Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-04-12
MIR. BLAINE IN LONDON
HIS VISIT IN 1887 AND RECEPTION IN
ENGLISH SOCIETY.

Greeted Very Cordially and Would Have
Been Iionized II He Had Permitted It.
His Reason For Declining.
When Mr. Blaine came to London, it was
1 think, with a well settled conviction that
London would mean nothing to him so
cially He imagined that he was disliked
He knew that if he did not himself dislike
the English, the memories of the civil war
in America and of England's part in those
transactions were strong within him. He
had expressed his views in speech and in
print. Like many other Americans who
had less reason for holding such a view
than Mr. Blaine had, he conceived that his
criticisms were likely to be remembered,
and remembered against him. You must
know the English well before you fully
comprehend the spirit of tolerance which
prevails here, and the spirit of indifference
Mr. Blaine knew them hardly at all, and
he misjudged them and their spirit and
their feeling about himself.
There was then, and there has been ever
since, a notion that the great American
hated England or at least was no friend to
England. Often and often one heard the
remark when he was seen in this London
world, Your friend does not like u.s." Of
ten to be followed by the very character
istic and very English comment, I'VE like
him all the same" So little did he antici-
to have planned his visit in the spirit of the
traveller and tourist, and in no other.
There were few if any houses he expected
to enter perhaps none he wished to enter.
His idea of London was the British muse
um and the Tower and the Jubilee show.
He arrived on the Friday before the
Queens jubilee, and the series of social
surprises in store for him began at once
An invitation was waiting for him to dine
the next evening with the lord mayor, an
other to a party the same night at the
Duchess of St. Adams and a third to the
ladies' night at the Gallery club, then one
of the smartest functions of London. Mr..
Blaine made what may be called decisive
appearance that evening. He saw in the
course Of few hours much of what Is best
in London and made scores of acquaint-
ances. There is in London, and among the
best people here, a marked absence of any
thing like ceremony or stiffness in circum-
stances which in society less sure of it
self might lie thought difficult. Ceremony
is replaced by cordiality, and a distin-
guished stranger finds himself all at once
on the footing of a friend.
Mr. Blaine, to tell the truth. had hest
tated. II it was an agreeable surprise to
him to discover that such a welcome was
in store for him, it was none the less sur
prise What he accepted he accepted
frankly. but he did not accept everything.
10 IelluQulSuco PiCSolSSiNSo hOoAohS
rather gradually, but he could have been
in no real doubt about the disposition Of
London toward him after the first half
hour at the Duchess Of ST. Adams party.
Everybody wanted to know him. 1t rained
introductions.
Such face and figure and manner as his
of course attracted attention. The Ques-
ton ran around the room, who is her" 1t
was put to a lady who was supposed to
know every person worth knowing Il
don't know" was her answer, but he Is
somebody, and am going to find out" 1t
does not take long for intelligence to circu-
late in drawing room. There certainly
were people in that brilliant company to
whom Mr.. Blaine's name meant nothing,
for it was not by knowledge of American
politics or personalities that London soci-
ETY. even then was pre-eminently distin-
guished.
them the owner of it did. The tall form,
the singular charm Of the face, the distinc-
ton of manner, the intellectual power of
the face and head, the refinement of both,
the alert composure of the expression, the
sedateness of feature with which the vivac-
ity of the eyes contrasted and that indie
Unable air of being perfectly at home amid
a throng Of people whom he had never seen
before-all this was remarked with that
swiftness of perception which the woman
of society has in it's most miraculous de-
gree and commented on with a freedom
characteristic of a world which has, to say
the least, the courage of it's opinions and
little restraint in expressing them
If Mr. Blaine had wished to be lionized
in London, which he certainly did not, he
| had chosen his moment i'll. This was the
last evening for week or two when any
private individual, no matter how eminent,
could expect to be the central figure in
London drawing room. The next week or
| two were given up to royalties, and so aristo-
cratic, even in these democratic days, Is
| still the society of any European capital that
| any royalty is sure of his place. Between the
private person of no matter what rank and
| any king or prince, etiquette still draws a
| line, which the king or prince may cross if
| he willard he often does-but the private
person never
Mr. Blaine had, moreover, keen, per
| sonal feeling and sense of what was due
| to his political position at home, and both
showed themselves in very striking ways.
| When he went into the Gallery club that
night, it came out rather Unexpectedly.
| Lord Harrington was there, and Mr.. Blaine
| was asked If he would like to know him.
He refused. Several motives for the refusal
might be suggested, but will leave them
/ all to the ready imagination of those who
| like to speculate on the subject He was
| asked to the foreign Office party and re-
| fused, giving as a reason that he could not
be the guest OF a man whom he had at
| tackled as he had attacked Lord Salisbury.
It was pointed out to him that it was
Lady Salisbury who gave the party, and
| that it was as wife of the foreign minister,
| not as the wife Of Lord Salisbury, that she
issued her Invitations; that there was no
| politics on such an occasion; that Mr.
| Gladstone himself would probably be there,
and 10 on. Nothing shook his resolve
After what have said in my book l can
not see how it is possible to accept Lord
Salisbury's hospitality" l looked up the