New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-16
MR.. TILDEN ABROAD.
pruINIsCENCes OF HIS VISITS TO PARIS
AND LONDON. .


IN rainy September morning. nine years ago,
,sati in my room ID q hotel on the Rue de la Paix
,,a there came familiar knock at the door aha
un,,tington entered DO yea know Tildenf
Grad he "You don't. bat you can IN about ten
r,;nutes if YOU like" And ne proceeded to expound
his MISSION Mr.. Tiden and Mr.. Bigeiow had Just
arrived from London. had hurried over 10 see
Thierss funoia but had bean detained, the fnnera'
vs. h,s very tiav aad now they were in distress
lest thew shoud miss seeing 1t, or see az II
in the b.st wav. Could anything be done
for then,s Something of course but what, ana
will Won do it Wien tins running fire OF qiss-
t,o1s had come t. an eEd, / explained that was
going To the funeral-I believe had gone To- 'Iis
in order to see it-and had carriage, ana sn'u'u
like nothing better than to take Mr.. IildeR anu
Mr. Bicelow with me- and Huntington also III.
Bigeow Will excuse my saving that was SurPiisou
that he should be in aay difficulty 10 slch lu''
ter He had been Mnister of the Unitei ''ateS ID
France Mr.. Iilden had all hut been eecten fie'
ideot. If there were two Americans living whose
preseuce on such an occasion. or any Pu"ho
occasion whatever was sure 10 be Weco0'
they were The two However, went ga1y WIN
Huntington 20 offer my services and carriage
Tao two were stayirg in another hotel III the
same street. Mr. Birelow had long known ME
rilten then saw for the first Tine Wont pre-
s,,oo 70 describe him to public that knows HIM
renamed to the last. Never had | sean a man OF
the sront rank in pablo life who at first 50 skill
fully Withdrew from observation most of his titles
70 dlstinct,on and to greatness. Ii was not that
he had slight hguIe aud a hand that quiNe'ed a
little as 1t rested softly in yours and voice that
pr,duced vibrations but just percepthle b'
the ear | am not quite sure Wha'
il was but think 1t might be called delicacy OF
manner The manner of the man was IN no visible
proportion to his fame. 1t was mora than m'des5i
il was retiring almost shrinking-c"r aInly not
shy-and yet friendly euougn rs he greetel the
stranger In simplicity of deneanor he was admir-
heinore nd nirabi by contrast with his known
performances in public life. he man OF business.
familiar with affairs, the politician. the orsaniz'r
the destroyer Of Tweed aud the Tweed Ring, the
chief of great party and that party with more
swagger to the square inch thtn any tlat la
been known in American history the leader
10 whom every follower PAID entire or A-
ence. the hero of the most desperate contest
ever known for the Presdency,-what had he in
common with this elderly schooibov wac seemed
to have been trying for fifty years past ID i.nd
COURAGE 10 make his ajWt ID life AMI never % nave
found itl Perhaps he was more Ike 'urTi' d %.
the last century tnal an early product OF ins'
There vas perfume Of courts in this ref ement
md this complete abstinence from seli-asser,ion
some one or all Of these 60 nplrisJnS Wol'd read
ilv occur to one who knew not nag 81 ann. .Ai'N-
ing MN aud hls career | Thought TINS extreme
shghtness Of bearing AMI pres ence the strongest
confirmation Of has real gTeatne IS. 1t could have
been BIZ no outward quality. by no pride oil poIi'
by no brillllncy of behavior hat he rnpi ''-'d
himself upon the worldly none OF these iAllS'
b1t sheer innate force of character and 60
paci;v | was deliglted wiSh hln. ile san
at once with the customary civIlity OF
man of the world low he was to give me
troubs-von1 not think of gong If h. should
be in the way; knew lai M Work 70 do AMI
not ing would induce hi 20 Interfere with II, ana
50 On. Itoll hiia shat his coming and Mr. l'l-'-
lows WASH stroke of luck for ne knew 50 flr
OF Tuerss friends who were managing ths funeral
and | hard cards for tie house aud chnrch bot
il was certain tnat every attention wonld De show
them the moment il known who the' were.
81 off we Al! four drove TO the house IN the Pace
St. GEORGES | b "a one brief alxetV. NJ d'S.iA-
guishel fcllow-c0untry nen carried replblclh LIE
difference 10 the point of not n black. and %
struck me we MI GIT have dIliculty Ia peisiaIinS
the sen'incls and pol &c with WHOM We were sare
T. com. into contact that American Ambassadors
and Presidents were likely 20 appear on al occ on
o. Immense ceremony in such eos. unes rs Mr. ill-
den aud Mr. Big,low y)re rs for Huntln9 On n
WIS ,ncorririble. No earthly reward wol.d have
persuaded hu to quit his soft wd'-lvl&' 'ld
slouchiug cloak, OF to put on back or any otHF
gloves IIniglt have spared nyself these ankle les.
The politeuess Of the French in presence OF the
unexpected is immovabe and uulimltcI
NJ. Calmon, then Senator, net Us At the inner
doorway aud 90 hun introduced my GO npanions.
he knew all about TIlien-probaOly he had met
Mr.. Bigelow. when Minister, bat at any raj his
diplomatic character WA a. once rerogalzet Il
wasas bad told Mr.. lIlisn. From the moment they
were nlued who hai started oat as their "a ds
aud protector fell back into ar proper position Of
humility. Everything WAS done for them. they
and under their Wing Huntington and l-wcro
shown into the private rooms where There's friends
and the Dig 4ltarles of state were assembling. We
marched III this distinguished company ID the
church. Places were keot for us in the diplomatic
quarter. always tue best or one OF Inc
best. 4 position vas lud Gated for Us IN
the procession from tie church TO the com
ctery but here Providence IN the shape OF a
smart coachman iutervenel-ouite the Shapes;
Je1a who ever handled pair OF French reins
Wher We came out of the church we found our
carriage in iiue oext bat to the clrrage which
held rhlers's cearest friends That conspicuous
place sharp Jehu kept all the way 10 Perc-ia-
Chai9' Mr.. rildeD disposed TO try for one
more modest, but Welded TO my suggestion that If
we once fell out of line SHOULD probably never
get IN again. Nor 10 | think the police would
have permitted change. The ordering of p'geants
in Paris is strict III the extreme. Everything IL
OOno "itD -AiA'"t) PioSSlOh ouO VI HoNi"i'f ''N''
is little nOre, and mistake once committed,
there is remedy. So ma 10 the best OF he
fierce ignt of pubicity whic! beat upon
During a great part OF the way, the streets. iIst
the narrow Rue Lepelletler and theD the spreI ling
and 81 .cious Bouevards, were III complete posses
sion OF the people. between whose serriei 6les tho
police with difficulty kepta path just broad
eDOueh for the procession, hardly more than the
width Of the carriages. People pcered perpcCually
in at our window Rain was threatening or falling,
the landau IN which we drove lad been closed. and
We four looked out through the Same two aperturcs
into witch tie multitude thrust its multItu tinous