The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-10

camille affairs in which he was engaged
with Robert Morris. The next year
! these interests took him to France. He
sailed from Philadelphia Dec is and
reached Paris on Feb. s. He soon be-
come a favorite in the salons of Paris.
The revolution was now at hand, and
through his connection with Lafayette
! he came into contact with the revo-
! lutionary leaders. At first sight Tai
leyrand impressed him as sly, cool,
cunning, ambitious man." He quickly
diScerned that the weakness of the
Able Sieyes was his egotism He tells
us the able descanted with much self
sufiiciency on government, despising all
that had been said or sung on the
subject before him." He regarded Mi
rabeau as the most unprincipled
Scoundrel that ever lived" and thought
that NJ. Necker was without the talent
of a great minister He declared that
Necker's financial writings TEEN with
that sort of sensibility which makes
the fortune of modern romances. He
did justice, however, to Mirabeau's
great abilities and gave Necker much
credit for serving ''at his own expense
in an office which others seek for the
purpose of enriching themselves. If
Morris judgments are not always pro-
found. they are at least interesting and
nearly always instructive. Moreover
constitutional questions and his COM
petence in finance entitle his opinions
of the revolutionary leaders and the
events then happening in France to
great weight. NJ. Taine has named him
with Rivarol. Malouet and Mallet du
Pan as the four most competent OBJ
servers of the revolution.
In 1871 Morris left France and went
TO England to negotiate with the Brit
ish government respecting certain ar
ticles of the treaty of peace that had
not been complied with. The confer
encea began in March and continued
without result till September. While in
London President Washington appoint
ed him minister to France. He held
this office till August, 1894, when he
was succeeded by James Monroe.
The later years of MIR. Morris life
were as useful as his earlier career
After his recall from Paris he made an
extensive tour throughout Europe. He
visited the various capitals and made
many valuable acquaintance with
statesmen and other distinguished men.
While in Vienna he made strenuous eff
forts for the release of Lafayette who
was then confined in the fortress of
Olmutz. Late in the year 1898 he re-
turned to the United States. He had
been absent ten years. and he was re-
ceived. he says, as if he were mot an
unwelcome guest in his native country"
Soon after his return a vacancy occur
red in the United States senate from
New York and he was elected to fill it.
His term extended from May 3. 1900. to
March 4, 1908. When jefferson became
president Morris went to Washington
determined to support the administra-
ton" if he could do so honestly" But
Jefferson's message displeased him:
convinced that the presidents purpose
was ''the destruction OF the general
government" he united with the fed
eralists. The Democrats were especially
hostile to the federal courts, and in the
session of 1902 they determined to
repeal the judiciary act. A motion
for this purpose was made in the SEN
ate on the Sth of January. Morris made
two speeches against it-one on the day
it was introduced and the other six
days later. For the remainder of the
session he worked diligently on various
senate bills. He opposed the repeal of
the internal taxes. and '.labored hard
over the proper steps to be taken re-
speeding the repeal of the judiciary"
In the next congress he favored the
purchase of Louisiana and gave this
measure of the administration his sup
port.
When his term in the senate expired
he retired to Morrisania. For the re-
mainder of his life he occupied himself
in agriculture and in the management
of his ample fortune. He still retained,
however, a lively interest in public af-
fairs. and when New York's great canal
project was proposed he became one
of its most active advocates In 1910
the state Legislature appointed seven
commissioners TO explore the proposed
route. Morris was a member of the
commission; he was elected it's chair
man. and held the Office till his death.
Late in life he was married to Anne