Evening journal., 1915-06-07
New News Of Yesterday
A Patriotic American
Merchant
By Holland.

BY Gen. Thomas l.. James, who was
Postmaster General in the Cabinet of
President Garfield. was told an inter-
esting anecdote associated with Thur
low Weeds appointment and service
as special personal representative OF
President Lincoln in Great Britain and
in France in the latter part of 1861
and, later, in 1862. Not the least in
teresting of the many truly sensa-
tional and romantic experiences which
Thurlow Weed met with in his long
career we're those in which he had
part in London and in Paris. He was
able to aid in preventing France from
recognizing the Southern Confederacy
and also to prepare William H. Sew
ard. Secretary of State, for the note
which the latter would receive from
the British cabinet demanding that the
United States release the Confederate
commissioners, Mason and Slidell.
who had been taken from the British
steamship Trent by Capt. Wilkes and
lodged in a fort in Boston Harbor
For some reason never fully under
stood by Mr. Weed said Gen James.
Secretary Seward did not appear
land a2d France as one of the special
commission of three which President
Lincoln determined to appoint If it
had not been for the statement made
by Archbishop Hughes, of New York,
who was to be one of the commits
sioners. that he would not accept ap-
pointment unless Mr.. Weed was also
appointed. the probabilities are that
Seward would have had his way and
Weed would not have been appointed.
only a few days before the com
mission sailed for England. a sort OF
reception was held at the .Astor House
New York. There were a number OF
prominent citizens there. / remember
seeing Robert B. Minturn, who was
one of the great merchants of New
York, on his way to the Astor House
Mr.. Minturn was a warm friend of
Thurlow Weed. and he was pleased
that the latter was to serve as a men,
Der of this commission which was per-
sonally to represent the President.
Secretary Seward was present at
the reception and he made a little
speech and read the official appoint
ment of the commissioners. Then a
queer thing happened. Mr.. Minturn
said to the Secretary that he was very
glad that Weed was to be one of the
commissioners. He was astonished
when Secretary Seward said that
Weed had volunteered to go and was
so anxious to go that he was going to
pay all his own expenses. That an
noyed Mr. Minturn. He went out OF
the room, and a few minutes later Mr.
Weed found Mr.. MintuTn pacing the
corridor He called Mr.. Weed aside
and gave him a check for $4,000, say
ing that that was to defray his per
sonal expenses. Then he told Weed
that he would find at one of the larg,
London banks a credit upon which h'
could draw for whatever funds hi
needed while abroad, especially il
any were essential for meeting tn,
purposes of the commission. That il
the reason why Thurlow Weed wal
perhaps better fortified financially fol
omnnssion's work than were tn,
other two members, and Mr. Minturl
always felt that he had been abun
dantly paid by the valuable services
Mr.. Weed gave"
Copyright 1915. by e. ]. Edwards
All rights reserved.)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell o
"Lincoln's Defense of His Decrepi
iair."