AnothermanwhomIsawfromtimetotimeduringthisperiodwastheVice—President，Mr。Stevenson。IfirstmethimatapublicdinnerinNewYork，wherewesatsidebyside;butwemerelytalkedongeneralities。ButthenexttimeImethimwasatadinnergivenbytheSecretaryofWar，andthereIfoundthathewasoneofthemostadmirableraconteursIhadevermet。Afteraseriesofadmirablestories，oneofthepartysaidtome:"Hecouldtelljustasgoodstoriesasthoseforthreeweeksrunningandneverrepeathimself。"
OneofthesestoriesbytheVice—President，iftrue，threwacuriouslightovertherelationsofPresidentLincolnwiththreemenverydistinguishedinAmericanannals。Itwasasfollows:Oneday，shortlybeforetheissueoftheEmancipationProclamation，avisitor，findingMr。Lincolnevidentlyinmelancholymood，saidtohim，"Mr。President，Iamsorrytofindyounotfeelingsowellasatmylastvisit。"Mr。Lincolnreplied:"Yes，Iamtroubled。OnedaythebestofourfriendsfromtheborderStatescomeinandinsistthatIshallnotissueanEmancipationProclamation，andthat，ifIdoso，theborderStateswillvirtuallycastintheirlotwiththeSouthernConfederacy。
Anotherday，CharlesSumner，ThadStevens，andBenWadecomeinandinsistthatifIdonotissuesuchaproclamationtheNorthwillbeutterlydiscouragedandtheUnionwrecked，——and，bytheway，thesethreemenarecominginthisveryafternoon。"Atthismomenthisexpressionchanged，hiscountenancelightedup，andhesaidtothevisitor，whowasfromtheWest，"Mr。————，didyouevergotoaprairieschool？""No，"saidthevisitor，"Ineverdid。""Well，"saidMr。Lincoln，"Idid，anditwasaverypoorschool，andwewereverypoorfolks，——toopoortohaveregularreading—books，andsowebroughtourBiblesandreadfromthem。
OnemorningthechapterwasfromtheBookofDaniel，andalittleboywhosatnextmewentallwronginpronouncingthenamesofShadrach，Meshach，andAbednego。Theteacherhadgreatdifficultyinsettinghimright，andbeforehesucceededwasobligedtoscoldtheboyandcuffhimforhisstupidity。Thenestversecametome，andsothechapterwentalongdowntheclass。Presentlyitstartedonitswayback，andsoonafterInoticedthatthelittlefellowbegancrying。OnthisIaskedhim，’What’sthematterwithyou？’andheanswered，’Don’tyousee？Themthreemiserablecussesarecomingbacktomeagain。’"
IalsoatthatperiodmadetheacquaintanceofSenatorGrayofDelaware，whoseemedtomeideallyfittedforhispositionasamemberoftheUpperHouseinCongress。SpeakerReedalsomadeagreatimpressionuponmeasamanofhonesty，lucidity，andforce。TheSecretaryofState，Mr。Olney，Isawfrequently，andwasalwaysimpressedbythesortofbulldogtenacitywhichhadgainedhisvictoryoverLordSalisburyinthearbitrationmatter。
ButtogiveeventhemosthastysketchofthemembersoftheSupremeCourt，thecabinet，andofbothhousesofCongresswhomI
metwouldrequiremoretimethanisatmydisposal。
ThisstayinWashingtonIenjoyedmuch。Ourcapitalcityisbecomingtheseatofarefinedhospitalitywhichmakesitmoreandmoreattractive。Timewas，andthatnotverylongsince，whenitwaslookeduponasaplaceofexilebydiplomatists，andasrepulsivebymanyofourcitizens;butallthatisofthepast:
thecourtesyshownbyitsinhabitantsisrapidlychangingitsreputation。
Perhaps，ofallthesocialenjoymentsofthattime，themostattractivetomewasanexcursionoftheAmericanGeographicalSocietytoMonticello，thefinalresidenceofPresidentJefferson。Yearsbefore，whilevisitingtheUniversityofVirginiaatCharlottesville，IhadbeenintenselyinterestedinthatcreationofMr。Jeffersonandinthesurroundingsofhishome;butthepresentoccupantofMonticello，havingbeengreatlyannoyedbyvisitors，wasunderstoodtobereluctanttoallowanystrangertoenterthemansion，andIwouldnotintrudeuponhim。
Butnowhouseandgroundswerefreelythrownopen，anduponadelightfulday。ThehouseitselfwasabeautifuladaptationofthearchitecturewhichhadreacheditsbestdevelopmentatthetimeofJefferson’sstayinFrance;andthedecorations，likethosewhichIhadnotedyearsbeforeinsomeoftheroomsoftheuniversity，wereofanexquisiteLouisSeizecharacter。
Jefferson’speculiarities，also，cameoutinvariouspartsofthehouse。Perhapsthemostsingularwashisbed，occupyingthewholespaceofanarchwaybetweentworooms，oneofwhich，ontheleft，servedasadressing—roomforhim，andtheother，ontheright，forMrs。Jefferson;and，therebeingnocommunicationbetweenthemsavebyalongcircuitthroughvariousrooms，itwasevidentthattheex—Presidenthadmadeuphismindthathewouldnothavehisintimatebelongingsinterferedwithbyanyofthewomenofthehousehold，notevenbyhiswife。
Butmostattractiveofallwastheviewthroughthevalleysandovertheneighboringhillsaswesatatourpicnic—tablesonthelawn。HavingreadwithcareeverylineofJefferson’sletterseverpublished，andsomewritingsofhiswhichhaveneverbeenprinted，myimaginationwasvivid。Itenabledmetoseehimwalkingthroughtheroomsandovertheestate，receivingdistinguishedguestsundertheportico，discussingwiththemathisdinner—tablethegreatquestionsoftheday，andpromulgatinghistheories，someofwhichweresobeneficentandotherssonoxious。
Theonlysadpartofthisvisitwastonotethedestruction，bythefirenotlongbefore，ofthecolumnsinfrontoftherotundaoftheuniversity。Iespeciallymournedoverthecalcinedremainsoftheircapitals，forintotheseJeffersonhadreallywroughthisownheart。Withapassionforthemodernadaptationofclassicarchitecture，hehadpouredtheveryessenceofhisartisticfeelingsintothem。Helongedtoseeeverystrokewhichhisforeignsculptorsmadeuponthem。Daily，accordingtothechronicleofthetime，herodeovertoseehowtheyprogressed，and，betweenhisvisits，frequentlyobservedthemthroughhistelescope;andnowalltheirworkwasbutcalcinedlimestone。
Fortunately，theburningoftheoldhistoricalbuildingsarousedpublicspirit;largesumsofmoneywerepouredintotheuniversitytreasury;andtheworkwasinprocesswhich，itistobehoped，willrestoretheformerbeautyofthecolonnadeandlargelyincreasethebuildingsandresourcesoftheinstitution。
DuringmyworkuponthecommissionIlearnedtorespectmoreandmorethecalm，steady，imperturbablecharacterofMr。Cleveland。
Ofcoursethesensationalpresshowledcontinually，andthepresswhichwasconsideredespeciallyenlightenedandwhichhadsteadilysupportedhimuptothisperiod，washardlylessbitter;
buthepersevered。Duringtheperiodtakenbythecommissionforitswork，boththeAmericanandBritishpeopleshadtimeforcalmthought。LordSalisbury，especially，hadtimetothinkbetterofit;andwhenheatlastrecededfromhisformerhaughtypositionandacceptedarbitration，Mr。ClevelandandtheStateDepartmentgainedoneofthemosthonorablevictoriesinthehistoryofAmericandiplomacy。
CHAPTERXL
ASAMBASSADORTOGERMANY——1897—1903
Onthe1stofApril，1897，PresidentMcKinleynominatedmeambassadortoBerlin;and，theappointmenthavingbeendulyconfirmedbytheSenate，IvisitedWashingtontoobtaininstructionsandmakepreparations。Oneofthemostimportantofthesepreparationswasthesecuringofasecondsecretaryfortheembassy。Alonglistofapplicantsforthispositionhadappeared，severalwithstrongbackingfrompartymagnates，cabinetofficers，andsenators;but，thoughallofthemseemedexcellentyoungmen，veryfewhadasyetanyexperiencelikelytobeserviceable，andalookoverthelistsuggestedmanymisgivings。TherewasespeciallyneededjustthenatBerlinasecondsecretarypreparedtoaidindisentanglingsundryimportantquestionsalreadybeforetheembassy。Thefirstsecretary，whomnopersonthoughtofdisplacing，wasideallyfittedforhisplace——infact，wasfittedforanypostinthediplomaticservice;butasecondsecretarywasneededtotake，asanexpert，amassofworkonquestionsrelatingtocommerceandmanufactureswhichwerejustthenarisingbetweenthetwonationsinshapesnewandeventhreatening。
Whilethewholematterwasunderadvisement，thereappearedayoungmanfromOhio，withnobackingofanysortsavehisrecord。
Hehaddistinguishedhimselfatoneofouruniversitiesasastudentinpoliticaleconomyandinternationallaw;hadthentakenafellowshipinthesamefieldatanotheruniversity;andhadfinallygonetoGermanyandtheretakenhisdegree，hisgraduatingthesisbeingon"TheCommercialandDiplomaticRelationsbetweentheUnitedStatesandGermany。"Inpreparingthishehadbeenallowedtoworkupamassofmaterialinourembassyarchives，andhadafterwardexpandedhisthesisintoabookwhichhadgainedhimcredit。Asthemostseriousquestionsbetweenthetwocountrieswerecommercial，heseemedagodsend;
and，goingtothePresident，Istatedthematterfully。Thoughtheyoungmanwasasfaraspossiblefromhavingany"pull"intheStatefromwhichhecame，wasnotatallknowneithertothePresidentortheSecretaryofStateorassistantsecretaryofstate，allofwhomcamefromOhio，andwasequallyunknowntoeitheroftheOhiosenatorsortoanyrepresentative，andthoughnothingwhateverwasknownofhispartyaffiliations，thePresident，onhearingastatementofthecase，ignoredallpressureinfavorofrivalcandidates，sentinhisnominationtotheSenate，anditwasdulyconfirmed。
Thenextthingwastheappointmentofamilitaryattache。Thepositionisbynomeansasinecure。Ourgovernmentmustalwaysfeeltheimportanceofreceivingthelatestinformationastothearmiesandnaviesofthegreatpowersoftheworld;andthereforeitisthat，verywisely，ithasattachedmilitaryandnavalexpertstovariousleadingembassies。Itisimportantthatthesebenotonlythoroughlyinstructedandfar—seeing，butgentlemeninthetruestsenseoftheword;andIthereforepresentedagraduateofWestPointwho，havingconductedanexpeditioninAlaskaandservedwithhisregimentontheWesternplainsmostcreditably，haddonedutyasmilitaryattachewithmeduringmymissionatSt。Petersburg，andhadprovedhimself，ineveryrespect，admirable。Thoughhehadnoothersupporteratthenationalcapital，theSecretaryofWar，GovernorAlger，grantedmyrequest，andhewasappointed。
Thesematters，tomanypeopleapparentlytrivial，areherealludedtobecauseitissooftenchargedthatpoliticalconsiderationsoutweighallothersinsuchappointments，andbecausethischargewasfrequentlymadeagainstPresidentMcKinley。Thesimplefactisthat，withthemultitudeofnominationstobemade，theappointingpowercannothavepersonalknowledgeoftheapplicants，andmustasktheadviceofpersonswhohaveknownthemandcan，tosomeextent，beheldresponsibleforthem。Inboththecasesabovereferredto，politicalpressureofthestrongestinfavorofothercandidateswentfornothingagainsttheascertainedinterestofthepublicserviceTheSecretaryofStateatthistimewasMr。JohnSherman。IhadknownhimsomewhatduringhiscareerassenatorandSecretaryoftheTreasury，andhadforhischaracter，abilities，andservicesthemostprofoundrespect。Inowsawhimoften。Hehadbecomesomewhatinfirm，buthismindseemedstillclear;whetherattheStateDepartmentorinsocialcircleshisreminiscencesofpublicmenandaffairswerealwaysinteresting，andoneoftheseconfirmedanopinionIhaveexpressedinanotherchapter。Onenight，atadinner—party，thediscussionhavingfallenuponPresidentAndrewJohnson，andsomeslightingremarkshavingbeenmaderegardinghimbyoneofourcompany，Mr。Sherman，whohadbeenoneofPresidentJohnson’sstrongestopponents，declaredhimamanofpatrioticmotivesaswellasofgreatability，andinsistedthattheRepublicanpartyhadmadeagreatmistakeinattemptingtoimpeachhim。Inthecourse...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：