The record-union., 1898-08-23
TEE NEW SECRETARY OF STATE

THE NEW SECRETARY OF STATE.
A new Secretary Of State will soon
be installed at Washington. Judge LAY
has desired for some time to retire,
but would not desert President Mckfn-
ley while the war was on. Now that it
has closed, he secures the release he
wishes, and John Hay, our Embassador
at the court Of st. James, will become
chief of the Cabinet of the President.
John Hay has long been known as a
man Of fine literary attainments. His
writing has been best in the historical,
biographical and anecdotal, but he has
won no small fame as writer of stor-
les, ballads for the popular taste. and
Of humorous character mainly, with a
few strongly sentimental. His Ban
ty Tim," Jim Bludso" and Little
Breeches," while by no means Of lofty
literary type, won him in his early ef-
forts wonderful popularity.
His life of Lincoln written with the
assistance Of Nicolay, has been his
most pretentious work, and one upon
which his literary fame will most rest.
But Mr.. Hay has passed the story and
ballad writing period. His recent years
have been devoted to far more serious
work. He has been a very diligent stu
dent Of American systems, government
and political ideals.
He was educated for the bar, but be-
fore he could build up a practice Pres
ident Lincoln called him to be his Pri-
vate Secretary. He was, in fact, more
than that, as he became the confidant
of the President and his closest adviser
-one in whom Lincoln placed the ut
most confidence, and whose counsel was
reflected largely in the policy Of the
President
The period of Lincolns administra-
tion was an excellent school time for
such a man as Hay. He learned les
sons then in statecraft which few had
the opportunity to take. A man of
keen powers of observation and man
study, he became student Of the men
of the age, and few have ever known so
many, or the many as we'll as John
Hay.
His service under President Lincoln
brought him into contact with the
diplomats and statesmen of the world
generally. and he thus became schooled
considerably in diplomatic arts Toward
the close of the war he was given op-
portunity to acquire knowledge OF mill
tary matters in the field, and thus
added to the sum of his accomplish
ments.
For some time he was editor Of the
New York Tribune" where he proved
what every newspaper man should be,
a versatile and many-sided man, adapt
able, applying himself with equal sue
cess to any department where strong
intellectually, news scent, keen obser-
walton and quickness Of action and ex-
preston are demanded During his
service on the Tribune Mr.. Reid was
absent most of the time. but he knew
Hays capacity and trusted to his edi-
torial competency fully
Such a career as this brought John
Hay into touch with the greater activ-
tiles in political. social and literary life,
so that he marched naturally to the
high post he has filed at the English
court, whers he has been one Of the
best received of our representatives,
and has done his country eminent serv-
ice in shaping English sentiment and
winning English hearts.
It is fitting that such a man. scholar.
diplomat journalist, poet, politician,
Secretary, should now, at the ripe age
of 90, come to the Premiership Of the
American Cabinet. We believe John
Hay will prove an admirable Secretary
OF State. He is essentially a man in
profound sympathy with the people.
He has few preJudices, ardent love for
mankind, a gentle and lovable disposi-
tion, but is not lacking in firmness and
even severity when the need is. He is
one of the few men who is at one and
the same time in touch with the hum
blest people and those highest in polit-
ical, social and diplomatic life. He is
essentially a man Of affairs and a. pa
triot, but extreme in nothing.
Strong in his loves, he is deliberate
and judicial in his dislikes. He is a
political partisan, but we can recall
nothing in all his career, with which we
have been pretty familiar since 1861, to
indicate that he is an extremist or an
unreasoning party man.
His experience in statecraft at Wash
ington in the most troublous DAYS of
the Republic, his service in Journalism,
his literary studies and requirements.
his knowledge of men, his study of
American history and American states
men, and finally his success as an EN-
bassador. eminently qualify him to be
a successful Secretary of State. The
nation is to be congratulated upon the
call of such a man as John Hay to
such an office
Down at Santiago, in Cuba, the other