Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-07-21

remove these defects while preserving its
substance and spirit. weighing its ev-
cry phrase and word. and revising even
his own revisions. In the margin he
wrote mis- corrections.
I'VE intend to have a clear and sim
pie record of whatever issue may arise
between us and Great Britain" Mr..
Sward had written, commenting on his
instructions to Minister Adams to seek
explanations on parliamentary proceed
ings and to communicate them. The
president, feeling that this was unnec-
essary bellicose, wrote Leave out"
I'm the next paragraph Mr.. Seward had
complained of the failure of Minister
Dallas to protest against the demand
for explanations made by the British
government" Here Lincoln attested his
Intimate knowledge of the affairs of the
state department by writing Leave out
because it does not appear that such
explanations were demanded.
Seward found the loyalty and fidelity
of Dallas rare among our late repre-
sentatives abroad" Lincoln. while re-
tanning the appreciation of Dallas, saw
no reason for the criticism of the whole
diplomatic service and again wrote;
Leave out"
Because he deemed 1t unnecessary and
1ikeIy to give o..ense, Lincoln omitted
the sentence in which Mr.. Seward, after
protesting against recognition of the
Confederacy, had said: when this act
of Intervention is distinctly performed.
we from that hour shall cease to be
friends and become once more, as we
have twice before been forced to be.
enemies of Great Britain. +"
LINCOLN'S MASTERY OF ENGLISH.
BY HIS smaller corrections Lincoln
- =
else value of words, the niceties of die
ton. to be looked for rather in the
rhetorician or trained diplomat than in
the "rail-spltter'' of Illinois, in spite of
his legal training.
1.-THE president is surprised and
grieved,' wrote Seward: 1.-The president
regrets" wrote Lincoln. For wrongful
Lincoln supplied "hurtful," since the lat
ter word looked only at the result and
not the motive. On the other hand. dis
daining the bubble of "quasi-direct rec
ognition," he left Out the quasi and
left II simply direct
Mr. Seward had declared that mot one
of these proceedings will be borne" Here
Lincoln first wrote will pass unnoticed,"
but this in turn he altered to the strong
er phase pass unquestioned."
Another alteration of his own correc-
ton occurred where he first added to the
bove his advisers as he does PHYSICAL
course between Great Britain and the
Confederate commissioners, had hidden
him "confine yourself simply to a de-
livery of a copy of this paper to the
secretary of state"
This Lincoln marked leave out" ara
then directed to be written at the bot
tom of the dispatch. This paper is for
your own guidance only, and not to
read or shown any one.
If in the carefully edited letter there
still remained anything which mign
serve to irritate the British foreign
secretary or cause unpleasantness be-
tween his government anu Lincoln's. it
was now rendered harmless. There
was no ultimatum the new ambassador
simply received private instructions and
was left to act upon them, free to
choose his own way of managing the
delicate situation.
Seward himself later added a few
paragraphs of introduction. stating
clearly and forcibly the general policy
of the government-that 'it was neces-
but that st neither means to menace
Great Britain nor to wound the suscep-
tibilities of that or any other European
nation.
The paper ITSELF" he continued, lis
not TO be read or shown TO the British
secretary of state nor are any of it's
positions to be prematurely, unnecessa-
sarily or indiscreetly made known
In that he but followed the instruc-
tons of the president. Thus written
and revised, the letter was sent no dis
credit to Lincoln.
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Literary
Pressl