The evening times., 1898-09-29
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER %. 1898.
MIR. Rnyard.

In the death Of Thomas Francis Bay
ard the nation loses a link with the
past. He was one Of a few survivors
of a school of public men that had its
birth in the early days of America.
During the greater part Of his career
he stood to tie people Of the time as
the type Of the statesmen whose super
lative dignity of bearing, nobility Of
character, polish and grave earnest
ness, gave a high tone to the political
life of the bare three millions of scat
tered colonists and won fer them the
respect of the older world. In mann aEs
he belonged not only with the conspicu-
Gus figures who passed away before the
slavery conflict had reached the clash
of arms. but even with a remoter
group than the Calhouns and Websters
He was essentially Of the colonial aris-
tocrats who had acquired democratic
principles, inheriting wealth, social
standing. political power, manners and
party principles. The prominence he
enjoyed came to him not by right of
his personal attainments only. but also
as an inheritance from able and hon
ored forbears-from statesmen to whom
sincerity, in1exible integrity and dig
nifty were matters of course.
1t is possible to trace a distinct line
between the public men of the first and
of the second half of the century. The
influences created and fostered by the
early democracy became most apparent
in their effects toward the close of the
Thara lal 81 to
men who " ere born of poor and obscure
parents before Lincoln, but their man
ners We're shaped after the example Of
those who had been born to leadership
under the conditions of an English an
cestry. In the halls of state the DOM
inant tone was that of the colonial
drawing-room. There was a formality
a severe courtesy. amounting to state
illness, that was rarely broken by the
passions Of the moment. In the inten-
sity of the life following the outbreak
of the war, the influence of the decreas-
ing number Of the old-school public
men, with their unbending dignity, was
seen to decline. Life was too strenuous
and events too exciting for men to pay
the former regard to Roman traditions
and the rules of politeness. There came
into the legislative chambers an in
creasing number Of self-made men, and
from the West the strong, dominating
characters who had known little Of the
polished world, but were of the people
in fact as well as in sympathies. These
were the conditions that were foreseen
and fostercd by the founders of the
republic.
Mr.. Bayard, who inherited the man
ners of the earlier school, inherited also
wealth and even public office. When
Delaware needed a representative in a
national body it naturally turned to the
Bayards. The political eminence de-
scended from successive father to son.
The qualities of character and the at
tainments Of Thomas F. Bayard were
aided by his manners and pleasing per-
sonality in securing his appointment to
the higher offices in legislative coun-
cils and as a representative OF the ma
ton abroad. 1t was inevitable that
he should be mentioned for the
highest office, but the united influ-
ence of so small a State as Della
ware could not further his aspirations.
When he became the ambassador at the
court Of st. James, the nation had a
fair idea Of his qualities, and while he
fell short Of greatness he was among
the most trusted and honored of our
public men. 1t was with great aston
ishment that his admirers and all his
countrymen read two of his inexplica-
BILE addresses before English hearers.
Perhaps 1t would not be difficult to
trace the causes of his loss of conf
dence in democracy and in the Ameri-
can people, but this is not the time or
the place. The strongest feeling on Mr..