The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-12-17
THE WRONG FLAG.
Mr.. Bayard Seems to Have Run Up the
British Standard.

British Standard.
He Had a Distinguished Line of Ambassa-
doris toFoIlow at the Court of ST. james
and Has Proved a Lamentable Failure
as Diplomat.
Washington, December 16.-Ambassa-
dor Bayards remarkable speeches in
Great Britain continue to be the princi-
pal topic of discussion in Washington.
He has few apologists. The strongest
argument his friends are able to make in
his favor, is that he had not prepared his
address with sufficient care, and that he
| said things which he would have left I'M
said if he had taken more time to think
them over. Even this, they admit, does
not excuse him, for they realize that a
man who cannot control his tongue has
no business representing the United
States as an ambassador to one of the
greatest powers in Europe
Some Democrats unite with Republi-
cans III endorsing the position that the
only proper course for the President to
sador Bayard at once if that official fails
to realize the position in which he has
plaoed himself. and tender hisSresignation.
Until the Speaker has appointed the
House committee on foreign affairs it
will be impossible, of course, to make any
prediction as to what course that commit
tee will recommend to the House on the
|
| impeachment proceedings, for the lawyers
of the House say that, even assuming
everything alleged by Mr.. Barrett to be
! true, there would be no ground for I'M
parchment
| The prospective mem berS of the COM
mittee believe, however. that unless Mr..
Cleveland recalls Ambassador Bayard
at once, the House should pass a vote of
censure. They also believe the House
would be justified in recommending his
recall, though some of them think that
this is action which could only properly
be taken by the Senate, as that body
consented to the appointment of Mr.. Bay
ard as ambassador.
1t is a complaint to Mr.. Bayard that
everybody should be surprised at his
coarse. Helstood for many years as one
of the m ost impressive of the public men
of America He had figure, address,
lineage and cultivation That he had
partio tism, nobody would have doubted.
In ia ct, when in the Senate he was re-
peatedly pointed out to foreigners-Eng
lish1nen amonglthe nnmber-as a very fine
specimen of the kind of men developed
by and under popular gOyel nment. Had
any doubtful Thomas suggested limita-
ton to Mr.. Bayard's sphere of usefulness,
ana named diplomacy as that Limitation,
some individual among the "strong and
turbulent people, who inhabit this coun-
try would have replied, with the spirit
of prophecy surging within him, that
diplomacy was Mr.. Bayard's most con-
spicuous and most cherished possession .
But, as matter of fact, the strong and
turbulent individual would have been
very sadly, mistaken ssgg
Baked of his ambition to be President,
Mr.. Bayard then decided to try for lau-
rels in the domain of diplomacy. He ac-
cepted the English mission with the cor
dial Endorsement of all his friends, and
with a determination to shine at the
court of ST.. James. 1t was not an easy
berth even Tor Mr.. Bayard, as, in order
to conspicuously succeed, he had to con-
slider tie notable successes of both Mr..
Lowell and Mr.. Phelps. who had preceded
him there. His immediate predecessor,
Mr. Lincoln, while acquitting himself
with much credit, had followed less
snowy lines of winning favor. But Mr..
Lowell, by the aid of a finished scholar
ship, and Mr.. Phelps, by the aid sof felicit-
GUS speaking, had served brilliantly in
the past and made deep impression on
the English. These were the marks by
which Mr.. Bayard must guide if he was
to achieve anything strikingly individu-
al. And SO he began his labors And
they truly have turned out to be labors.
While a man of liberal education and in
formation, he had no scholarship to
match Mr.. Lowell's, and while a good
speaker, he had no such happy power at
a dinner table or upon the platformyas
that of the accomplished Vermont law
Yer. So he began steering his course
somewhat between those lines, and has
ended by running up the British flag
instead of that of his own country.
What notice, If any, is Mr. Bayard like
~ to take of the action of the House
How will he explain it to his English
friendsf Will he point to it as another
evidence OF the turbulent character of
the American people? Will he say to
Lord Salisbury that it is nothing but an
electioneering trick? CIR will he refuse to
notice it altogether and in justification
of suoh course, reflect upon the remarks
of one of the Democrats who defended
him, who could see no difference between
the discussion of a domestic topic by the
President. charged under the Constitu-
ton with such discussion, and it's discus
sion by ambassador to foreign court,
charged both by usage and law to abstain
from such topics2