Memphis Daily Appeal

FROM THE ISTHMUS.

What's the Matter with Williamson?
A Grave Indictment of Our Minister by a Panama Editor.

New York, February 25.-The Panama Star and Herald, of February 17th, says: "We have received a communication from a respected correspondent in Guatemala, in which the official conduct of the United States minister is complained of and severely criticised. It is not the first intimation which has reached us to the effect that the officer referred to has succeeded in rendering himself unpopular with his countrymen and the public of Central America. We do not feel called upon to publish the specific allegations brought against him, but in our position as impartial journalist it becomes necessary to take note of repeated charges affecting the conduct of a public servant who fills the important position of United States minister to the republics of Central America, with whom it is the interests of the country he represents to maintain and foster the most friendly relations, instead of seeking a cause of quarrel. The minister ought to be imbued with sufficient wisdom, or at least common prudence, to avoid all show of animosity, to act in a manner which would conciliate and please the government and people to whom he is accredited. That such has not been the case, we regret to say there has been sufficient evidence to prove. In the case of Mr. Williamson, our readers will remember the Eisenstack business, and the part he played on the occasion of the visit of the German charge d'affaires and himself to the Nicaragua capital. He left Nicaragua and made such representations to the government that, without positive evidence to the contrary, we must consider President Hayes was led into the remarkable error, in his message to congress under date of December 27th, of saying that friendly relations had been interrupted with Guatemala, when he evidently meant Nicaragua. There has not been any other cause of disagreement within our knowledge, and that one should have been avoided, as far as Guatemala is concerned. It is very much to be regretted that the world should have been misinformed in so grave a document as the President's message that relations had been broken off, when such was not the case."