NeverbeforehadIanyconceptionoftheheighttowhich``talltalk’’mightattain。Itwastheapotheosisofblather;
butasmyeyewanderedovertheassemblage，Inoticedthatmanyfacesworesmiles，anditwascleartomethatthemembershadmerelywishedtoexhibittheirmostamusingspecimen。
IfeltthatiftheycouldstanditIcould，andso，havingbiddentheSpeakerandMr。Donnellygood—bye，passedoutandmadetheacquaintanceoftheneighboringcityofSt。
Paul，whichstruckmeasevenmorebeautifulthanEdinburghintheviewsfromitsprincipalstreetsoverhills，valleys，andmountains。
AttheUniversityofMichigan，inviewofmyrecentvisit，Ididnotagainstop，butatHarvardandYaleI
addressedthestudents，andreturnedhomefromtheexcursionwithnewfaithinthefutureofthecountry。JamesBryceisrightwhenhedeclaresthatinouruniversitiesliethebesthopesoftheUnitedStates。
EarlyintheyearfollowingtheelectionIwasappointedbythePresidentambassadortoGermany。Ihadnotsoughttheposition;indeed，IhaddistinctlydeclinedtospeakofthemattertoanyofthosewhoweresupposedtohavethemanagementofpoliticalaffairsintheState。
Itcametome，directlyandunsought，fromPresidentMcKinley;Ithereforeprizedit，andshalleverprizetheremembranceofit。
Whileitwasannouncedaspending，IwasurgedbyvariousfriendstospeakofthesubjecttoMr。Platt，whoastheonlyRepublicansenatorfromNewYorkandtheheadoftheRepublicanorganization，wassupposedtohavelargerightsinthematter。ItwashintedtomethatsomestatementtoMr。PlattonthesubjectwasrequiredbypoliticaletiquetteandwouldsmooththePresident’sway。MyanswerwasthatIfeltrespectandfriendshipforMr。Platt;thatIcalledathisroomsfromtimetotimesocially，anddiscussedvariouspublicmatterswithhim;butthatIcouldnevermakearequesttohiminthepremises;thatIcouldnotputmyselfintheattitudeofasuppliant，evenintheslightestdegree，tohimoreventothePresident。
TheresultwasthatthePresidenthimselfspoketoMr。
Plattonthesubject，and，asIwasafterwardinformed，thesenatorrepliedthathewouldmakenoobjection，butthattheappointmentoughtnottobechargedagainsttheclaimsoftheStateofNewYork。
Thepresidentialcampaignof1900，inwhichMr。McKinleywaspresentedforrelection，touchedmebutslightly。
TherecamevariouslettersurgingmetobecomeacandidatefortheVice—Presidency，andsundrynewspaperspresentedreasonsformynomination，themainargumentbeingthesamewhichhadbeenformerlyusedasregardedthegovernorshipofNewYork——thattheGerman—AmericanswereestrangedfromtheRepublicanpartybythehightariff，andthatIwastheonlyRepublicanwhocoulddrawthemtotheticket。AllthisIdeprecated，andrefusedtotakeanypartinthematter，meantimewritingmynephew，whohadbecomemysuccessorintheStateSenate，myfriendDr。Holls，andothers，tourgethe，nameofTheodoreRoosevelt。Ihadknownhimformanyyearsandgreatlyadmiredhim。Hisintegritywasproofagainstallattack，hiscourageundoubted，andhisvigoramazing。
Itwasclearthathedesiredrenominationfortheplacehealreadyheld——thegovernorshipofNewYork——partlybecausehewasdevotedtocertainreforms，whichhecouldcarryoutonlyinthatposition，andpartlybecausehepreferredactivityasgovernorofagreatStatetotheusuallypassiveconditionofaVice—PresidentoftheUnitedStates。
Moreover，heundoubtedlyhadaspirationstothePresidency。
Thesewereperfectlylegitimate，andindeedhon—
orable，inhim，astheyareinanymanwhofeelsthathehasthequalitiesneededinthathighoffice。HeandhisfriendsclearlyfeltthatthetransitionfromthegovernorshipofNewYorktothePresidencyfouryearslaterwouldbemorenaturalthanthatfromtheVice—Presidency;butinmylettersIinsistedthathisnamewouldgreatlystrengthenthenationalticket，andthathisroadtothePresidencyseemedtomemoreeasyfromtheVice—Presidencythanfromthegovernorship;that，althoughduringrecentyearsVice—Presidentshadnotbeennominatedtothehigheroffice，duringformeryearstheyhadbeen;andthatIcouldseenoreasonwhyhemightnotbringaboutareturntotheearliercustom。Astomyself，atmyage，I
greatlypreferredthedutiesofambassadortothoseofVice—President。TheRepublicanpartywaswiseenoughtotakethisview，andattheNationalConventionhewasnominatedbyacclamation。
EarlyinAugust，havingtakenaleaveofabsenceforsixtydays，IarrivedinNewYork，andonlandingreceivedaninvitationfromMr。Roosevelttopassthedaywithhimathishouseinthecountry。Ifoundhimthesameearnest，energetic，straightforwardmanasofold。ThoughnominatedtotheVice—Presidencyagainsthiswill，hehadthrownhimselfheartilyintothecampaign;andthediscussionathishouseturnedmainlyonthesecuringofapropercandidateforthegovernorshipoftheStateofNewYork。
IrecommendedCharlesAndrews，who，althoughinthefullestvigorofmindandbody，hadbeenretiredfromthechief—justiceshipoftheStateonhisarrivalattheageofseventyyears。ThisrecommendationMr。Rooseveltreceivedfavorably;butlateritwasfoundimpossibletocarryitout，theRepublicanorganizationintheStatehavingdecidedinfavorofMr。Odell。
DuringmyentirestayintheUnitedStatesIwasconstantlyoccupiedwitharrearsofpersonalbusinesswhichhadbeentoolongneglected;but，attherequestofvariousfriends，wrotesundryopenlettersandarticles，whichwerewidelycirculatedamongGerman—Americans，showingtheinjusticeofthechargesoconstantlymadeagainstPresidentMcKinley，ofhostilitytoGermanyandGermaninterests。Nothingcouldbemoreabsurdthansuchanimputation。Theveryoppositewasthecase。
IalsogaveafarewelladdresstoagreatassemblageofstudentsatCornellUniversity，mytopicbeing``TheTrueConductofStudentLife’’;butinthecourseofmyspeech，havingalludedtotheimportanceofsobrietyofjudgment，Itestedbyitsundrypoliticalcontentionswhichwerestronglymadeonbothsides，alludingespeciallytoGoldwinSmith’sveryearnestdeclarationthatoneofthegreatestdangerstoournationarisesfromplutocracy。
Itookpainstoshowthatthewholespiritofourlawsisinfavoroftherapiddispersionofgreatproperties，andthat，withintheremembranceofmanypresent，alargenumberofthegreatestfortunesintheUnitedStateshadbeenwidelydispersed。Astootherdeclarationsregardingdangersarisingfromtheacquisitionofforeignterritoryandthelike，Iinsistedthatallthesedangerswereasnothingcomparedtooneofwhichwewerethenhavingastrikingillustration——namely，demagogism;andIurged，whatIhavelongdeeplyfelt，thatthemainsourceofdangertorepublicaninstitutionsisnow，andalwayshasbeen，thedemagogismwhichseekstoarraylaboragainstcapital，employeeagainstemployer，professionagainstprofession，classagainstclass，sectionagainstsection。I
mentionedthenameofnoone;butitmusthavebeencleartoallpresenthowdeeplyIfeltregardingtheissueswhicheachpartyrepresented，andespeciallyregardingtheresorttothelowestformofdemagogismwhichMr。Bryanwasthenmaking，inthedesperateattempttosavehisfallingfortunes。
DuringthisstayinAmericaImadetwovisitstoWashingtontoconferwiththePresidentandtheStateDepartment。
ThefirstofthesewasduringthehottestweatherI
haveeverknown。Therewerefewpeopleatthecapitalwhocouldleaveit，andattheArlingtonHoteltherewerenotmorethanadozenguests。Allweredistressedbytheheat。Moreover，therewasanamazingcomplicationofpoliticalmattersatthistime，calculatedtoprostratetheWashingtonofficials，eveniftheheathadnotdoneso;and，amongthese，thoserelatingtoAmericancontrolinthePhilippineIslands;thebitterstrugglethengoingoninChinabetweentherepresentativesofforeignpowers，includingourown，andtheChineseinsurrectionists;thedifficultiesarisingoutofthesuccessfulresultoftheSpanishWarinCuba;complicationsinthenewadministrationofPortoRico;andthemyriadofquestionsarisinginaheatedpoliticalcampaign，whichwasthenrunningfastandfurious。
ArrivingattheWhiteHouse，IpassedanhourwiththePresident，andfoundhim，ofallmeninWashington，theonlyonewhoseemednotatalltroubledbytheheat，bythecomplicationsinChina，bythedifficultiesinCubaandPortoRico，orbytherushandwhirlofthecampaign。HecalmlydiscussedwithmethedraftofapoliticalnotewhichwastobeissuednextdayinanswertotheRussiancommunicationsregardingthemodeofprocedureinChina，whichhadstartedsomeverytryingquestions;andthenshowedmealetterfromex—PresidentClevelanddecliningapositionontheInternationalArbitrationTribunalattheHague，andacceptedmysuggestionnottoconsideritafinalanswer，buttomakeanothereffortforMr。Cleveland’sacceptance。Duringthisfirstvisitofmine，theSecretaryofStateandtheFirstAssistantSecretarywerebothabsent，havingbeenalmostprostratedbytheextremeheat。AtasecondvisitinOctober，IagainsawthePresident，foundhiminthesameequableframeofmind，notallowinganythingtotroublehim，quietlydischarginghisdutiesinthecalmfaiththatallwouldturnoutwell。DiningwithSecretaryHay，ImentionedthisequanimityofthePresident，whenhesaid:``Yes;itisasourceofperpetualamazementtousall。Heallowsnoquestion，nomatterhowcomplicatedorvexatious，todisturbhim。Sometimesince，atameetingofthecabinet，oneofitsmembersburstoutintoabitterspeechagainstsomegovernmentofficialwhohadbeenguiltyofgrossrudeness，andsaid，`Mr。President，hehasinsultedyou，andhehasinsultedme’;thereuponthePresidentsaidcalmly，`Mr。Secretary，ifhehasinsultedME，Iforgivehim;
ifhehasinsultedyou，Ishallremovehimfromoffice。’’’
NewspaperswereteemingwithmisrepresentationsofthePresident’scourse，buttheyfailedtorufflehim。OnhisaskingifIwastakinganypartinthecampaign，I
referredtoaspeechthatIhadmadeontheFourthofJulyinLeipsic，andanothertotheCornellUniversitystudentsjustbeforemydeparture，withtheremarkthatIfeltthataforeigndiplomaticrepresentativecominghomeandthrowinghimselfeagerlyintothecampaignmightpossiblydomoreharmthangood。Inthisremarkheacquiesced，andsaid:``Ishallnot，myself，makeanyspeecheswhatever;norshallIgiveanypublicreceptions。MyrecordisbeforetheAmericanpeople，andtheymustpassjudgmentuponit。InthisrespectIshallgobacktowhatseemstomethebetterpracticeoftheearlyPresidents。’’
Iwasstruckbythejusticeofthis，andtoldhimso，althoughIfeltobligedtosaythathewouldbeunderfearfultemptationtospeakbeforethecampaignhadgonemuchfarther。Hesmiled，butheldtohisdetermination，despitethefactthathisopponentinvadedallpartsoftheUnioninanoratoricalfrenzy，inonecasemakingaspeechathalf—pasttwointhemorningtoacrowdassembledatarailwaystation，andmakingduringonedaythirty—onespeeches，teemingwitheverykindofcampaignmisrepresentation;
butthePresidentwasfaithfultohispromise，utterednowordinreply，andwasrelected。
Notonlyathome，butabroad，asIcanamplytestify，thenewsofhisrelectionwasreceivedwithgeneralsatisfaction，andmostofallbythosewhowishwelltoourcountryandcherishhopesthatgovernmentbythepeopleandforthepeoplemaynotbebroughttonaughtbythewilddemagogismwhichhaswreckedallgreatrepublicsthusfar。
Butalas！thetriumphwas...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：