Twenty Years in Europe: A Consul-General's Memories of Noted People, with Letters From General W. T. ShermanByers, S. H. M. (Samuel Hawkins Marshall)
History
Twenty Years in Europe: A Consul-General's Memories of Noted People, with Letters From General W. T. Sherman
Byers, S. H. M. (Samuel Hawkins Marshall)
Europe -- Description and travel
Committees went to the Secretary of State, and demanded my dismissal,
anyway. It seems I have brought enmity on my head from every direction.
The Swiss papers have copied the American attacks, and join in the
malicious abuse and misrepresentation. My article is misrepresented,
and I am regarded an enemy of Switzerland. Some of the German
press join in the howl, and even Bismarck has been asked to make
representations to our Government.
The Swiss representative at Washington complains to his government
about me, and asks investigation. The Swiss government in quick time
entered its complaint. This is my chance, for I have only told the
truth, and have in my hands a hundred things to prove it, though at the
present moment they have made me the most disliked man in Switzerland.
There seems simply to be no “let up” to the misrepresentations
concerning this article. Those who know the inside facts, are naturally
indignant that I have exposed them.
I have gone on accumulating testimony, showing how scandalously our
American hospitality has been abused by certain communities shipping
their paupers and scoundrels to us.
Yesterday an emigration agent offered to furnish me the names of four
hundred paupers whom he alone had been hired to ship to the United
States.
In Italy, the other day, a great train load of poverty-stricken and
perfectly ignorant immigrants were started off for the United States.
They numbered one thousand. There was not a dollar apiece in the whole
crowd.
_February 9, 1881._--Here and there, a Swiss newspaper has looked into
the matter of my _Tribune_ letters for itself, and with shame admits
that the leading charges in my _exposé are true_.
Our Minister, Mr. Fish, at the request of the Department, also
investigates me and my exposé, and a few days ago announced to
Washington “that the statements made by Consul Byers, and objected to
by the Swiss Government, _are correct_.”
So all this storm of abuse has been unwarranted. Mr. Fish did me the
compliment to add in his dispatch “that instead of being unfriendly to
the Swiss, he (Mr. Byers) has done much to encourage and cherish good
relations between the two countries. He is one of the ablest and most
experienced consular officers in the service and has for nearly twelve
years performed his duties with integrity, ability and faithfulness.”
This report of me from a superior officer is a little set-off to the
“reprimand” and to the five hundred howling newspapers in the United
States.
I am now getting letters of thanks from many people who appreciate my
trying to do my country an honest service. Many of the newspapers, too,
both at home and abroad, have commenced seeing “a new light,” now that
overwhelming evidence as to the facts is printed in pamphlet form by
Minister Fish, and submitted to Congress.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account