Year: 1868

The Retirement OF Mr.. Adams.


In the midst of the singularly intricate and
difficult negotiation which arose between the
governments Of Great Britain and the United
States out Of the incidents Of the civil war, il
has happened that the envoy of each power
has been removed. It is a controversy which
has passed through many vicissitudes. OF
the persons who were originally engaged in it
one only remains to carry it on. The Eng
lish Foreign Office has been under the direct
ion Of three ministers since the questions still
in dispute were first raised, and of two pleni-
potcntiarcs who represented the government
at Washington between 1861 and 1861, one
j. now ambassador at Paris and the other is
dead. On the part of the Americans there
has been no change in the principal negotia-
tors until now, when the retirement of Mr..
Adams is announced, and thus Mr. Seward is
left the only minister who has throughout ta-
ken a part in the discussion. There might
he circumstances in which the substitution Of
one voice for another in so protracted dis
pute would be of advantage, but the resigna-
ton of Mr.. Adams can only be regarded as a
great loss TO both governments. He is
thoroughly familiar with every one Of the
points at issue, and although he has never
shrunk from presenting his own case with
6rmncss and decision, and maintaining it
even with persistence, he has always been fair
and courteous, anxious to maintain peace,
though never for a moment forgetting the in
rerests ofhis country. There have been times,
no doubt, within the last seven years when we
should have liked him better it, consistently
with his duties, he could have put before US
tl.. e Ia,
and iuhexiblc form. II il natural, although
perhaps not altogether reasonable, that we
should have wished him to look at the ques-
tions between as with English rather than
with American eyes. But Mr.. Adams had
his duty to his own government to perform,
and the incest ingenuity could not have epa-
bled him to render that duty specially attrac-
tive to Us. He invariably, however, exhibi-
ted a wise discretion and cool Judgment.
II is easy to comprehend the painful cmbar-
rassmcnts into which both countries might
have been plunged by less cautious or less
capable man.. We have only to read the
speeches constantly delivered in the Senate of
the United States to appreciate the mischief
which some prominent advisers Of the Ameri-
can people would have produced


Mr. Adams, the representative of a family
which has been connected with public life in
the United States since the earliest days of
the republic, has himself taken an active part
in the politics of his own country for almost
a quarter of a century 1t would be ingrati-
tude on the part of the American people to
forget the service he has rendered them in
England He has been unyieding in their
behalf, but no English minister has ever ques-
U IA t,,t l,,l, IL ,a
success of no common kind for a man to have
been constantly engaged years together in
pressing upon us questions Of claims which
we deemed strained or unjust, and yet to have
won the regard of the government and the
nation. Mr.. Adams has been obliged to per-
sue course often most distasteful TO us, but
when he leaves this country it will be with
the esteem and good wishes of all classes of
the people.


We have so recently experienced the diff
Guilty of finding u competent representative at
Washington, that we can understand the re-
uctance of the American administration to
part with Mr. Adams, He has, we believe,
sought to be relieved ever since the close of
the war, but Mr.. Seward was reluctant to de-
: prive himself of so efficient and trustworthy
an agent.


A successor, however, has now to be APP
pointed, and the choice is rendered more per-
picking than ever by the bitter variance which
exists between the president and the Senate
In these days the President can neither ap-
point nor remove public officer of any emf
nencc without the concurrence of the Senate
and the post of minister to England is likely
to be warmly contested on both sides. The
President would scarcely like TO have in Eng
land, as mouthpece of his government a
man who was intensely hostile to it, and on
the other hand the Senate will not permit
the designs of Congress to be unfayorably
represented. Thus new conflict is unayoid.
able. TO Us it is of no Importance from
which party the new minister may be select
ed, but it is of great Importance that he
should be fair and iust-minded man.