New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-19
WHY HE WAS LIKED N ENGLAND AM
WHY III WAS DlSL.KED.
Lun,ior. February 6.

Lundor. February 6.
Tint MIR Blaine was surprised by the corila'lN
or his reception in London may h' taken i"f
granted That the English were surprised TO
frd the actual man so unlike the conception %
him which they had derived iIom English news
Majors is not less certain Their expressions OF
surprise were frequent. What they expected "
is hard 10 say-pcrhaps North American Indian
in his war paint and blanket There are Sections
OF London society capable Of absorbing the North
America Indian: war-pdint, blanket and all.
Was rot Bnnalo Bill the geological celebrity o!
season?
The political Puritansm which led Mr. Blaine
10 rcfus, an invitation from Lady Salisbury and
an Introduction TO Lord Harrington soon found Its
limits lie was charmed, as well he might be-
with Tie opcn-mindcGncss and easy manner OF
the English His own pcrccptiors were quick.
l!r caught Tic note of the society in which u"
mingled lie did not think it nccdful to transfer
the social coGc Of Washington to London III"
social code Of Washington is one OF the most de
liehtlul in the world delightful at any rate. to
one who is not a politician and not obl1cd II
consider Ill" political claims expectations OF the
person next YOU. Mr. blaine. OF course. never,
when 1T home. escaped that necessity IL hal
become second nature TO him: II was haI
the secret of what it was the fashion to call his
magnetism His conSidcratencss for tn" susccpti-
hilitips of others was fine art
4 very eminent American who had represented
his country and hal hrcn Mr. Bainc's political
opponent thought it his duty 10 call on him IN
Washington. :" he lad behaved extremely well 10
me-" explained the eminent diplomatiSt. " 1t
seemed matter Of mere cvty TO call on him
hut was not at all he would want TO So"
mo- He received me as old friend There
Ill. L., oil
on my subjects. and knew them we'll as
did. or better. When | took leave he asked
which way 7 was going said he would walk with
nc: did walk with me TO my hotel offered TO 90
anything he could for me in Washington. and
shook hands as we parted with what seemed and
thought was, real cordially | might have had
oppose him again in politics. but assure You
have never been able 10 think Of h;m since
except as a personal fiicrd. The magic Of his
manner was irresistible"
In this particular case and in many other
cases Mr. Blaine found his politlco-sor.al ob
gators agreeable. but they must often have hrcn
otherwise. lie was in constant contact with men
Of coar.cr nature than his own. II may le doubted
whether any orc Of them ever suspected that
Mr. Blaine felt the difference Still or rather
Therefore. tn" strain Of this almost uninterrupted
intercourse must have been great. The death
q
stood between his father ard tie world. saw AL
the people whom the Secretary Of State did not
wish 10 sc. think j. Necessary - s'e, mi
lightcned the burdens OF lfc TO him
This catastrophe cane long after London. Nv
memories Of Washington have carried me further
than | meant. They will perhaps bring out
more sharply the contrast / wanted 10 draw be
tween Mr.. Blaine IT home and Mr.. Balm in
London When he had once grown us'1 to the
new atmosphere and convinced Of the sincerity
Of his welcome here. he seemed pmancipatcd. The
years rolled back: he was younger man. and
frccr. There remained no trace Of villa; ! c1il"i
his political manner. He adaptc'! himself readily
10 tie new conditions and moved in a socicy
TO him as if he had hcca familia- with i
all his life. He had that cool solfpoSscssion and
4uicknosS Of vision and that h"Vihiltr 90 rrtui"
which are the conditions Of social success He
then ifty-seven an age at which few mon show
much capacity for entering successfully uprn now
methods Of life Eut he captvatod rcOpc here
as lie did people in Wa,hins:on or il Gu cl'o.
The result was the same: the proccs.'s wrr' not
the same lie did not make the common mistake
Of OVERRIDING il. o. wanting e. say too much. Of
being too elaborate lie saw thai less was en-
pected here. and that n li,ht touch was essen
tial: tina. the social formulas were hghtcr:
that many OF the assurances which the Wc,,crncr
lavishes or his constituents and expects from his
party leaders in private are here omitted alto
gether
"uch change as there was had no rcrmnncnt
inference or Mr. Biairc's attitude toward Fnglard
Tie English, the lest II thcn. had too much
sense 10 expect that il would. Nov AMI then afte.
his return, ond after he lad become Secretary
and again moro recently. Won heard rrowl
from some OF the whclps Of the British lion. and
perhaps a remark in n society rarrr thai tho
blindness shown Mr. Blaine in London had met with
a Door return. II not those WHO had wei
coined him who said this sort Of thing or who
approved j. Nobody who Ln,wS anlth.ng about
L"ndD. society inlgnrs tina: It's loSpItatics In
vo'vc any political Obligation whatever. 1t is
IN GU sidcrs who indulge in these foolish criti-
cisins. No doubt some Of Mr.. Hlanc's acts AZ
Secretary Of State were resented in England but
not on these grounds. They were resented as
expressions Of a political hostility which the Eng
lisl. rightly or wrongly. thought extreme
| do not know whether il hr permissible 70
mention tho name Of Ecan, but any account
Ct English feeling which omitted il would be not
only incomplete, but misleading ! rccur 10 it
solely for the purro,c OF clearing up dark place
The English always laid tho responsibility for
Mr.. Egar's appointment a. Minister 10 Chill
on Mr.. b anc. rather than on President Harrison
They thought it not merely an insult to this
country but calculated insult In the latter they
no doubt wrong ] know Of no ground for
surprising that either :hc President or the Score
tary OF State desired 10 do anything offensive TO
q country with which America is on friendly
terms
One does not like TO think Of the treatment Mr.
Elaine has met with here since his death The true
Of it ought all the more to be given
frankly. The poisonous falsehoods told about him
at home. and cabcd about him from New-iork
to LONDON, have something TO do with this English
prejudice but perhaps not much Carelessly as
they read American news. what passes for
such in the English press the English writers
must be aware that the American attacks on
Mr.. Blaine spring from personal hatred. and from