New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-19
Mr.. BLAINE.
HIS VISIT TO LONDON IN 1857 AND HIS kf~
CEPTION IL ENGLISH SOCIETY.
/.
London, February >.


lands mart in those Transactions, were s'foh4
within him He had oppressed ms views liz speech
and in mint Like many other Americans WHO
had less reason for holding such a view imam MI
Blaine had, he conceived that ms cr1tici>us were
likely 10 lie remembered, and remembered against
him You must know the English well before
Won fully comprehend the spirit OF tolerance VINO"
prevails here. and the spirit Of indifference MI
Blaine knew them hardly NJ ALL and Il" ms
Judged them and their spirit and thc'i ''cn"s
about himself There WAS then, anu th'ie Las
been ever since. notion that the great Amman
bot.d FncIand or at least, was no iricnd 10
Enaland Often and often one heard IN" lcn,aiN
when he was seen IN this London world: your
>.,.,a docs not like MS: often 20 No followed by
tho VERY characteristic and very English comment
.We like HIM all the same so little did u"
on+ic;natc n welcome in London that he seemed
to have MANNED his visit III the spirit OF ''c
traveller and tourist, and in no other. lhcre
wore few il any houses he expected To enter per
hans none he wished TO enter Ills IDEA Oh Lon
aon YEAS the British Museum and the lower ana
the Jubilee show.
He arrived on the Friday before the Queen
Jubilee and the series OF social surprises IN store
for him began at once. An invitation was wait
ing for him 70 dine the next evening Wi'h 'i'e
Lord Mayor, another to party the same "is,''
AT the Duchess of 81. Adams, ana thlru 10 VIC
aa;os, NIGHT at the Gallery Club; then one of the
martest functions Of London MI. Blame maui
wha, may I've called decisive appearance that
eveninc lie saw in the course OF few nous
much Of what is best in Lordon, and made scores
of acouaintanccs. There is in London. ana among
the best people here, marked absence o. any
thing like ceremony or stiffness in circumstances
which in a society less sure of ltScl1, mlSh' d.
@boupht difficult Ceremony is replaced by cor
dial;tv. and distinguished stranger finds himself
all at once on the footing OF a Trend
Mr. Blaine to tell the TRUTH had hcsi'a'e''
II it was an agreeable surprise to him 10 discover
that such a welcome was IN store lor hlni' IL
WAS none the less a surprise. What he accep'e"'
he accepted frankly. but he did not accept every
thing He relinqushed his preconcelved ho'iohS
rather gradually. but he could have pcen IN u"
NAL doubt about the disposition OF Londoh
toward him after the first hali-hour at the Duchess
OF St Albans's party Everybody wah'c" W
know him IT rancd introductons
Sucb a face and figure and manner as his OF
course attracted attention. The question ran
ronnd the room, "Who is hep" 1t was put TO
lady who was supposed TO know every person
,,o,,b knowing. Il don't know was her an
swer. "but he is somebody. and am going 10
end out" 1t does not take long Tor lhleiii-
rence 70 circulate in drawngroom. lheie
certainly were people in that brllant compah!
TO whom Mr.. Blaines name meant nothlhg, loi
Il is not BY knowledge OF American ponucS
~ personalities that London society, even then,
was prc-eminonty distinguished But IL the name
did not always interest them the owner OF 1t an
The tall FORM the singular charm of the race inc
distinction of manner. the intellectual power OF the
foce and head the refinement of BOTH the alert
comuosure of the expression, the scdatencss OF
feature with which the vivacity OF the eyes
contrasted, and that indefnable air OF pein@
perfectly at home amid throng of people whom
he had never seen beforc-all this was remarked
with that swiftness of perception when mo
woman of society has In its most miraculous
degree. and commented on with a freedom char
acteristic of a world which has, 10 say the least,
the courage of its opinions, and little restraint III
expressing them
II Mr. Blaine had wished TO be lionizcd in
London, which he certainly did not, he had chosen
his moment ILL., This wa the last evening for
week or two when any private Individual, no
matter how eminent could expect to be the cen
trail figure in a London drawing groom. The next
week or two were given up TO royalties, and so
aristocratic even in these democratic days, Is
still the society CT any European capital that
any ROYALTY is sure of his place. Between the
private pcrson of no matter what rank ana any
king or prince, etiquette still draws line, which
the king or prince may cross il he willard lie
often dees-but the private person never.
Mr. Blaine had, moreover, a keen personal feel
ing 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 il came out rather un-
expcctediy Lord Harrington was there and Mr..
Blaine was asked if he would like to know him.
Hc refused Several motives for the refusal might
xl I fInr, all IN fla
ready imagination OF those who like to speculate
on the subject. lie asked TO the Foreign
Office party and refused; giving as reason that
he could not be the guest OF a man whom he had
attacked AZ he had attacked Lord Salisbury. IL
was pointed out to him that IL was Lady sails
bury who gave the party and that II was as wife
of the Foreign Minister, not as the wife OF Lord
Salisbury that she issued her invtations that
there politics on such an occasion mat
Mr.. Gladstone himself would probably be there,
and SO on. Nothing shook his resolve. After
what | have said in my book | cannot see how
1t is possible 10 accept Lord Salisburys hospl-
tally" looked up the passage afterward There
really is nothing in it which need have prevented
Mr.. Blaine from shaking hands with his old OPP
ponent. or from going to Hatfield. But if the
scruple was exaggerated, it was an honorable
scruple For very different reason he declined
an invitation 70 the ball given by Lady RoScbcry
at Lansdowne House TO the royalties then in
London as guests OF the Queen; some forty
OF them in all No personal feeling stood in the
way here. Mr.. Blaine and Lord Roscbcry were
friends, and met as friends at Lansdowne House
and elsewhere on other occasions. believe know
what kept him away from the ball, but will not
90 further than TO say that tho reason might per-
haps be called political.
All the setf-denying ordinances which Mr..
Blaine passed against himself did not prevent
him from seeing great deal OF what was best
worth seeing In a social sense. lie came TO know.
on very pleasant terms, many of the best and
pltasantest people in London. Whether he ever
quite got rid Of his political feelings may he
doubted. He was disposed to regard an English