New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-12
MONROE.
a NrwvoLuME IN THE EDITION OF his
PAPERS.

u,p1rrNGs OF JAMES MONROE: InGp5S o ners
Collection Of His Public and privTn;, rst lime
and Correspondenee' NOV s,d rUs Murray Hamil-
Ton. Volume II Q794-l7ss). octave. pp' AVN
q. p. Putnam's Sons ,.,
,,,. .acond volume OF Mr.. Hamiltons e"''0'
n, Monroe's writings includes ie''e' -.
,>.,,een the middle Of juno. 1IS4 anu ''' ~
ginning OF May. 1905. During tna' 'iine 49,
was Minister to France and most Vi n''
.nondence relates to his official ou'iee "'' 49,
or TO the stirring political events ol ".-e
uas a witness. The letters are aou' ,.,.
r....r,, q, State 10 the French authorl'ies
,a ,ransactea diplomatic business
go % Jefferson. Madison. Washington anu
o., enc most part they require but
,,..,o ,,rotat,on but where this is needed the
editor has added footho'es '
tudicious and helpful.
$500 roocbed Paris soon after the fall ana
aoo.h a, Bobespierre and his comments upon
,,,s Avent and the subsequent course OF 'ne
u.o,,,,ion are Instructive and readaple' ~
cannot he said. however. that they are par'iou-
,,r,v vigorous or weighty. One would suppose
that q statesman Of his character ana poii'40"'
en,ecedents must be deeply stirred U! INC e
.roord,nsrv events that were occurring hpou'
him and be moved to a profound STUD! OF Incl
csuses and tendencies OF any sucn enec' u
b,s experiences however, there Is no e''oen0'
either IN his style or in the nature or MS reiec
.,ons upon men and events. The 1oriuer Is e'
and placid and the latter, though ol'eli SUN
and we'll expressed. seldom rise ABOVE '''o ~
of the commonplace. He does not seem 10 nave
realized In the remOtest degree the pOr'eN''O'
and sinister character Of the drama WHICH was
unfolding itself before his eyes On the coh'iai'
ne viewed il with a generous out supreme"
ontimisrn which was natural In repuoiioe"
and an American. but which made accurate Oh
oervation Of II and q discriminating 1uosHeh'
upon il impossible. .,o
ne the messages which deal with his dip'oInatc
duties the most interesting are those 'ha' io'a'o
90 laws famous treaty with England ana Jus
ocec+ pnon the attitude OF France. Monroe was
entirev convinced that both the interests anu
tho honor Of the United States wouIo oe oeo'
served by maintaining a close alliance Will
France and he had made no secret OF this coi
v,ct,on IN his communications to the fTeho"
Government The latter, on the other manu-
was naturally particularly opposed 10 anVt'Hs
in the nature Of an alliance between oie"'
Britain and the United states Accoru'i'ei'
when the first exaggerated reports OF the results
Of jays mission reached Paris there was eoou
daoI Of wrath III the Committee of Public SAFETY
can Minister. Unfortunately the Administra-
+,on had failed 20 take Monroe into l's CONN
denco with regard 10 the treaty. and jay also
with q scantipess Of courtesy Verging on insult
declined TO give him any Information on 'he
subiect. except on conditions which he declined
~ accent He was therefore. obliged to con-
tent himself with assuring the French authorl-
tics that there could be nothing IN the Jay
treaty. that would affect the existing Teaues
with France and with telling the people "'
uesb,neton what he thought Of the matter
THE latter he does in a letter to secretary HaH-
ao,nb dated December IS, 1904, which Is. per-
hans the most vigorous in the volume. or the
.res+v as reported, he remarks that 70 'ahe
,a,.ontage If the accommodating disposition IN
,ba Court Of St. James" produced by the sue
cass Of the French arms. and Of the goodwin
of the French Republic created by 'he ira"A
declaration which made in obedience 10 my
instr,,ctions in the presence Of the convention
and in the view of Europe, Of our attachment
~ their welfare and socitude for their sue
cess 10 part the TWO countries and draw US
into the bosom of our mortal foe. would be an
art NJ nerndv the example OF which was perhaps
never seen before" To Jay he pays his respects
by asserting his own perfect knowledge Of the
principles and crooked policy Of the man dis
guised under the appearance of great sanctty
and decorum" In the end, all turned out
fairly we'll But one must admit that Monroe
WAS prettv badly treated, and that his defence
~ his conduct then and later able and