The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-21

| Hay said: well. he will get the letter
tomorrow morning. and we will see
what he has to say in reply" But,
returned President Lincoln, you don't
intend to mail that letter! 1 wanted you
to write 1t out because it helps one to
ease his feelings, but you must not
think or sending it. You would only
make the man mad without doing good
10 yourself or the administration" The
result was the letter was never sent.
This incident, if true, must have oc-
Cured more thanaa generation ago, and
John Hay has since shown himself to
be one of the pshrewdest diplomats of
this country. He began his diplomatic
career upon leaving the White house,
being first sent to Paris. Here he
Kept Secretary Seward informed Of the
schemes OF Macmillan and Carlotta.
and enabled him to lay the plans which
Kept Macmillan from succeeding in
Mexico. I have heard it said that had
1t not been for Hay Mexico might have
become monarchy instead Of being
one OF the most thriving republics of
spanish America Leaving Paris Col
Hay was next sent to Vienna as secre-
tary OF legation. Here he was for a
long time charge d'affaires, and he
served so well that later on he was sent
TO Spain. He has also been one Of
the first assistant secretaries of state,
house, away back in 1865, has been
largely made up Of diplomatic work
COL. HAY AS A LITERARY MAN.
John Hay will have the advantage of
a good literary reputation abroad. Our
literary men have been our best dipIo-
mats. Washington Irving was an ef-
nc1ent minister to Spain, Bayard Tay-
Tor was one Of our best ministers to
Berlin. and the man who served with
perhaps the greatest reputation in Eng
land was James Russell Lowell. Col
Hay during his stay in Spain wrote
his book entitled "Castilian Days.
This ranks up well with the best books
of travel. He brought the manuscript
nome with him in his valise, and ar
rived here just at the time when Bret
Harte had made himself famous by
writing his Heather Chinee' and
other poems. Col. Hay wrote and pub
lished a number Of the same kind of
poems, the most Of which are far better
than Bret Harte's. He entitled them
the pike County Ballads" and among
them were the famous poems of Little
Breeches,'' Jim BIudsoe" and others
They took well, and before he knew it
he was famous as a dialect poet. AS
soon as he realized his notoriety in
this respect he regretted it, for he told
me once he was rather ashamed of
having written Little Brooches" l
believe he considers it below him, ana
that he has always prided himself on
doing better work. He can, however,
write poems of high order. At the
Christian EndeavOr meeting here at
Washington not long ago he wrote the
Invocation Hymn He is an earnest
Christian, and the reading of this hymn
may give you some idea of his charac-
ter:
INVOCATION.
Lord from far-severed chimes we come,
To meet at last in Thee, our home,
Thou who hast been our guide and guard
Be still our hope, our rich reward.
Defend us, Lord from every i'll,
Strengthen our hearts to do Thy will,
In all we plan and we will do
Still keep US to Thy service true.
o let us hear the inspiring word
Which they of cd at Horeb heard.
Breathe to hearts the high command
Go onward and possess the land!'
Thou who art truth each mind control.
Open our eyes and make US see
The path which leads to heaven and Thee.
(Signed) John Hay.
LINCOLN.
John Hays literary reputation, however,
will rest more upon Lincoln's biography than
anything else. He wrote this, you know, in
connection with John G. Nicolay the two
spending almost quarter of a century in
the preparation for the work. Col. Hay tod
me once that he and Mr.. Nicolay had read
more than twelve hundred volumes before
they began the real work Of writing, and
that they had been making notes upon Lin
coin, off and on, for many years. When
Col. Hay was writing at this life | had a
chat with him about his literary methods
He has, you know, magnificent home here
the library of which is of the finest IA
Washington. This library is a luxurious pace
1t is walled and ceiled with oak. 1t has
many shelves filled with books. Costly rugs
cover the floor, and beautiful paintings look
down upon you from over the bookcases 1t
was not here, however, that Col. Hay wrote
1t was away up in the alta, seated on a
stratght-back chair before a hve-dOlar desk
that he penned the most of his manuscript
lie told me that he could not dictate, and
that he considered a thousand words a good
days work. He said that he and Nicolay
the White house. and that they began to
make notes for it during the first admins
tration of President Lincoln. They took down
conversations and kept the incidents Of
White house life from day to day. Col. HAY
has a diary of that time which fills three
large manuscript volumes. The most inter-
esting parts of this book have never been
published. He has vast amount of other
material, comprising much unwTi ten history
He has been man whom public men could
trust, but he is so conscientious that his
private correspondence will probably never
be given to the public When l called upon
literary work on hand. and his life IN Lon
don will be devoted, l Judge, to other mat
tiers than literature.
Frank q CarDenter