Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-06
A BIG TREATY SCOOP
HOW IT WAS EFFECTED IN ANTE
BELLUM DAYS.
Confidential Copy Loaned by a Sena-
tor-How. Minister Finally
Got His Salary.

Talking about newspaper work in ante
bellum days and journalistic scoops OF the
days before the southern states left the
Union, an old correspondent. who was one
of the most active Of the corps OF the toll
ers of those days, yesterday related to two
or three friends an incident in which he
beat the whole field OF newsgatherers and
came in with flying colors.
.It was much more difficult in those days..
he mentioned ito get possession Of anything
in the nature Of state secrets than 1t 10
now. I was quite q young man at the
time I secured the SCOOP that am going
to tell you about, as, OF course, all OF you
know I was the representative In WASH
ington Of leading New York paper-one
that did not receive excuses whenever itS
representatives were scooped. had q
large number Of friends and acquaintances
who were men in prominent public POSI-,
lions, and through their friendliness and.
I managed to keep pretty generally In the
front ranks Of the procession.
There were negotiations pending for
very important treaty between this gov
was settled upon, and 1t was determined
to have 1t printed and a copy sent In an en-
velope marked confidential to every MEM
Der OF the Senate. Until 1t was confirmed
Mcity as was within the range of POSSIBLE
ity. My paper had advised me that 1t was
absolutely necessary that l should get
copy Of this treaty, and knew that II
did not get it, and some other fellow among
the active men here did get it. I might as
well hang my harp on the willow
There was one senator who was very
good friend of mine. had been able to do
several small favors for him and he appre-
ciated the fact. To him I went. though I
knew him to be rather timid about reveal
ing great secrets called him out Of the
Senate chamber and asked him II senators
had not been supplied with copy of the
treaty. He answered me in the affirmative.
and I then asked him to let me get. a
this my friend stoutly demurred and frank
ly told me that he was afraid lest should
divulge in some way the source OF my In
formation. I assured him on my word Of
honor that I would not. I said to him that
I would suffer to have my hand cut off be-
fore I would be SO dishonorable. Well. at
last he loaned 1t to me and I hid myself
away, copied the full text of the treaty and
brought the document in its envelope
marked confidential. back to the senator.
1.-The entire text was published in my
paper next day. and you may believe there
was stir. John Sherman and several men,
bers of the committee on foreign relations
were wild, and Sherman that very day in
executive session, as l found out, called
upon senators to rise in their places. and
asked if they had the confidential document
in their possession to show It, Every senator
respected his request. My senator held up
his copy (of course he had it, as l returned
1t to him in person) and the mystery re-
manned. Sherman sent for me and asked me
where l got hold of it, and I told him he
could not learn anything from me. I would
not tell YOU 1 said to him. for a hundred
thousand dollars.
1.-The senator who aided me in making
this scoop long ago passed away. and when
he died held very important position in
the government service"
Harvey's Salary.
The old correspondent related another
"reminiscences of altogether different char
acter. 1t concerned the late James E.
Harvey, who was at one time United States
minister at one of the foreign courts
Harvey" he said. when 1 first became
acquainted with him was here representing
the New York Tribune He was a gentle
man in every fiber of his body and thor
ough newspaper man. William H. Seward
was one Of his best friends. and very sooon
after he became Secretary Of State he ap-
pointed Harvey as one OF our ministers
abroad The war had then virtually been
inaugurated. Harvey was confirmed and
without any delay went to his post. 1t
was not long afterward when some one
fshed up charges against him. The asser-
ton was made that he had furnished i'm
portant information to what we then called
the rebel government. They were brouTht
to the attention Of some of the leading iaen
in both branches OF Congress and an in
vestigation disclosed that he had tele-
graphed to Charleston. g. c.. that the
steamer Star Of the West was coming there
with supplies of various kinds for the gov
eminent forces. A telegram from him to
that effect was discovered and. as might be
known, q sensation was caused. Harvey
had been confirmed and was at his post.
The most persistent demands were made
Secretary of state was unwilling to do.
In spite Of entreaties and even threats
Seward was obdurate. He knew Harvey
well. had been his personal friend for
many years and would not believe that he
was in the slightest degree disloyaL The
only thing that could be done at this juno
ture was to refuse to pay the minister any
salary. and. making long story short, the
appropriation bills for the payment of our
consular and diplomatic servants abroad
omitted any item for a salary to the min
lister at the post to which Harvey had been
assigned. He served four years without
cent Of pay and was relieved from dip
lomatic duty only when under the next
administration man was appointed In
his place.
when Mr. Harvey returned he was talk
and he explained this telegram concerning
the departure of the steamer Star Of the
West. that had kicked up all the Robbery.
and resulted 50 disastrously. in financial
point of View to the ex-minister. He had
sent the telegram to his two sisters. who
were then residents of Charleston, as a
warning to them to leave their homes and
get back somewhere into the country 80 as
to be safe in the event Of hostilities be-
coming a result Of the steamers arrival.
as every one knows was the result. Their
safety was his only object.
"Well. here is the end Of this story" said
the veteran correspondent, II was a near
friend Of old John Corode of Pennsylvania,
chairman of the committee on appropria-
tions and told him the whole story. The
old gentleman had never heard Of 1t. In
fact, Harvey had never represented the case
to his friends. An investigation followed,
and the end of it was that bill was passed
by which Mr.. Harvey was reimbursed for
his services and received in gold at one
swooop the entire amunt of four years
salary. In one respect he was given
clean bill of health. and came out of the
fire like our friends who in the Scripture
came from the fiery furnace unscathed.
He had been tried In the balance and had
not been found wanting. I have forgotten
some of the many details in this rather I'M
portant incident in diplomatic history. but
they are unimportant. have given you
gentlemen an important historical fact"