The Irish standard., 1902-01-04

In a recent lecture at the Lowell
Institute in this city Charles Francis
Adams considered Senator Summers
attempt to drive Great Britain out of
Canada as punishment for the as
sistance which that country gave to
the Confederacy in fitting out and
operating the cruiser Alabama, says
the Boston Republic.
: Mr.. Adams began by referring to the
u arejection of the Johnson-C Clarendon
convention and the speech of Mr..
Sumner in April, 1860, in which he
first formulated the doctrine of ma
tional injuries and consequential dam
ages, the amount of which was esti-
Hmated at some three thousand million
sof dollars. This, apparently approved
8by the senate of the United States,
smade settlement between the two
4 countries practically impossible.
At this time President Grant sue
ceeded Andrew Johnson, and Mr.. Fish
became secretary Of state in place of
William H. Seward. The negotiations
then at once entered upon a wholly
new phase. Mr.. Motley was sent to
England. The secretary of state, how
ever, found himself i'll most difficult
position. General Grant was an ex-
pansionist. His eyes, however, We're
fixed in the direction of the West In
dian Islands and Cuba. Mr.. Sumner
was also an eXpansionist, but his view
lay in the direction of Canada and the
British dominion. This led almost at
once to a divergence Of views. The
president wished to have the Cuban
insurgents recognized as belligerents,
and the secretary was, therefore, un
able to take the position in regard to
Il the queens proclamation Of May, 1861,
which had been taken by Mr.. Sumner.
Moreover, Mr.. Summers position did
not commend itself to his judgment.
Unfortunately for himself, Mr.. Mot
ley in London represented Mr.. Sumner
rather than the secretary of state.
This fact led to what was afterwards
known as "the Motley imbroglio," the
course of which the lecturer explained
at length. The misfortune of Mr.. Mot
ley's position was that he found him
self involved in the growing difficulty
between the chairman of the senate
committee on foreign affairs and the
president. Accordingly, the negotiation
was speedily taken out of his hands.
At this point new actor appeared
upon the stage. This was Sir John
Rose of Canada, natural diplomat a
man of pleasing address, and one thor
oughly acquainted with the situation.
The private negotiations conducted be-
tween Secretary Fish and Sir John
Rose were then described, and the
course of events until January, 1870,
when Sir John Rose appeared in
Washington, and, on the evening of
his arrival, at the dinner table of the
secretary of state, the basis Of the sub
sequent treaty of Washington was
ooASSN uloh' Liz hS-AI uuJ IA1lS NuS
put in shape as a formal memorandum
and submitted by Sir John Rose to
Mr.. Fish. Owing to the Motley i'm
broglio, the relations between Mr. Fish
and Mr.. Sumner We're then strained.
In fact, they were hardly on speaking
terms. "A meeting was arranged for
between the two at the house Of Mr..
Sumner, and there the secretary sub
mitted to the all-powerful chairman
of the senate committee the memoran-
dunn of Mr.. Fish. 1t was discussed,
to leave it with him for further con-
sideration. This Mr.. Fish did, and Mr..
Sumner returned it few days later
with the following memorandum:
''First. The idea of Sir John Rose
is that all questions and causes of il,
ritation between England and the
United States should be removed alb
solutely and forever, that we may be
at peace really, and good neighbors
and to this end all points of differ
ence should be considered together
Nothing could be better than this in
itial idea. 1t should be the starting
point.