The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-07-04
A MYSTERIOUS EVENT.

There is, and for six months has
been. running in the Atlantic Monthly
the diary Of Gideon Welles, who was
Secretary Of the Navy under President
Lincoln during the War Of the Re
bclion. Mr.. Welles was an active, eff
ficicnt secretary loyal to the cause, a
man of great grasp Of mind, vast com
mon sense, and extensive attainments.
the war, and its high value must, in
time, be fully recognized. His com
ment on current events is a record
Of his private thoughts and good judg
ment His estimate Of generals In the
army as their work was developed in
tho Cabinet meetings, is the Judgment
that history has pronounced upon them,
except that opportunity for judgment
in detail was his beyond most,
and he has gone into detail in the
strengthening Of the case in every in
stance, in n way that cannot fail TO
be of great service to future historians.
What he thought about Mcclellan,
about Mead. about Hooker, about Hal
lccl5, is practically about what every
one thinks of them now, and his judg-
meut of events and of the value Of
taking advantage of opportunities is
so keen, so correct, and so well stated,
that this diary is indeed a treasure TO
the public,
In the installment of this diary in
the July Atlantic there is a paragraph
that reopens an old discussion without
throwing any light upon a widely dis
cussed and even yet mysterious occur
renee. Under date of Friday, Sep
tcmber %, 1863. Mr. Wclles records:
The Russian fleet has come out OF the
Baltic and is now In New York. or a
large number Of the vessels have ar
rived. They are not 10 he confined to
the Baltic by northern winter. In
sending them To this country at this
time there is something significant
What will he its effect on France and
tho French policy we shall learn in due
time, If may moderate-it may cXaspcr-
ate. God bless the Russians!
Most extraordinary things have been
said about that visit of the Russian
fleet TO New York, in the fall of 1868.
The most generally accepted explana-
tion Of II has been, and this was cor
in a talk with the Car him
self some years later, that the visit
was intended as a mark of Friendship
to the United States. and of his good
VIII toward this Nation in the struggle
ii was making TO preserve the Union
and put down the rebellion Other vcr
sious have gone to the extreme Of
saying that the Russian fleet arrived
in Now York with orders which put il
at the service of President Lincoln in
certain contingencies; those contingen-
cies being suggested as the recognition
Of the Confedoracy by Great Britain
Or France, or both. This view would,
however, presuppose an alliance of
fcnsive and defensive between Russia
md the United States, which, in fact.
never existed.
1t is. therefore. in the highest degree
Improbable, if not practically impossi-
ple. that the Russian fleet could have |
arrived with any such orders But
hat lis arrival was welcomed with !
lecp feeling and enthusiasm in this
ountry. there Is not the least doubt,
md the outburst of Secretary Welles,
Z God bless the Russians!' coming
rom man of steadfastness, cool.
Hooded, and Of pblegmatc disposition.
ureIy ought to mean something far be
hn ,rii :. |
id mean is not explained in this por.
ION of the diary. Perhaps the out
urst may be explained later on; for
if any significance, beyond
mere disposition to show n friendly
egard toward the United States. was
lvolved in that visit, Naval Secrc-
lry Welles would be the one who
'ould naturally know of it.
For great many years there have
cen curious and specializing views
bout some of the mysterious events 9
the war, and the inquircrs have
cen particularly curious about the
lSlt of the Russian fleet at that time,
nd if subsequent entries in Secretary
Jcllcs's journal will clear up that
ystery. then this Journal will prove
even more value and interest than
lie entries in the portions Of the diary
bich have already been published,
lportant and interesting though these
'trlcs certainly are. Secretary Welles b
i'll prove Il further benefactor to his 81
untry, and will satisfy a widespread
riosity, If he is able to throw any II
5ht upon the visit Of the Russian
,et to American waters in the fall &C
G3 n