Omaha daily bee., 1897-03-07
AT THE COURT OF ST. JAM

~ SOClio W w
| the next ambassador at the court of st.
| James will be Colonel John Hay, who
was one of the private secretaries of
Abraham Lincoln and has been iden-
titled with the diplomatic service of the
country to an extent which fully quail
| fies him for any position in that service.
Colonel Hay was first assistant sec
| rotary of state under Secretary Evarts,
in the administration of President
Hayes, and he made an excellent record
in that position. Besides hat he has
had diplomatic experience and is fully
equipped for the duties that would de-
volve upon him as the representative of
the United States at the British court.
Colonel Hay is an accomplished gentle
man. of we'll established literary attain
ments and of attested ability rs an ora
tor, and there al be no doubt that he
would maintain the character which the
United States has established at the
British court as the foremost of all Ia
ions in literary u~tterances. For n num-
Der of years the United States has easily
held precedence in this respect and it
is entirely safe to say that it would
maintain this precedence with Colonel
Hay as it's representative. 1t is also
safe to say that Colonel Hay would be
an absolutely patriotic and conservative
representative of the United States at the
British court. No man in the country
is more familiar than he with the tradi-
tional policy of the country in regard to
our foreign relations and it is not to be
doubted that no man is more heartily
in sympathy with the sentiment of the
president and with the general public
sentiment in favor of maintaining peace
full relations between England and the
United States. Imbued as he is with
the sterling patriotic sentiment instilled
during the war period in which lie took
an active part, Colonel Hay will go
abroad as the best representative of
American feeling toward the nation to
which he will be accredited. What
that feeling is has been clearly indicated
in the inaugural address of President
Mckinley. 1t is absolutely cordial and
peaceful with respect to all nations, but
especially so with regard to that nation
with which we have the greatest deal
ings, commercial and otherwise-Eng-
land. The duty and eXpediency of
maintaining and perpetuating friendly
relations with that nation is realized by
every intelligent American and by none
more than President Mckinley.
These considerations give great i'm
portance to the appointment of an am
bassador to the court of st. James.
There is needed there not simply n
scholar, but n man Of thorough Amer
lean feeling and sentiment, who can be
depended upon under all conditions and
in all circumstances to uphold American
ideas and principles. The distinguished
gentleman who has occupied this posi-
ton for the last our years has not
wholly satisfied his c%ountrymen in this
respect, bat criticism of his course can
be left to the historian. 1t is sufficient
to say now that his services We're not
wholly without value. He was instru-
mental, at least, in paving the way to a
better understanding between the great
English-speaking nations and this Is no
small honor. His successor will have
devolved upon him the duty of COM
pleting this work and we can think of
no one better qualified for this task than
Colonel John Hay.