20 negotiate and sign the
treaty. Stoecki."
Russian Dear and Miss Columbia.
Tho inceptive and progressive stages OF
this earliest romance Ct our modern sub
Arctic Eldorado received from the living
iins q the somewhat errafle and sum
mary statesman and the placid. consider
ate and courIly hammered diplomat make
Ersf 5etss . int.
national courtship which began in the
mutual Infant STAGES 81 Russian bar
ha-ic mergeanes Inso Western clviiiza-
fiun and tho conquered American transit
ten sfesn colonial subsection into nation
81 autonomy between the two foremost
powers II the earth today.
The Secretary RishteonsIy Asie..
II WAS not alone self hat honest Eloria-
caticn az republican diplomatic methods
which caused tne chief rfleer 81 the
American eae3uet. seated in his official
der" "a earnestly exclalm to the writer
''th.s j1pt0nafic event was accomplished
without precedent protocols or dispatches
and tee transmission Of hat two brief
notes between the two neEotlators.
Tho entece6eat career 81 William Sc
vsra = pneic affairs pointed that man
ca - eaf.y - Tire mld-eentury period
al 'he political contentious over questions
ef nat'aual p9}tscs as a statesman of
ogn5ncsheaSlse views upon American des-
tiny.
Ne International Frienaxhtp.
The growth e friendship between the
tHs.ed States ard Russia neFan with the
establishment oG the Independence Of the
American colonies &n6 had been mani
Tested as0-e than once f. times 90 eritI-
cal relation WITH other European Movers
An Imperial Friend fm Time 81 stress
IN thc midst af the commercial ana
ciHn8esttne hostility ana Intrigue OF most
Of see European states in the earffsr
stages q ths Fehellson .a TIE southern
stetes against ths perpStuBston 81 the
American confederation. Busssa held I'm
ssttuaa 81 the very outset ~ substantial
sympathy ard solicltnde Tor the stability
e. tee Jtnfoa
The most notable Instance az thta .w-ss
tsee vereal understandings hsrugeer tH~
tuso EovernEueneS that ire United sseses
Neesaa6 - a. liberty, n y should ~ raanA
Necessary. % carry prises taken on the
hieA sesss froga any nattcz AZ var wi-h T.
cr uresT tAe tnSsrTxeai asw. inte RusSsan
pores so~ adjudication or sale T. was also
fact ofeen reverted 60 ~ New Yors s.
foremost ssataEncn 20 tne writer gsasr
during the srstre period q the reoe2Hon -
tae South. ~naen uena~ nations Eng n nj
ard Der se3cuaes, Germany. France ard
STaln-were erwREea lr sinister aaliyGne
end creating. no Covsf@tewsta agent vzsa
ssveT reserved esaccuraEss ~ entertained
e. -. rvte~seurw.
Esvsa ese'caAtses F~0Hsuw On. - corr
rsaats usually traced ea e%e sss-sfxa
80 ec-aes ef E'rropesr a-d Csrse4s-ste
sntgs xasv~~ we're a5yuSzeS rs verbal exessH-
ns-son Wtthosst even ,searsss.ai 70 vvrFsl-~
r. the winter o. fSs2. Il Is vel rarpers-
ssaras Nsss - essa q ar-s-tfa 49, =, s.ss e.