Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-11-03

But Its influence was never more potential
and comman ding than at the capital of
China, where, after seven years Of
brilliant success as American minister,
he was selected by the govern
ment to represent the celestial empire
at all the courts Of earth He did notsdn-
derstand the Chinese language, did not
attempt to write ii, and never essayed to
speak it; and yet, through the broken cir
cult of an interpreter, the current of his
magnetism reached the mandarins of Pc
kin as effectively as his living voice ever
electrified Boston audience in Faneuil
Hall.
Indeed, Mr.. Burlingame's success at
Pekin will always remain the distinguish
ing feature of his remarkable career. The
eminence he achieved, the influence he
exerted, and the reputation he acquired
in China are almost without parallel
Prior TO Mr.. Burlingame, our country has
been represented at the Chinese court by
ministers of superior culture and COM
handing talent. Away back in John
Tyler's day we had Caleb Gushing, then
in the early prime of an illustrious career.
He went to China full of learning, lin
talent of the highest order, thoroughly
learned in international law, and with an
acute intellect singularly fitted to cope
with and. control the mind of the Orient
A few years later, in Mr.. Fillmore's presi-
dency, we sent Humphrey Marshall of
Kentucky to represent us at Pekin. Less
eminent in culture than Mr. Cushing, he
is scarcely the inferior of any man in ma
tural ability. To the talent of the Mar
shalls, conspicuous and brilliant through
four generations, he added the bloodfand
the brains of the Birneys. He went upon
his mission when young, with military
laurels, won in the Mexican war, and with
the further prestige of a distinguished
career in Congress. Following Marshall
we had William B. Reed of Pennsylvania.
sent tbither by his devoted personal
friend, President Buchanan. Mr.. Reed
has long been a leading member of the
Philadelphia bar, learned not merely in
the law, but with generous culture out
side the limits of his profession, and re-
gardpd by those who knew him best as
among the readieat and most acute of Am
ericau iurists. Such we're the men whom
Mr.. Burlingane succeeded in his diplo-
matte career. 1t i not stating the case
TOO strongly TO gay that at no European
court did we have superior talent during
the service of the three gentlemen we
h ave named. And yet the Influence of
these men, with all their conceded gi Is
and accomplishments, did not compare
with the Influence exerted by Mr.. Bur
liugame. Indead, il was the testimony of
Sir Frederick Bruce. who was at Pekin az
the representative of England, at the same
time, that no foreign minister had ever
gained Al uscendancy i'll the councils of
rhe Chinese as Mr.. Burlingame.
His success in 1856, advocating the
cause of Fremont, and again in 1860, as
the supporter Of Liucolo, was a leading
feature in each of those memorable cam
paigu-. Ia NV England, in the middle
states, III 4 the West, be was equally and
popular. 1t is perhaps not ex-
travagant To assert that, 50 far ny public
speaking contributed TO republican vic
tory in the milton. no one bore n more
and Influential part than Mr.
Burliuganae. And sevon years Absence
from American association had not d.
niui-hed his power over American audi
-hets. His addresses, made when he
p'-st d through our country in 1868, as
the head of the Chinese embassy, were
tuli Of his old force and fire. And had he
lived t. realiza his cherished desire of
nuca more participating in the public and
political affairs of his native land, he
would have taken and maintained a fore
most po-i'jon.-GtH. BankS in Atlantic
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