The times., 1898-09-05
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1895.
Col. Hays Success.

The sentiment EXPRESSED by the Ma
tional Review, of London, concerning
Col. Hay, is echoed by the most
careful and observing of the Eng
Iish journals. The Review says Col
Hay is the best ambassador accredited
there in recent years. It finds num-
Der of reasons for the general esteem in
in which he is held, and some of them
are worth noting. First, he has not
forced himself on the public attention.
though he has neglected no proper op-
portunity to promote the interests of
his country. He has spoken we'll and
not too often, and what is of partic-
ular Importance and perhaps the secret
Of his popularity. he has abstained
from being more British than the Brit
fsh-has refrained from fulsome fiat
terry, and has not indulged in post
prandial gush.''
1t is not charged that his prede-
cessors. as a rule. carried their praises
Of British character and institutions
further than the custom of diplomacy
allows-although one, at least, spoke
of his own country in a way to dimin-
ish English respect for America and
for its representative. But Col Hay
has been able to win the high regard
of those to whom he was accredited
by his exceptional sincerity. his manly
self-respect, and his thorough Ameri-
canism. He has had the good taste
not to show rudeness toward British
habits and prejudices, but without
protesting an extravagant admiration
for and obviously insincere or pro-
vincial attachment to everything Eng
hsh.
The people of Great Britain have the
good sense to resent indiScriminate
Sraises which, if sincere, reflect on the
intelligence of the speaker, or which.
II not honest, reveal his low estimate
of their penetration. They are natur-
ally suspicious of Americans who are
obtrusively eloquent about everything
English, and decry everything Ameri-
can by implication. Col. Hay is too in
tensely patriotic and has too wide a
knowledge OF human nature to offend
In this direction. with too much tact to
assail the self-love of the people whose
good will it is his duty TO retain and
enlarge.
This would have been an especially
dangerous time for an ambassador dis
posed to be too liberal with fiattery.
The self-interest as well as the real
sympathies Of the English made them
favor more intimate relations with
America and there have been opportu-
mites for stopping over" which only
a sincere, able, and self-poised man
4
friendly overtures with a sufficient de-
gree of warmth Col Hay has behav-
ed admirably. He has not committed
his country to more than the most ju-
dicious and fsr-sighted diplomatist
would consider expedient and neces-
sary. and he has not repelled any ad-
vances.
Nothing could prove the confidence
Col. Hay inspired more than the un-
usual courtesies he has received at the
hands of the queen herself, and also
the skill with which he has cared for
the interests of his country. 1t is safe
TO say that 1t is only an exceptional
ambassador who would be made so
frequent and honored a guest at the
queens table, where. as an additional
mark of honor that deeply impressed
all other diplomatists, he was seated
next to her majesty favor rarely,
IL ever, shown TO any ambassador. Yet
Coz. Hay has never told the English
that he was paralyzed by the perfec-
tion of their institutions or suggested
that his own country would be the bet
ter for adopting them. On the con-
trary. his invariable admiration for his
own country and countrymen has ad-
vanced both in the regard of the Eng
lish. II is well to have had a British