Sodepartthatdailythoumayestbecomemoreusefultothycountryandtomankind。’’
IoftenrecallthesayingofSt。PhilipNeri，who，inthedaysoftheElizabethanpersecutions，waswonttogazeatthestudentspassingoutfromthegatesoftheEnglishCollegeatRome，ontheirwaytoGreatBritain，andtosay:``Iamfeastingmyeyesonthosemartyrsyonder。’’Myownfeelingsarelikehis，buthappier:I
feastmyeyesonthoseyouthsgoingforthfromCornellUniversityintothisnewtwentiethcenturytoseegreatthingsthatIshallneversee，andtomakethenewtimebetterthantheold。
Duringmylife，whichisnowextendingbeyondtheallottedspanofthreescoreandten，Ihavebeenengagedafterthemannerofmycountrymen，inmanysortsofwork，havebecomeinterestedinmanyconditionsofmenhavejoinedinmanyeffortswhichIhopehavebeenofuse;but，mostofall，IhavebeeninterestedinthefoundingandmaintainingofCornellUniversity，andbythepartI
havetakeninthat，morethanbyanyotherworkofmylifeIhopetobejudged。
PARTV
INTHEDIPLOMATICSERVICE
CHAPTERXXVI
ASATTACHATST。PETERSBURG——1854—1855
WhileyetanundergraduateatYale，myfavoritestudiesinhistoryandsomelittleattentiontointernationallawledmetotakespecialinterestinthediplomaticrelationsbetweenmodernstates;butitneveroccurredtomethatImighthaveanythingtododirectlywiththem。
HavingreturnedtoNewHavenaftermygraduation，intendingtogivemyselfespeciallytomodernlanguagesasapreparationfortravelandhistoricalstudyabroad，Isawoneday，frommywindowinNorthCollege，myfriendGilman，thenoftheclassabovemine，sincepresidentofJohnsHopkinsUniversityandoftheCarnegieInstitution，rushingalongingreathaste，and，ongoingouttogreethim，learnedthathehadbeeninvitedbyGovernorSeymourofConnecticut，thenewlyappointedministertoRussia，togowithhimasanattach，andthat，athissuggestion，asimilarinvitationwouldbeextendedtome。
Whileindoubtonthematter，ItookthetrainforNewYorktoconsultmyfather，and，enteringacar，byahappychancefoundtheonlyvacantplaceatthesideofthegovernor。Ihadneverseenhim，exceptontheplatformatmygraduation，threemonthsbefore;butonmyintroducingmyself，hespokekindlyofmyargumentonthatoccasion，which，ashewas``pro—slavery’’andI``anti—slavery，’’I
hadsupposedhewoulddetest;thentalkedpleasantlyonvarioussubjects，and，onourseparatingatNewYork，invitedmesocordiallytogotoRussiawithhimthatIthenandtheredecidedtodoso，and，onmeetingmyfather，announcedmydecision。
Onthe10thofDecember，1853，IsailedforEngland，withGilman，andinLondonawaitedGovernorSeymour，who，atthelastmoment，haddecidednottoleaveWashingtonuntiltheSenatehadconfirmedhisnomination;butthisdelayprovedtobefortunate，fortherebyopportunitywasaffordedmetoseesomeinterestingmen，andespeciallyMr。Buchanan，whohadpreviouslybeenministertoRussia，wasafterwardPresidentoftheUnitedStates，andwasatthattimeministeratthecourtofSt。James。HewasoneofthetwoorthreebesttalkersIhaveeverknown，andmyfirstknowledgeofhisqualitiesinthisrespectwasgainedatagreatdinnergiveninhishonorbyMr。GeorgePeabody，thebanker。Adayortwobefore，ourministerinSpain，Mr。Soul，andhissonhadeachfoughtaduel，onewiththeFrenchambassador，theMarquisdeTurgot，andtheotherwiththeDukeofAlba，onaccountofasupposedwantofcourtesytoMrs。Soul;andtheconversationbeingdirectedsomewhatbythisevent，IrecallMr。Buchanan’sreminiscencesofduelswhichhehadknownduringhislongpubliclifeasamongthemostinterestingIhaveeverheardonanysubject。
ShortlyafterthearrivalofGovernorSeymour，wewentontoParis，andthere，placingmyselfinthefamilyofaFrenchprofessor，Iremained，whiletherestofthepartywentontoSt。Petersburg;myideabeingtohearlecturesonhistoryandkindredsubjects，thustofitmyselfbyfluencyinFrenchforserviceintheattachship，and，byotherknowledge，forlaterduties。
AfterstayinginFrancefornearlyayear，havingreceivedanearnestrequestfromGovernorSeymourtocomeontoRussiabeforethebeginningofthewinter，I
leftParisaboutthemiddleofOctoberandwentbywayofBerlin。InthosedaystherewasnorailroadbeyondtheeasternfrontierofPrussia，and，astheCrimeanWarwasgoingon，therewasablockadeinforcewhichmadeitimpossibletoenterRussiabysea;consequentlyIhadsevendaysandsevennightsofsteadytravelinginapost—
coachafterenteringtheRussianEmpire。
ArrivingattheRussiancapitalonthelastdayofOctober，1854，Iwasmostheartilywelcomedbytheminister，whoinsistedthatIshouldenjoyalltheprivilegesofresidencewithhim。AmongthethingstowhichInowlookbackasofthegreatestvaluetome，isthisstayofnearlyayearunderhisroof。Theattachship，asitexistedinthosedays，wasinmanywaysagoodthingandinnowayevil;butitwasafterwardabolishedbyCongressonthegroundthatcertainpersonshadabuseditsprivileges。
Iamnotaloneinbelievingthatitcouldagainbemadeofrealservicetothecountry:oneofthebestsecretariesofstateourcountryhaseverhad，Mr。HamiltonFish，onceexpressedtomehisdeepregretatitssuppression。
Underthesystemwhichthusprevailedatthattimeyoungmenofsufficientmeans，generallyfromtheleadinguniversities，weresecuredtoaidtheminister，withoutanycosttothegovernment，theironlyremunerationbeinganopportunitytoseethelifeandstudytheinstitutionsofthecountrytowhichtheministerwasaccredited。
Thedutyofanattachwastoassisttheministerinsecuringinformation，inconductingcorrespondence，andincarryingonthelegationgenerally;hewasvirtuallyanadditionalsecretaryoflegation，anditwasapartofmydutytoactasinterpreter。AssuchIwasconstantlycalledtoaccompanytheministerinhisconferenceswithhiscolleaguesaswellaswiththeministersoftheRussiangovernment，andalsotobepresentatcourtandatceremonialinterviews:thiswasofcourseveryinterestingtome。IntheintervalsofvariousdutiesmytimewasgivenlargelytostudyingsuchworksuponRussiaandespeciallyuponRussianhistoryaswereaccessible，andtherecenthistorywasallthemoreinterestingfromthefactthatsomeofthemenwhohadtakenaleadingpartinitwerestilluponthestage。Oneoccasionespeciallycomesbacktomewhen，findingmyselfatanofficialfunctionnearanoldgeneralwhowasallowedtositwhilealltheothersstood，IlearnedthathewasoneofthefewstillsurvivingwhohadtakenaleadingpartintheoperationsagainstNapoleon，in1812，atMoscow。
ItwastheperiodoftheCrimeanWar，andatourlegationtherewereexcellentopportunitiesforobservingnotonlysocietyatlarge，butthestrugglethengoingonbetweenRussiaononeside，andGreatBritain，France，Italy，andTurkeyontheother。
ThemaindutiesoftheAmericanrepresentativeweretokeephisowngovernmentwellinformed，toguardtheinterestsofhiscountrymen，andnotonlytomaintain，buttodevelop，thefriendlyrelationsthathadexistedformanyyearsbetweenRussiaandtheUnitedStates。A
successionofableAmericanministershadcontributedtoestablishtheserelations:amongthemtwowhoafterwardbecamePresidentoftheUnitedStates——JohnQuincyAdamsandJamesBuchanan，GeorgeMifflinDallas，whoafterwardbecameVice—President;JohnRandolphofRoanoke;
andanumberofothershardlylessimportantinthehistoryofourcountry。Fortunately，thetwonationswerenaturallyinclinedtopeacefulrelations;neitherhadanyinterestantagonistictotheother，andunderthesecircumstancesthecourseoftheministerwasplain:itwastokeephisgovernmentoutofallentanglements，andatthesametimetodrawthetwocountriesmorecloselytogether。Thisourministeratthattimewasverysuccessfulindoing:hisrelationswiththeleadingRussians，fromtheEmperordown，wereallthatcouldbedesired，andtotheworkofmenlikehimislargelyduethefactthatafterward，inourgreatemergencyduringtheCivilWar，RussiashowedaninclinationtousthatprobablyhadsomethingtodowithholdingbackthepowersofwesternEuropefromrecognizingtheSouthernConfederacy。
Tothefeelingthuscreatedisalsodue，insomemeasure，thetransferofAlaska，whichhasprovedfortunate，inspiteofourhaltingandunsatisfactoryadministrationofthatregionthusfar。
TheCzaratthatperiod，NicholasI，wasamostimposingpersonage，andwasgenerallyconsideredthemostperfectspecimenofahumanbeing，physicallyspeaking，inallEurope。Atcourt，inthevastroomsfilledwithrepresentativesfromallpartsoftheworld，andatthegreatreviewsofhistroops，heloomedupmajestically，andamongthethingsmoststronglyimpresseduponmymemoryishisappearanceasIsawhim，justbeforehisdeath，drivinginhissledgeandgivingthemilitarysalute。
Norwashelessmajesticindeath。Inthespringof1855
heyieldedverysuddenlytoanattackofpneumonia，doubtlessrenderedfatalbythedepressionduetotheillsuccessofthewarintowhichhehadrashlyplunged;
andadayortwoafterwarditwasmademydutytoattend，withourminister，attheWinterPalace，thefirstpresentationofthediplomaticcorpstothenewEmperor，AlexanderII。Thescenewasimpressive。Theforeignministershavingbeenarrangedinasemicircle，withtheirsecretariesandattachsbesidethem，thegreatdoorswereflungopen，andtheyoungEmperor，conductedbyhisMinisterofForeignAffairs，CountNesselrode，enteredtheroom。Tearswerestreamingdownhischeeks，andhegavehisaddresswithdeepfeeling。HedeclaredthatiftheHolyAlliancemadein1815hadbeenbroken，itwasnotthefaultofRussia;thatthoughhelongedforpeace，iftermsshouldbeinsisteduponbytheWesternpowers，attheapproachingParisconference，incompatiblewithRussianhonor，hewouldputhimselfattheheadofhisfaithfulcountry，——wouldretreatintoSiberia，——woulddieratherthanyield。
Thenoccurredanincidentespeciallystriking。FromAustria，whichonlysevenyearsbeforehadbeensavedbyRussiafromdestructionintheAustro—Hungarianrevolution，Russiahadexpected，inordinarygratitude，atleastsomeshowofneutrality。ButithadbecomeevidentthatgratitudehadnotpreventedAustriafromsecretlyjoiningthehostilenations;thereforeitwasthat，inthecourseoftheaddress，theEmperor，turningtotheAustrianrepresentative，CountEsterhazy，addressedhimwiththegreatestseverity，hintedattheingratitudeofhisgovernment，andinsistedonRussia’srighttoadifferentreturn。
DuringallthispartoftheaddresstheEmperorAlexanderfastenedhiseyesuponthoseoftheAustrianministerandspokeinamannermuchlikethatwhichtheheadofaschoolwouldusetowardaschool—boycaughtinmisdoing。
AtthecloseofthisspeechcamethemostperfectexampleofdeportmentIhadeverseen:theAustrianminister，havinglookedtheCzarfullintheface，fromfirsttolast，with...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：