New-York tribune., 1890-01-28
"a GOOD WOMAN"
MR.. PHELPs'S ELOQUENT TRIBUTE TO lHE
LATE EMPRESS AUGUSTA
RECALLING HER EARNEST WORDS TO HIM IN

RECALLING HER EARNEST WORDS To HIN IN
Rru,1F OF PEACE AMONG THE NATIONS
por,in Ian. 1O-Mr Phelps the American Minister
addressed last night a large gathering oi uc Anglo
American League in the rooms o "'c io""e -'o'
christian Association In tho couisc vi "'' i0'' No
hc nraised that patient pursuit OF duy WHICH 'a"o'c
.o. t,e German race from prince to peasant, and
said. "I had occasion to notice thls tralt III tho
;,Irstr,ors lady whose history and character arc
90 ,rb. tbo tboucht and the talk Of the world. The
recollection is so recent and sweet that l may be
hardened for referring to it. think the last public
function of the Empress Augusta was the reception
she gave me on Saturday afternoon before the new
vear saw at a glance that the task beyond
her strength and that she had assumed it because
II was sovereigns duty and a sovereign she dis
charged IT, waving nothing in imperial state or in
Uomanlv courtesy because she i'll and the reception
was private.
"In the interview her mind triumphed matter
and nv impression grew every moment stronger that
il was woman of the widest intelligence and
sympathy with whom ! spoke. one thing especially
struck me- that every subject seemed to lead her
unconsciousy TO the same subject love for peace,
which seemed strangely to occupy and fill her mind.
Did the Empress speak Of Americas material growth.
after dwelling its details. she would say with such
resources that she will never need TO war; Did she
speak Of ts moral enterprises and aspirations, she
would say, when they live with such lofty aims they
the Exposition and said, Il interested in n,
because I believe that there is nothing like an
International exposition TO foster peace. And this
turn she made so frequently that l suspected the
Empress may have detected glcam of merrlment in
nv face when suddenly. with a hahpettiSh tone
that was very winning, she exclaimed, 'Ah, l see
you think talk a great deal Of peace. But feel
IL all-think what l know Of WARP And then she
murmured something so low that could only catch
the words Of Father and SON. She dismissed mo
with an earnest injunction that would make it my
task to promote the friendship between her country
and ours: And you Will not forget that have the
peace of the world al heart
"a day or two afterward. my mind still full Of
the earnest pleading in which she had spoken
met in print with account OF an interview which
Bayard Taylor had had with the Empress Augusta in
1879 II seemed that the Empress had been forced
bv the illness Of the Emperor 10 take his place IN
the interview. And TO my delight found that she
had expressed to Mr.. Taylor twelve years before
not as her sentiments but words from her husband
taught her she was following TO the end. the duty
Of brotherly love and kindness, the things That made
for peace. The Empress said 20 the Countess Won
IIacke i have only one desire, and that i. that
people Will say OF mo after l am dead, she was a
GOOD woman."' She has her wish. When the purple
standard dropped the palace roof, the faithful
watchers in the street wept-not for an Empress bt
capital and the echo that back va, 0t universal
sorrow Not for the cOnsort Of Prince, King
and an Emperor. but for good woman, who was