ItwasasimplecrmerieintheRuedelaMichodire，alittlewayoutoftheBoulevarddesItaliens;anditssuccesswasduetothefactthatMadameBusque，thekindestoldladyalive，hadlearnedhowtomakesundryAmericandishes，andhadplacedasigninthewindowasfollows:
``AuxAmricains。SpcialitdePumpkinPieetdeBuckwheatCakes。’’Neverwasthereamorejollyrestaurant。Onemetthere，notonlystudentsandartists，butsomeofthemosteminentmeninAmericanpubliclife。Thespecialtiesasgivenonthesign—boardwerewellprepared;andmanywerethelamentationswhenthedearoldmadamedied，andtherestaurant，beingtransferredtoanotherpartofParis，becamepretentiousandfellintooblivion。
Anotheroccurrenceattheexpositiondwellsvividlyinmymemory。Oneday，ingoingthroughtheannexinwhichtherewasashowofdomesticanimals，Istoppedforamomenttolookatawonderfulgoatwhichwastheretethered。
Hewasverylarge，withamajestichead，spreadinghorns，andlong，white，curlybeard。PresentlyapartyofFrenchgentlemenandladies，evidentlyofthehigherclass，camealongandjoinedthecrowdgazingattheanimal。Inafewmomentsoneoftheladies，anxioustohurryon，saidtothelargeanddignifiedelderlygentlemanattheheadoftheparty，``Maisviensdonc’’;towhichheanswered，``Non，laissemoileregarder;celui—lressembletantaubonDieu。’’
Thisremark，whichinGreatBritainortheUnitedStateswouldhavearousedhorrorasblasphemy，wassimplyansweredbyapealoflaughter，andthepartypassedon;
yetIcouldnotbutreflectonthefactthatthisattitudetowardtheSupremeBeingwaspossibleafterafifteenhundredyears’monopolyofteachingbythechurchwhichinsiststhattoitaloneshouldbeintrustedthereligiousinstructionoftheFrenchpeople。
AfterstayingafewweeksattheFrenchcapital，IleftforashorttourinSwitzerland。TheonlyoccurrenceonthisjourneypossiblyworthyofnotewasatthehospiceoftheGreatSt。Bernard。OnadayearlyinSeptemberI
hadwalkedovertheTteNoirewithtwolong—leggedEnglishmen，andhadsotiredmyselfthatthenextmorningIwastoolatetocatchthediligencefromMartigny;
sothat，onawakingtowardnoon，therewasnothingleftformebuttowalk，andIstartedonthatrathertoilsomejourneyalone。Afterploddingupwardsomemilesalongtheroadtowardthehospice，Iwasverywearyindeed，butfeltthatitwouldbedangeroustorest，sincethebanksofsnowonbothsidesoftheroadwouldbesuretogivemeadeadlychill;andIthereforekeptsteadilyon。PresentlyIovertookasmallparty，apparentlyEnglish，alsogoingupthepass;and，atsomedistanceinadvanceofthem，alone，alargewomanwithaverystrikingandevenmasculineface。Ihadcertainlyseenthefacebefore，butwhereIcouldnotimagine。Arrivingfinallyatthehospice，verytired，wewere，aftersomewaiting，invitedouttoagooddinnerbythetwofathersdeputedforthepurpose;andthere，amongtheguests，Iagainsawthelady，andwasagainpuzzledtoknowwhereIhadpreviouslyseenher。Asthedinnerwentonthetwomonksgaveaccountsoflifeatthehospice，rescuesfromavalanches，andthelike，andvariousquestionswereasked;
buttheunknownladysatperfectlystill，utteringnotaword，untilsuddenly，justatthecloseofthedinner，sheputaquestionacrossthetabletooneofthefathers。Itcamealmostlikeapealofthunder—deep，strong，rollingthroughtheroom，startlingallofus，andfairlytakingthebreathawayfromthegoodmonktowhomitwasaddressed;
buthepresentlyrallied，andinaratherfalteringtonemadeanswer。Thatwasall。ButonthisIatoncerecognizedher:itwasFannyKembleButler，whom，yearsbefore，IhadheardinterpretingShakspere。
Whetherthisepisodehadanythingtodowithitornot，Isoonfoundmyselfinratherabadway。Thefatiguesofthetwopreviousdayshadbeentoomuchforme。Ifeltverywretched，andpresentlyoneofthebrotherscameuptomeandaskedwhetherIwasill。IansweredthatI
wastired;whereuponhesaidkindly，``Comewithme。’’
Iwent。Hetookmetoaneat，tidylittlecell;putmeintobedascarefullyasmygrandmotherhadeverdone;tuckedmein;broughtmesomeweak，hottea;andleftmewithvariouskindinjunctions。VeryearlyinthemorningIwasarousedbythesingingofthemonksinthechapel，butdozedonuntileightornineo’clock，when，feelingentirelyrested，Iroseand，afterbreakfast，leftthemonastery，withapartyofnewlymadeAmericanfriends，inasgoodconditionasever，andwithaverygratefulfeelingtowardmyentertainers。AgainstmonksgenerallyImustconfesstoaprejudice;butthememoryofthesebrothersofSt。BernardIstillcherishwitharealaffection。
Stoppingatvariousinterestinghistoricplaces，andespeciallyatEisenach，whenceImadethefirstofmymanyvisitstotheWartburg，IreachedBerlinjustbeforethebeginningoftheuniversityterm，andtheresettledasastudent。So，asIthensupposed，endedmydiplomaticcareerforever。
CHAPTERXXVIII
ASCOMMISSIONERTOSANTODOMINGO——1871
ReturningfromRussiaandGermany，Idevotedmyselfduringthirteenyears，first，tomyprofessorialdutiesattheUniversityofMichigan;next，topoliticaldutiesintheStateSenateatAlbany;and，finally，toorganizingandadministeringCornellUniversity。Butintheearlywinterof1870—71cameaneventwhichdrewmeoutofmyuniversitylifeforatime，andengagedmeagainindiplomaticwork。Whilepursuingtheeventenorofmyway，therecameatelegraphicdespatchfromMr。WilliamOrton，presidentoftheWesternUnionTelegraphCompany，adevotedsupporteroftheadministration，askingmewhetherIhadformedanydefiniteopinionagainsttheannexationoftheislandofSantoDomingototheUnitedStates。Thisquestionsurprisedme。Aproposalregardingsuchanannexationhadbeenforsometimetalkedabout。
ThenewlyelectedPresident，GeneralGrant，havingbeenbesoughtbytheauthoritiesofthatrepublictoproposemeasureslookingtoannexation，hadmadeabriefexamination;andCongresshadpassedalawauthorizingtheappointmentofthreecommissionerstovisittheisland，toexamineandreportuponitsdesirability，fromvariouspointsofview，andtoascertain，asfaraspossible，thefeelingofitsinhabitants;butIhadgivennoattentiontothematter，andthereforeansweredMr。OrtonthatI
hadnoopinion，onewayortheother，regardingit。A
dayortwoafterwardcameinformationthatthePresidenthadnamedthecommission，andinthefollowingorder:
Ex—SenatorBenjaminF。WadeofOhio，AndrewD。
WhiteofNewYork，andSamuelG。HoweofMassachusetts。
Onreceivingnoticeofmyappointment，IwenttoWashington，wasatonceadmittedtoaninterviewwiththePresident，andrarelyhaveIbeenmorehappilydisappointed。
Insteadofthetaciturnmanwho，ashisenemiesinsisted，saidnothingbecauseheknewnothing，hadnevercaredforanythingsavemilitarymatters，andwasentirelyabsorbedinpersonalinterests，Ifoundaquiet，dignifiedpublicofficer，whopresentedthehistoryoftheSantoDomingoquestion，andhisviewregardingit，inamannerlarge，thoughtful，andstatesmanlike。Therewasnospecialpleading;noattemptatconvertingme:
hiswholeeffortseemedgiventostatingcandidlythehistoryofthecasethusfar。
Therewasmuchneedofsuchstatement。Mr。CharlesSumner，theeminentsenatorfromMassachusetts，hadcompletelybrokenwiththePresidentonthisandotherquestions;hadattackedthepolicyoftheadministrationviolently;hadhintedatthesupremacyofunworthymotives;andhadimputedrascalitytomenwithwhomthePresidenthadcloserelations。Heappeared，also，asheclaimed，intheinterestoftherepublicofHaiti，whichregardedwithdisfavoranyacquisitionbytheUnitedStatesofterritoryontheislandofwhichthatquasi—
republicformedapart;andallhisrhetoricandoratorywerebroughttobearagainstthePresident’sideas。IhadlongbeenanadmirerofMr。Sumner，withthefeelingwhichayoungmanwouldnaturallycherishtowardanoldermanofsuchhighcharacterwhohadgivenhimearlyrecognition;andInowapproachedhimwithespecialgratitudeandrespect。ButIsoonsawthathisviewofthePresidentwasprejudiced，andhisestimateofhimselfabnormal。Thoughasenatorofsuchhighstandingandsolonginpublicaffairs，hetookhimselfalmosttooseriously;andtherehadcomeabreakbetweenhim，aschairmanoftheSenateCommitteeonForeignAffairs，andPresidentGrant’sSecretaryofState，Mr。Fish，whohadprovedhimself，asStatesenator，asGovernorofNewYork，asUnitedStatessenator，andnowasSecretaryofState，amanofthehighestcharacterandcapacity。
ThefriendsoftheadministrationclaimedthatithadbecomeimpossibleforittohaveanyrelationswithSenatorSumner;thathedelayed，andindeedsuppressed，treatiesofthegreatestimportance;thathisegotismhadbecomesocolossalthathepracticallyassumedtohimselftheentireconductofforeignaffairs;andthewholematterreachedaclimaxwhen，inalargesocialgathering，Mr。
FishmeetingSenatorSumnerandextendinghishandtohim，thelatterdeliberatelyrejectedthecourtesyandcoldlyturnedaway。
Greatlyadmiringallthesemen，anddeeplyregrettingtheirdivisions，whichseemedsuretoprovemostinjurioustotheRepublicanpartyandtothecountry，IwrotetoMr。GerritSmith，urginghimtocomeatoncetoWashingtonand，asthelifelongfriendofSenatorSumnerandthedevotedsupporterofGeneralGrant，tousehisgreatpowersinbringingthemtogether。Hecameanddidhisbest;
butafewdaysafterwardhesaidtome:``Itisimpossible;
itisabreachwhichcanneverbehealed。’’
Mr。Sumner’sspeechesIhadalwaysgreatlyadmired，andhispleaforinternationalpeace，deliveredbeforeI
wasfairlyoutofmyboyhood，hadmadeadeepimpressionuponme。Stillgreaterwastheeffectofhisspeechesagainsttheextensionofslavery。ItistruethatthesespeecheshadlittledirectinfluenceupontheSenate;buttheycertainlyhadanimmenseeffectuponthecountry，andthiseffectwasincreasedbytheassaultuponhimbyPrestonBrooksofSouthCarolina，whichnearlycosthimhislife，andfromwhichhesufferedphysicallyaslongashelived。HisinfluencewasexercisednotonlyintheSenate，butinhisownhouse。Inhislibraryhediscussed，inaveryinterestingway，themainquestionsofthetime;andathisdinner—tableonemetinterestingmenfromallpartsoftheworld。AtoneofhisdinnersIhadanopportunitytoobserveoneofthedifficultiesfromwhichourcountrysuffersmost——namely，thateasy—goingfacilityinslanderwhichiscertaintobedevelopedintheabsenceofanyeffectivelegalresponsibilityforone’sutterances。AtthetimereferredtotherewaspresentanEnglishmaneminentinparliamentaryandbusinesscircles。Isatnexthim，andnearussatagentlemanwhohadheldasubordinatepositionintheUnitedStatesnavy，butwhowasoutofemployment，andapparentlyforsomereasonwhichmadehimsore。OnbeingaskedbytheEnglishmanwhythefamousAmericanCollinsLineoftransatlanticsteamershadnotsucceeded，thisAmericanburstintoatirade，declaringthatitwasallduetothefactthattheCollinscompanyhadbeenobligedtowasteitsentirecapitalinbribingmembersofCongresstoobtainsubsidies;thatithadsunkallits...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：