Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-09-09
AN AMERICAN 1ARTFuL DODGER. Us


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ponderous work which in its day seems
to have frightened off all reviewers, yet
which row of sudden becomes in
vested with lively interest. 1t was 40
big book, and it looked so unsreak.
ably dull! Nay, upon the most cursory
glance within the covers, it was SO
mauilestly an illwritten, fatuous and
amateurish mere imitation of book that
no one had the courage to go further
with IL. Why should John Sherman
relate to any OF US. through l. 23S pages,
his alleged recollections? Still more,
why should any person with work to
do in this world DO condemned to listen
to thsmP To these languid questions,
a few months ago, no adequate snawer
was forthcoming. Yet now, 10! the
stone which the critics neglected has be-
come the head of the corner, 1t is we'll
known that everything comes to the
man who can wait long enough. After
43 years Of assiduous munching in the
nose bag of Federal patronage at home,
John Sherman at last gets His name
mentioned abroad. English people are
actually willing to learn something
about him. A Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs who can address to
friendly nation an official message 10
full OF ulownish insoence that even the
barber-shons OF his native land shrink
from endorsing it, and then deny that
any such message has been written ON
the very eve Of its publication, might
arouse the curiosity of an even more
phlegmatic people than the British.
The worst of it is that Mr.. Sherman,
in the elaborate account of his ances-
try which introduces his 'Recollec-
tions," leaves us no loom for doubt
that be is Of English blood himself.
His line runs back, with haplessly cir.
cumstantial dates and other proofs, to
q Rev. John Sherman who emigrated to
Massachusetts, in 1884, and who in turn
was the son Of Edmond Sherman, a
prosperous cloth weaver of Dedham in
Essex. 1t seems that it is, or was, a
common name in the Eastern counties.
lone Sherman was executed for taking
the unsuccessful side in civil war.
1t was rot until the beginning Of the
sixteenth century that any Of the name
assumed the arms, crest and motto
justified by their pride, property or
standing. The motto taken, Conquer
Death by Virtue, is a rather meaning
less phrase. 1t is modest enough, and
indicates a religious turn of mind. :"
Mr.. Sherman retains something of this
early piety of his race. He tells US
1.-THE writer of this has firm belief
in thu Bible as the only creed of rsligi-
GUS faith and duty, and willingly ac-
cords 10 every human being the right
to choose his form of worship accord
ing to his Judgment, but in case OF
doubt it is best to follow the teachings
of his MOTHER 1t is fair to add that
Mr.. Sherman also profited by the un.
fortunate experience of that ancestor
who got on the unsuccessful side of "a
civil war. ~ In all his long and tortu-
ous career that is the one thing that be
never did. 1t often required an agility
of conscience, and a capacity for Rwal
lowing one's own words, which chal.
lenge the establishment OF his contem-
poraries; but no ono ever caught hin
ON any losing side-ior longer than was
required to wriggle away from it.
One gets at the outset, in these pre-
fatory remarks, some very frank aids
to judgment OF the writer's charac.
ter and abilities. In composing these
"Recollectione, he naiyely confesset
that he was in doubt whether he ought
to write most about his Town life, in,
Guiding ancestry and boyhood, . or tc
give predominance to the financial his
tory Of the United States. with which
be was mainly identified. This wal
settled by the publishers, who were
more interested in the number of copief
they could sell than in the finances O
the United States. :" Again, one gsts
glimpse of another phase of tempera
ment: when in London, in the sum
mer Of 1889, concluded to make e visi
to the graves Of my ancestors. ! ex,
amined Blacks Universal Atlas to 10
cate Dednam, but it was not to h
found. l made Inquiries, but coult
discover no one who knew anything
about Dedham, and concluded tina
there was no such place. though
had often read of it, l was compelled
therefore, to give up my Wait, = Thi
picture of an OK Secretary OF the Treas
ury, and Senator Of the United States
who had lived for 80 years at Washing
ton, yet remained such provincial crea
ture that the resources Of looking in
shilling county guide never occurred t
him, is surely not without ita value
p third incidental example, ILLUSTRATIVE
this time OF his theories about goo
manners abroad, has peculiar interea
at the moment. 1t was in 1859 tina
Mr.. Sherman made his first voyage t
Europe, and be has great deal to ga
about the delightful companionsnin o
board the vessel which MAIDS the tri
SO full of charm, Concerning one q
these pleasing comrades he narrate
this Instructive .anecdote, with eviden
pride:
"We landed safely ut Southampto
late in the evening, aud our party wen
to hotel. We seemed to overcrow,
the capacity OF the place. One Of on
passengers, a young gentlonsn frur
Baltimore, said to me he would ririy
out those Epglishmen who we're quetl
enjoying themselves IN tho waiting
room. He had been quiet gentlemanl
passenger, but he changed his ton
and manner, waa boisteruus 10 hI
talk and rather rude. One by one tn
Englishmen departed, slamming til
door after them, casting sour look a
their prosecutor, but he was not dis
turbed until tine coast was clear, an
then quoting down in his usual man
ner be said he knew these Englishmen
and thought he would give them
chanue to abuse the id Americans
After long waiting VS. had good sur
per.
Here apparently we have the genesi
OF Mr.. Sherman's present conception {
diplomatic management lie learne
nearly 40 years ago from the your
gentleman from Baltimore" how ''thss
Englishmen" ought to be treated,
you wanted to turn them out of plac
of their own, when they were "quiatl
enjoying themselves. - The trick cor
sisted in being "boisterous in one
talk and rather rude. ~
M D.,