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The Writings of Carl Schurz/To W. M. Grosvenor, March 31st, 1870

< The Writings of Carl Schurz
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TO W. M. GROSVENOR

Washington, March 31, 1870. 

I thank you for your kind letter and your approval of my speech on the Georgia bill.[1] I have made a much better one since on the San Domingo treaty, and I think that will be your judgment when the injunction of secrecy will be removed and you see it. In my own opinion, that ​speech is the best one I ever made. Your apprehension of a breach between the Administration and myself has been verified in a less degree than I myself expected. I told General Grant my opinion about the treaty weeks ago with the utmost frankness, while, as I understand, others made him hope that they would support it and then opposed it. I am told that he speaks very highly of my candor. I have met him since I made my speech, and we met and parted very cordially.

As the matter now stands, the debate will probably be dropped, the treaty having expired on the 29th; but the treaty will probably be extended and we shall commence from the beginning again. In the meantime I hope we shall be able to carry the removal of the injunction of secrecy. The project is broached to carry the annexation scheme by joint resolution, following the example of Texas. If so, the most serious consequences are to be apprehended, and I stated my apprehensions to the President with the utmost frankness. I hope this dangerous experiment may be averted. Of course, the treaty can never be ratified in the Senate by a two-thirds majority.

.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.⁠.[2]

  1. ↑ Schurz made two speeches, March 18 and April 19, 1870, on the question of the admission of Ga. They can be seen in the Congressional Globe of that time.
  2. ↑ Four or five sentences wholly about unimportant personal matters.
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