It is worth while to mention, just to complete the
narrative, that the American Government, in its complaint to London, dd not dwell strongly upon Lord Sa,ckville's letter. That letter was marked" private," and the offence, such as it was, was com- mitted not by the Minister, but by the naturalised American who gave his answer to the papers. Mr. Phelps, therefore, in his conversation with Lord Salisbury, dwelt rather on Lord. Sackville's reply to a deputation, to whom he said that he believed Mr. Cleveland's policy of retaliation to have been due to the necessities of the election. The remark was made in public, and was ill-advised, and was allowed by Lord Salisbury to be so ; but it was, of course, impossible for the Foreign Secretary to recall a Minister without proof that he had uttered the words, and without giving him an opportunity to explain. Delay for such purposes did not suit Mr. Cleveland, who wanted action before polling-day, and Lord Sackville therefore received his passports, a precipitation the less excuseable because both the President and the Secre- tary of State remain in office, and with full legal powers, until March 4th, 1889.
