Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-04-25

was prominent anu alive OILY III SpOLS
over the country; the people as a
whole heard little of it and cared per-
haps less.
In 1866 Senator Cornelius Cole OF
California laboreu at Washington to
induce the Johnson administration C
make a definite offer to purchase
Alaska. At last he was authorized
by Seward to sound the mind OF une
Russian envoy and to intimate the oe-
sire of the president. Gortchakof'
the Russian head Of affairs at the time
was advised of what was In une vino
at Washington, and as Baron StoecKel
had just been appointed minister 70
the limited States and was about TO
depart from st. Petersburg he was IN
structed to meet the Washington
authorities half way should tney pro-
nose formal negotiations. On nus ar
rival in March, 1867, he did not oelay
to advise Secretary Seward tnat LIE
was prepared to enter into Iormal
neqotiations. Senator Cole was still
permitted by the secretary TO employ
himself in the general matter. 90
prominent was he, indeed, Wnale Uhe
negotiations were pending that it was
difficult to say who was the negotia-
tor on the part of this government,
Seward or Cole. Anyhow, it was sup
posed by the most to be Pacific
coast scheme. Largely it was So
but it did not yicld the advantages
that were foreseen till 1870, when the
Grant administration allowed a coast
syndicate to get away with the monop-
oily of the seal killing on the Priby-
loft islands.
Stewards first offer for Alaska was
the round sum of 100000. 1t ru-
NOR at the time was correct the payee
of that sum was bound to cultivate the
newspapers of the capital and to sup
ply the lobby with funds against the
day when the treaty should be before
the senate for it's ratification. The
| offer was reported to st. Petersburg,
and i'm return Stoeckel was told to de-
mand-in order to meet expenses OF
the lobby, unfriendly critics charged
$4,000 in addition. This Seward
acceded to-Russia, it was agreed,
should have $780, 900 for Alaska and
it's transfer free of incumbrance of
whatever nature to the United States.
The fact of agreement as to the price
was cabled to the czar by Baron Stoec-
KEEL and, receiving answer that he go
ahead, at o'clock on the same day he
and Seward signed the treaty. 1t had
been a. most singular case from begin
ming to end, so much of the negOtiat-
ing having been done outside of the
customary channels of diplomacy.
Only two notes passed, one on each
side, discussing the transaction.
When the president sent the treaty
to the senate it had very few friends
in the country at large. Some whalers
in Massachusetts, favored it and the
Pacific coast states and territories
were credited with having been the in
stigators of the deal. The press OPP
posed and ridiculed the whole transac-
ton. A few papers supported the
treaty, mainly on the ground that
Russia had been a friend to the union
during the civil war and might posi-
bly, be entitled to the money it was
proposed to give her, leaving Alaska
entirely out of the account, so utterly
worthless was the territory thought to
be. It was commonly alluded to as
Stewards polar bear garden"
It was believed for a time that the
treaty would have hard shedding in
the senate though it was known that
Charles Summer was preparing a
speech on the side of ratification. The
administration, which had not then
broken with the republicans, bent all
it's energies to secure a ratification
And then there. was Baron StOeckeps
$7,25O, 900, of which at least $3.50, 900, il
was understood, would be available as
grease where fabrication of legisla-
tive machinery was needed.
i At the time that England was show
ing most hostility to the union and
as a. consequence of the Mason and
Slidell affair, it was feared that Eng
land would declare war, the emperor
of Russia promptly made known his
friendship for the north, and more
! than intimated his purpose to take a
hand in the unions behalf in case
England sided actively with the south
So much was true, but that did not
justify the belief that money was
about to be paid to Russia, ostensibly
for Alaska, but really for sympathy
and encouragement given three years
before. That belief was prevalent
however, and it is helped to cheaper
Alaska in the public mind.
Russia maintained a consistent at
titude during the civil war. The
czar's war vessels were in New York
harbor at the time of England's great
est buster, and no doubt they would
have been employed for the north
had England sent her War fleet to our
coast with hostile intent. Gortchakof,
who was fighting England by diplo-
i ~ 11on MI no