Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-11-03
HON.. THOMAS 7. BAYARD.


Table Talk, an English newspaper,
il Its issue Of October 9th, contains an
excellent portrait Of the late Hon.
Thomas f. Bayard together with the
following sketch:
Very few Americans will be held in
sweeter memory In this country than
the late Mr.. Thomas Francis Bayard,
whose death occurred q day or two ago
at Dedham,. III the State of Massa-
chusetts. He was the first Ambassador
of the United States to the Court of
st. James. Previous to his appoint
ment as such, our cousins across the
sea were represented here by dlplo-
matist OF ministerial rank only. 1t
was only fitting, however, that SO great
nation should give the highest posi-
BILE rank TO its envoy in this country.
The name Of Bayard Is proyerbial to
us, being that Of q ''preuX cheyalier. "
The lato Mr.. Bayard, l believe, was a
descendant of the immortal French
knight. He carried to the full the
stamp of heredity. He was also
"preux chevaliern and gentleman
in every sense Of that much abused
term. Nobody who had the honor and
the pleasure of meeting him could
have failed To be struck with his
intense courtesy, and with his
urbane dignity. He was the most ac-
cessible of mon. and his attitude in
conversation, despite his exalted official
rank, appeared deferential even to the
simplest person who accosted him. He
was by birth citizen of Northorn
State Of America, but he reminded one
n a. sats. Il
scribed, perhaps best. by Thackeray In
'.The Virgiuians. llc had none OF
the brusque, bustling mannerisms We
are inclined to. expect from his eoun,
trymen, and his fluent and polished
idioms peculiar to American speech.
Above nil, there was complete ABB
sence in his character of any desire to
Haunt the Eagle or tie knots as so
many Americans love to put it---in the
tail Of the British Lion.
Mr.. Bayard, however, was an Ameri-
can of Americans. and came of long
line Of statesmen. He was proud OF
his glorious Republic and of its tradi-
tions. He had no reason for Anglo
phoba, for there was scarcely drop,
ii any, of English blood in his veins.
His forebears were French and Dutch,
and with their earliest arrival in the
| New World became citizens of conse.
quence. Gradually with the evolution
Of New Amsterdam into New York, the
| Bayard family forgot that they were
| other than Anglo Saxon, and thinl,
Mr. Bayard himself took exceptional
pride in this oblivion. He loved
| America Test, perhaps, but he also
loved England, and neither his or oul
nation should ever forget the service
he did, even at the expense of his owT
reputation for statecraft with his owr
| people, in preventing the ,smoulderins
| ashes of dissension between the twt
cousin countries from bursting int
| flames.
was present at the Mansion Hous,
when Lord Mayor Faudel Phillips pre-
sided at the farewell dinner in honoi
of Ambassador Bayard. The reverence
and respect and the affection Of tn,
British nation to tho great American
could not have been more entirel,
| shown than on this occasion. Their
were between 40 and so peers of tn,
realm, every one of whom had persona
/ distinction beyond the claims Of hi
4 cornnet. The Premier, Lord Salisbury
spoke in terms almost sentimental II
| praise, of the guest of the occasion ant
his words were listened to with lnarke,
approval by great mobiles who were o
had heen in the cabinet, or had repre-
4 sented Great Britain at foreign court
or as viceroys, by half the bench o
judges, by the lord mayors and provost
Of the great cities of the three king
oloms, by the presidents of the learne,
societies, by the heads, as represente,
by aldermen, of the leading commercial
institutions of this metropolis; j
short, by the chief representatives c
every profession, of every institution
of this realm of Great Britain. Nc
was this dinner Of simple black coats
Every person present, with the excer
ton, perhaps, Of the newspaper me
only. wore court dress or diplomat
uniform, ard the various orders c
chivalry which belonged to them. 4
quote tho words OF statesman VIII
had seen many distinguished gather
ings: 81 have never seen more iir
pressive sight than this cannot pic
ture greater honor, or more desery
ing one paidtto any living man."
Americans in London will conve
their coincidence to the family of tn
late Ambassador, probably in the shar
of resolutions from the Anglo Amer
can League and from the America
Society, but from thousands upo
thousands OF hearts in this county, q
we'll as in his own, will go forth 10,
ing God-speed to the kindly, noble Of
man who has now gone on his la!
! journey, and as said at the beginnin
, Of what have tried to write here, h
/ memory is sweet, and will linger swee
though his bones be dust and his SOL
! with the saints.
III Still, the question of the next An
I |, bassador in succession to Mr.. Hayr,
Z Imains with us. Two more men al
] mentioned { this week. One is M
]: Henry &lams, the historian, gentl
I Imam who belongs to family of diplt
|, matists, three of his relations havin
4 already represented America at tn
! court. Mr.. Adams is gentleman vel
.. much of the Russell Lowell description
III doubt. however, II he would full
! the requirements which will be vel
Z necessary in the future representati,
7 Of the United States in thisicountr,
He will have to remember that h
I country has gone far beyond Il
!. Monroe Doctrine, and has. acquired
r colonial empire nv
soo,r -, r,n,tra,f and w btfa pouses