The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-20

pe claim without any legal basis what
eNeI' ana mad no right to do ANYTHING
with II. But Seward sent il to me a sec
ohd time to present. IL was not over $50 -
w OF $1,000 and had been tried In the
united states courts Perkins agreed 70
take $500 or $500 and drop the case and This
was done, but the friends of Mr. Seward
formed lobby company, of which one
steward a noted lobbyist was the lead
er, and ran it up to hundreds of thou
SANDS OF dollars and tried to make me
bring 1t before the Russian government.
This was sent to me. and / went with it to
Gortchakof, and he took 1t and read It,
Ihen, advancing toward me with a face
hushed with anger. said: I'VE will go to
war before we pay a copec" Therefore
to cut the matter short. Seward was Il e
most unpopular man in the United States
with the Russians. And he was the man
VINO came In opposition to me for the hon
or or the annexation of Alaska.
Inc result was they refused to confirm
the telegraph charter and to pay the re-
bate, and the scheme was killed. Now
what does common sense say? Would thew
give favor to me, who was their friend
or to Mr. Seward, who was their enemy?
When the telegraph company could not
get this rebate, they asked that they
should own the land for depots, etc, to
avoid complications with Russian laws.
l brought this claim before the Emperor
STA there are certain men who have great
influence with the Emperor, and they were
disposed to give us the fee simple to the
land so that We might execute our laws
without delay.
But in the mean time the Russian Fur
Company was about to expire Now the
Emperor had some friends provided for
by this sinecure. When war threatened
to come between the United States and
Europe, Russia was on our side
a fleet was sent to the United States
which harbored in New York and that
frightened the powers-for England
France Spain and all the European gov
ernments were against the United states
except Russia. Germany was as violently
plotting against us as the rest England
backed out after putting her fleet under
sail, and the movement was defeated by
the power of Russia standing in defense
OF the United States by threatening her in
China and India.
But the Russian Fur Company. antici-
pating the probable loss of Alaska-when
l asked them to make a sale of their
property-a company was formed in the
United States and bought their property
As it seemed probable that England MIGHT
come in with her superior fleet and take
Alaska, l then urged them to sell tho
whole of Alaska to The United states
which was. done of necessity at Washing
ton-when the T,0000O0 were paid
Now, II credit is due TO any one man
llNlng or dead, to whom is IL due? After
Lincoln's death and after / had written
my memoirs, Seward came out and claim
ed the honor. 1t was generally understood
that Mr.. Seward was opposed to the thing
throughout and the Russian government
was certainly not ready to cut the thine
into the hands OF a man like him but
would much prefer % seek my services
When Mr.. Lincoln, our chief. was dead
and made no sign, then l came in to claim
my rights. On account of late personal
affair, my life has been reviewed An
parties look upon me no longer as a rival
but as a dead man, and the whole press
unanimously have agreed that 1 am tho
undlsputed author Of the annexation of
Alaska.
1t is my opinion that Alaska Is the finest
mineral country in the world. not excepting
Africa. II abounds in many kinds Of
metal, particularly gold. The climate Is
very folr; and you will find that immigra-
ton runs upon parallel sothermal lines
People from the North OF Europe prefer
TO go to the North. And those from the
south go TO the South. There is a large
population in Europe who will 20 there
and II will be very populous, because every
mineral country is. 1t is not a small
thing-the annexation Of Alaska
think when what / have done as lib
orator, what ] have done for education.
what I have done for the freedom Of the