The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-01-24

-AA6 ANkAAA 4AA oI4 " ! IL III 70 e ~
reference with the United States. IL
is there said:
Many years elapsed before 1t became
generally known how near the British
government had come to, accepting or
even anticipating the overtures of the
French for mediation.
Some New Testimony.
The Sur has the privilege of offering
now the testimony of one who was 1t
the time onsul at Paris, and who
speaks with the highest personal au-
tfiority, backed by documentary evil
deDce never before published:
To the Editor of the Sun-Sir: Your
representative has shown me some letters
to you questioning what the writer's call
with having attested her friendship for
the United States in our civil war By
sending a squadron to our shores to be
at the service of our government in case
If | can throw any light upon the sub
ject. 1 think / can, though l do not
know how conclusive it may appear to
those who are predisposed to doubt 1t.
In the summer of 1862 and before I had
heard of the arrival of the Russian squad
ron In New York, l received a letter from
Mr.. Seward, of which 1 enclose a copy.
1t was a reply to rumors of coalitions and
comblnations against the United States
put In circulation by confederate agencies
In London and Paris, which l commu-
IIdSCo ~ llIS uepdI lilSllt. L ndNc HldI
the paragraph which I believed then to
be, and still believe to nave been, a suf-
hcient warrant for the inference that the
secretary of state had an understanding
with the RUSSIAN government. What he
wrote certainly warrants more even than
would be implied by a simple display Of
the fleet of the car in the harbcr OF New
York.
Shortly after my return from France in
1867, I spent a few days in Washington,
during which time ! had frequent inter
views with Mr.. Seward. and occasionally
met at his house Monsieur Bodisco, the
Russian minister at Washington. The
purchase of Alaska from Russia had just
been consummated. OF course neither Mr..
tinctly to me that that purchase was made
purely and simply as a gracious recogni-
ton on the part of the Washington
g fo%ysrG ths f Of the sttitude of tss the ear
doubt II there was any member Of either
mouse or congress who supposed the gov
ernment then had any other motive in
the purchase of Alaska than to recognize
its obligations to the cZar.
The fact stated by one of your CORE
spondents that there is no record OF such
partments,' is not surprising. Flirtations
between nationalities, as between the
sexes, are not apt to be proclaimed from
the housetops. nor even made matters of
record. John BigeloW.
p Gramercy Park, January 2.
Seward to BtseIow.
The Seward letter to Mr., Bigelow is
here printed:
Unofficial.
Department of State, Washington, June
Is, lS62.-Jonn Bigelow, Esq.-My Dear
Sir. The London Times has succeeded in
as an enemy to the United States: engaged
in urging upon them the .calamities of a
foreign war in the crisis of a domestic In
surrection sufficiently dangerous. The
Gppraf1r " Of war 3,JnJNnSnc RI a{ t. fc#l,Je.
duty not to give the London Times the
weight which it would derive from pro-
tecting, supporting and cherishing its
William H RusselD. The American peo-
pie do not dissent from the secretary's
opinion. They are being wrought up by
the European press to the point of meet
ing a European invasion. 1t seems to
them as II such an invasion gains favor In
Europe just in proportion that excuses
for 1t arc removed. b
The secretary Of war does not propose to
have any discussion about it, and GER
tainly can afford to engage in none.
General Cameron's vindication by the
president would have come somewhat ear
lier il he had not assumed to defend him
self against congress and in doing SO
hurled back accusations against them.
Your defence of our %nancia policy was
right. 1t stands upon necessities. Mr..
Bright should have shown you how we
could have gone through the wal with a
pSsIc veil tlld llSCGl SySlefIl. | -.#
/ do not write, or even talk just now
about Mexican affairs. 1 think it pru-
dent to watch and wait. Between you
and myself alone, l have a belief that the
European state. whichever one it may be.
that commits itself to intervention any
where in North America, will sooner OF
later fetch uD in the arms of a native of
an oriental country not especially dis.
tinguished for amiability of manners OF
temDer.
Our sending a minister to Rome was
just as meaningless as our consenting tc
Mr.. Mercier,s going to Richmond. We APP
pointed Rufus King minister, sixteen
months ago. He declined. We appointed
Mr.. Kendall a year ago. He waited I'M
til he got the Wisconsin forces into the
appointment.
Propositions and dabates about media.
ton and recognition do not tend to make
our people amiable. If the debates are
kept up abroad, we shall have 4 navy that
will be worthy Of a great maritime bower.
1t might perhaps be we'll if 1t were known
IN Europe that we are no longer alarmed
by demonstrations of interference. 4
/ am, my dear sir, very truly yours.
s.s William H: Seward.
Within the limits of the caution de-
manded by the time Inc the delicacy
of the matter under discussion, we fail
to see how Mr.. Seward could have
conveyed to Mr.. Bigelow any more
clearly his belief in the intention of
Russia to stand by the United States
in the manner of the tradition disputed
by our correspondent.