IntheeveningdinedatMinisterNewel’s。SatbetweenMinisterOkolicsanyioftheAustriandelegation，andCountWelsersheimb，thechairmanofthatdelegation，andhadinterestingtalkswiththem，withtheDukeofTetuan，andothers。ItappearsthattheDuke，whoisaverycharming，kindlyman，has，likemyself，apassionbothforcathedralarchitectureandfororganmusic;hedweltmuchuponBurgos，whichhecalledthegemofSpanishcathedrals。
ThencetothefinalreceptionatthehouseofM。deBeaufort，ministerofforeignaffairs，whoshowedmeacontemporaryportraitofGrotiuswhichdisplaysthetraitsobservableinthecopieswhichBurleighpaintedformetwentyyearsagoatAmsterdamandLeyden。TalkedwithSirJulianPauncefoteregardingtheSwissmatter;hehadabstainedfromvotingforthereasonthathehadnoinstructionsinthepremises。
July2。
InthemorningMajorAllen，militaryattacheofourembassyatBerlin，arrived，bringingtheGrotiuswreath。UnderSecretaryHay’spermission，IhadgiventooneofthebestBerlinsilversmithsvirtuallycarteblanche，andtheresultismostsatisfactory。Thewreathisverylarge，beingmadeup，ononeside，ofalaurelbranchwithleavesoffrostedsilverandberriesofgold，and，ontheother，ofanoakbranchwithsilverleavesandgoldacorns，bothboughsbeingtiedtogetheratthebottombyalargeknotofribboninsilvergilded，bearingthearmsoftheNetherlandsandtheUnitedStatesonenameledshields，andaninscriptionasfollows:
TotheMemoryofHUGOGROTIUS;
InReverenceandGratitude，FromtheUnitedStatesofAmerica;
OntheOccasionoftheInternationalPeaceConferenceofTheHague。
July4th，1899。
Itisasuperbpieceofwork，anditsebonycase，withsilverclasps，andbearingasilvershieldwithsuitableinscription，isalsoperfect:thewholethingattractsmostfavorableattention。
CHAPTERXLIX
ASPRESIDENTOFTHEAMERICANDELEGATIONATTHEPEACECONFERENCE
OFTHEHAGUE:V——1899
July4。
OnthisdaytheAmericandelegationinvitedtheircolleaguestocelebrateournationalanniversaryatthetombofGrotius，firstinthegreatchurch，andafterwardinthetownhallofDelft。
SpeechesweremadebytheministerofforeignaffairsoftheNetherlandsDeBeaufort;bytheirfirstdelegate，VanKarnebeek;
byMr。Asser，oneoftheirleadingjurists;bytheburgomasterofDelft;andbyBarondeBildt，chairmanoftheSwedishdelegationandministeratRome，whoreadatelegramfromtheKingofSwedenreferringtoGrotius’srelationstotheSwedishdiplomaticservice;aswellasbyPresidentLowofColumbiaUniversityandmyself:thedutybeingintrustedtomeoflayingthewreathuponGrotius’stombandmakingtheaddresswithreferencetoit。Asalltheaddressesaretobeprinted，Ishallgivenomoreattentiontothemhere。Averylargeaudiencewaspresent，embracingtheambassadorsandprincipalmembersoftheconference，theNetherlandsministersofstate，professorsfromthevariousuniversitiesoftheNetherlands，andalargebodyofotherinvitedguests。
Themusicofthechimes，oftheorgan，andoftheroyalchoirofonehundredvoiceswasveryfine;and，althoughthedaywasstormy，withahighwindanddrivingrain，everythingwentoffwell。
Aftertheexercisesinthechurch，ourdelegationgaveabreakfast，whichwasverysatisfactory。Aboutthreehundredandfiftypersonssatdowntothetablesatthetownhall，andonehundredotherguests，includingthemusicians，attheleadingrestaurantintheplace。IntheafternoontheAmericansgatheredatthereceptiongivenbyourminister，Mr。Newel，andhiswife，andintheeveningtherewasalargeattendanceatan"Americanconcert"givenbytheorchestraatthegreathallinScheveningen。
July5。
Earlyinthemorningtothesecondcommitteeoftheconference，whereIspokeinbehalfoftheBeldimanresolution，doingjusticetoSwitzerlandasregardsthecontinuanceoftheRedCrossinterestsinSwisshands;andongoingtoavoteweweresuccessful。
Then，thequestionofaproperdealingwithourmemorialregardingtheimmunityofprivatepropertyonthehighseascomingup，Ispokeinfavorofreferringittothegeneralconference，andgavethereasonswhyitshouldnotsimplybedroppedoutasnotcomingwithinthesubjectscontemplatedinthecalltotheconference。ThoughmyspeechwasinFrench，itwentoffbetterthanIexpected。
Intheafternoon，atthefullconference，thesamesubjectcameup;andthen，afteraprefaceinFrench，askingpermissiontospeakinEnglish，Imademyspeech，which，probably，threequartersofallthedelegatesunderstood，but，atmyrequest，asummaryofitwasafterwardgiveninFrenchbyMr。vanKarnebeek。
Theoccasionofthisspeechwasmysecondingthemotion，madeinaveryfriendlymannerbyM。deMartens，toreferthemattertoafutureconference;butIwentintothemeritsofthegeneralsubjecttoshowitsclaimsuponthevariousnations，etc。，etc。，thoughnot，ofcourse，asfullyasIwouldhavedonehadthematterbeenfullyunderdiscussion。Myspeechwasverywellreceived，andwill，Ihope，aidinkeepingthesubjectalive。
IntheafternoondrovetoRyswyck，tothehouseofM。CornetsdeGroot，thelivingrepresentativeoftheGrotiusfamily。Thehouseandgroundswereverypleasant，butthegreatattractionwasacollectionofrelicsofGrotius，includingmanymanuscriptsfromhisownhand，——amongtheseacatechismforhischildren，writtenintheprisonofLoewenstein;withofficialdocuments，signedandsealed，connectedwiththepublictransactionsofhistime;alsoletterswhichpassedbetweenhimandOxenstiern，thegreatSwedishchancellor，someinLatinandsomeinotherlanguages;
besidessundrypoems。Therewerealsoamultitudeofportraits，engravings，anddocumentsrelatingtoOlden—BarneveldandothersofGrotius’scontemporaries。
TheDeGrootfamilygaveusamostheartyreception，introducingtheirlittlegirl，whoisthelatest—borndescendantofGrotius，andshowingusvarioushouseholdrelicsoftheirgreatancestor，includingcups，glasses，andthelike。Mr。DeGrootalsogavemesomecuriousinformationregardinghimwhichIdidnotbeforepossess;and，amongotherthings，toldmethatwhenGrotius’sbodywastransferred，shortlyafterhisdeath，fromRostocktoDelft，thecoffincontainingitwasstonedbyamobatRotterdam;
alsothatattheunveilingofthestatueofGrotiusinfrontofthechurchatDelft，afewyearsago，thehigh—churchCalvinistswouldnotallowthechildrenfromtheirchurchschoolstojointheotherchildreninsinginghymns。TheoldbitternessoftheextremeCalvinisticpartytowardtheirgreatcompatriotwasthusstillexhibited，andtheremarkwasmadeatthetime，byamemberofit，thatthestatuewasperfectlytruetolife，since"itsbackwasturnedtowardthechurch";towhichareplywasmadethat"Grotius’sfaceinthestatue，likehislivingface，wassteadilyturnedtowardjustice。"Thislatterremarkhadreferencetothefactthatacourtisheldinthecityhall，towardwhichthestatueisturned。
IntheeveningtoadinnergivenbyMr。Piersoon，ministeroffinanceandprimeministeroftheNetherlands，toourdelegationandtohiscolleaguesoftheDutchministry。Everythingpassedoffwell，Mr。PiersoonproposingatoasttothehealthofthePresidentoftheUnitedStates，towhichIrepliedinatoasttotheQueenoftheNetherlands。InthecourseofhisspeechMr。
PiersoonthankedusforourtributetoGrotius，andshowedreallydeepfeelingonthesubject。ThereisnodoubtthatwehavestruckaresponsivechordintheheartsofallliberalandthoughtfulmenandwomenoftheNetherlands;fromeveryquartercomeevidencesofthis。
Aremarkofhis，regardingarbitration，especiallypleasedus。Hesaidthatthearbitrationplan，asithadcomefromthegreatcommittee，waslikeababy:——apparentlyhelpless，andofverylittlevalue，unabletodomuch，andrequiringcarefulnursing;
butthatithadonegreatmerit:——ITWOULDGROW。
ThisIbelievetobeaveryaccuratestatementofthesituation。
Thegeneralfeelingoftheconferencebecomesbetterandbetter。
Moreandmoretheoldskepticismhasdeparted，andinplaceofithascomeastrongambitiontohaveashareinwhatwearebeginningtobelievemaybeamosthonorablecontributiontothepeaceoftheworld。Ihavenevertakenpartinmoreearnestdiscussionsthanthosewhichduringthelasttwoweekshaveoccupiedus，andespeciallythoserelatingtoarbitration。
IthinkImaysay，withoutassumingtoomuch，thatourGrotiuscelebrationhasbeenacontributionofsomevaluetothisgrowthofearnestness。Ithas，ifIamnotgreatlymistaken，revealedtotheconference，stillmoreclearlythanbefore，thefactthatitisahistoricalbodyintrustedwithamatterofvastimportanceanddifficulty，andthatweshallbejudgedinhistorywithreferencetothisfact。
July6。
At5。30P。M。offinspecialtrainwiththeentireconferencetoAmsterdam。Onarriving，wefoundalongtrainofcourtcarriageswhichtookustothepalace，thehousesoneachsidethroughouttheentiredistancebeingdecoratedwithflagsandbanners，andthestreetscrowdedwithmen，women，andchildren。Wewereindeedabraveshow，sinceallofus，exceptthemembersofourAmericandelegation，woregorgeousuniformswithnoendofribbons，stars，andinsigniaofvariousofficesandorders。
Onreachingourdestination，wewerereceivedbytheQueenandQueen—mother，andshortlyafterwardwentintodinner。Withthepossibleexceptionofalordmayor’sfeastattheGuildhall，itwasthemostimposingthingofthekindthatIhaveeverseen。
Thegreatbanqueting—hall，datingfromthegloriousdaysoftheDutchRepublic，isprobablythelargestandmostsumptuousincontinentalEurope，andthetablefurniture，decorations，anddinnerwereworthyofit。Abouttwohundredandfiftypersons，includingallthemembersoftheconferenceandthehigherofficialsofthekingdom，satdown，theQueenandQueen—motherattheheadofthetable，andaboutthemtheambassadorsandpresidentsofdelegations。Myownplace，beingveryneartheMajesties，gavemeanexcellentopportunitytoseeandheareverything。TowardthecloseofthebanquettheyoungQueenaroseandaddressedus，soeasilyandnaturallythatIshouldhavesupposedherspeechextemporaneoushadInotseenherconsultinghermanuscriptjustbeforerising。Hermannerwasperfect，andhervoicesoclearastobeheardbyeveryoneinthehall...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：