Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-06-17

fortunately after the event instead OF
before. For a long time the feeling
was intensely disagreeable, and at one
time babe fair to become serious.
A literary interest is added to the
occurrence by the fact that Tom Moore,
the poet, then visiting America, seized
upon 1t as the theme for one Of the
slanderous and vindictive letters that
he wrote to his friends In England. He
was an intimate associate Of the Eng
lish minister and his wife, and his con-
dolences with the latter on the "af-
5ront" to which she had been subject
ed did much to fan the fame Of the
lady's fury.
President Jefferson was the offender.
Minister Merry and his wife were the
complainants in the diplomatic cause
celebre Of 1904. They were at the
white house, having accepted the
presidents invitation to dinner. Mr..
Jefferson happened, when dinner was
announced, to be converslng with Mrs.
Madison, the wife OF his secretary Of
state. He accompanied her to the ta-
Bile. Mrs. Merry was at some distance
from the president at the time of the
announcement, but this uf8ct she re-
garded as in no way palliative. * Hb&
she considered the insult to Yhifh she
had been subjected. The president Of
the youthful republic had given to the
wife of his minister precedence over
the wife of old England's representa-
tive!
Mrs. Merry was furious. A vain,
fault finding woman, imbued with ma
tive contempt for free institutions, she
seized upon the incident as a means
possibly Of fomenting a petty diplomat
ic fuss. of which she would be the cen
ter. By her fattery she had so com
pletely won the little poet that he saw
America and Americans through her
eyes only, and when little Moore
then, by the by, a man Of only about
five and twenty-wrote Of the mon
strous" occurrence to his mother from
Baltimore on June 10, 1904 be used this
language: s ff
II stopped at Washington with Mr..
and Mrs. Merry for near week; they
have been treated with the most point
ed incivility by the present Democratic
president, Mr. Jefferson, and 1t is only
the precarious situation of Great
Britain which could possibly induce it
to overlook such indecent, though at
the same time petty, hostility"
The Merrys did not lack sympathy in
Washington, where the Federalists
readily aided Mrs. Merry In her en-
deavors to have British minister
show that an insult to his wife was a
mighty serious international affair. Mr..
Merry, being dutiful husband, as we'll
as a Jealous representative, waXed
frantic and before long the tempest
IN the teapot had become so very tu-
multuous that Secretary Madison COM
municated with Mr.. Monroe-then min
lister to England-on the subject. 1t
seemed at the time possible that the
American minister might be called up
on to explain the "incivility" to Mrs.
Merry, and Mr.. Madison thought 1t wise
to inform the minister as to- the facts.
Mr.. Monroe was promptly equal to
the occasion. No attempt was made
by the British foreign Office to call his
attention officially to the lamented ~
cident, but a British under secretary,
acting under instruction probably, did
bring the subject up to Mr.. Monroe, at
the same time intimating that an off,
cial communication would follow.
Though grave man, Mr. Monroe
could not keeping treating the matter
In a spirit Of fun. He gave his infor-
mant to understand that he considered
the affair too absurd for serious con-
sideration. At the same time. while
dilating with unwonted merriment of
the humorous features Of the case, he
slyly called the under secretarys at
ltention to the fact that should the af-
fair should reach diplomatic import
ance, he had a "tu quoque" ready in
the shape of a countercharge Of inciv-
ility. In fact, not long before, the wife
of an English under SECRETARY; at a
state din1Jr in England, had been ac-
corded precedence over Mr.. Monroe.
The Merry affront incident was
closed and the excitement attending 1t
soon passed away, as faras concerned
all but the Merrys. They continued to
pose as monstrously offended persons.
Mr.. Merry never visited the white
house save on official business. Mrs.
Merry refused to go there at all. Pres
ident Jefferson, desiring to establish a
more agreeable state Of affairs, inquired
through diplomatic medium whether
Mr. and Mrs. Merry would honor him
to family dinner. On Mr.. Merry's
assent he sent the invitation In his
own hand writing Mr.. Merry, doubt
less under conjugal duress. formally
addressed Secretary of State Madison
asking whether he was invited in his
personal or official capacity; II the
former he must obtain the permission
of his sovereign before aecepting; ~
the latter, he must be assured Of treat
ment becoming his exalted position.
Here is what Mr.. Madison replied:
'EThe president instructs be to say