The Writings of Carl Schurz/To Thomas F. Bayard, February 27th, 1889

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Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz
Carl Schurz and others, edited by Frederic Bancroft

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New York City: G. P. Putnam's Sons, pages 15–16

3509675Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz — To Thomas F. Bayard, February 27thCarl Schurz and others

TO THOMAS F. BAYARD

New York, Feb. 27, 1889.

I have read the protocol with keen interest and cannot refrain from saying that the American side of the question has been represented by you with the most decided and unquestionable superiority in point of argument as well as vigor of debate. I do not wonder that those among your adversaries who still have some respect for the truth were silenced by the appearance of this document.

I saw a statement in the papers a few days ago that the German Government had formally demanded the prosecution and punishment of Klein, and that you had sent the correspondence concerning this demand, to the Senate. Can you, consistently, tell me whether this is true?

Will you be kind enough to cause a copy of the correspondence concerning the Sackville case^[1] to be mailed to me? You will add to the many obligations under which I am to you.

↑ Lord Sackville was the British Minister at Washington during the National campaign of 1888, when the Republicans were very eager to attract the Irish-American voters. A correspondent in California, pretending to be a British-American, asked Lord Sackville's advice as to which party he should vote for. The unsuspecting Minister wrote him a letter marked “private” in which he said that the Democratic party was more friendly to Great Britain, etc. This was the desired answer. The Republican party managers kept it secret until a short time before the election and then used it, with all possible stress, to excite the Irish against the Democratic party. In order to lessen the damaging effect of the plot, President Cleveland, a candidate for reëlection, sent Lord Sackville his passports, with haste that was most abrupt and undiplomatic. For details and comment, see 47 The Nation, 345, 348, 369, 387.

[p15-1] Lord Sackville was the British Minister at Washington during the National campaign of 1888, when the Republicans were very eager to attract the Irish-American voters. A correspondent in California, pretending to be a British-American, asked Lord Sackville's advice as to which party he should vote for. The unsuspecting Minister wrote him a letter marked “private” in which he said that the Democratic party was more friendly to Great Britain, etc. This was the desired answer. The Republican party managers kept it secret until a short time before the election and then used it, with all possible stress, to excite the Irish against the Democratic party. In order to lessen the damaging effect of the plot, President Cleveland, a candidate for reëlection, sent Lord Sackville his passports, with haste that was most abrupt and undiplomatic. For details and comment, see 47 The Nation, 345, 348, 369, 387.

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