Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-03-15

founded in wisdom and in patriotism.
In November, 1854, Grover Cleveland
was elected President of the United
| States When he came to select
cabinet he called Mr.. Bayard to the
| portfolio of State. Both in and out of
| tho Democratic party, the appointment
| was commented upon favorably. Mr..
Bayard was everywhere recognized as
| statesman familiar with the affairs of
| government; he had been IN the Senate
| l5 years, and almost all of that time a
| member OF its most impoi tant com
mittees. Mr.. Cleveland s experience
as public man had been confined to the
State of New York alone. A man of
wider experience was needed in the
State Department
Mr.. Bayard served as Secretary Of
State four years under the first Cleye,
land administration, and as such he
showed great ability, rs the head OF the
department that managed the foreign
affairs of the nation. The most note
worthy of the international questions
which came before him, were the Ben
ring Sea difficulty, and the agreement
which was reached with Spain by which
each country abolished the discrimi-
mating duties against the commerce of
the other.
At the close of the first Cleveland
administration, Mr.. Bayard came back
tC Wilmington and resumed this private
life that had not been his portion for a
great many years, and took up leisurely
practice OF the legal profession. And
he occupied then permanently, SO TO
speak, his delightful old home in the
suburbs of Wilmington. where he had
only been at intervals during his long
| public service. For the next three or
four years he lived nearly all the time
ct Wilmington and occupied his COM
Portable home there.
On the election of Cleveland for a
second term, Mr.. Bayard was called, as
~ seems to me most appropriately, to
I'LL the new office of Ambassador to
Great Britain. That was in April,
1888, His long and honorable career in
public life, his familiarity with State
affairs, his education in Statecraft-all
tended to fit him particularly for this
distinguished position. His career
as Ambassador will long endure. There
were many criticisms and political
continents made at the time, but time
will yindicate the wisdom and patriot
ism OF his conduct as the representative
OF this country abroad, He laid the
foundations, in my opinion, for the re-
yival of d thorough good fellowship
between the mother county and oui :
selves, and did more during his four
years as Ambassador to England to
break down the narrow walls OF preju-
dice and misunderstanding that had ex-
listed for more than hundred years,
than any other man had done in life
time. His services did us more than a
good turn when this country declared
war against Spain within a year after
his return to this country. We owe
HIM q lasting debt of gratitude for his
services to us while he was in England.
His public career ended when he va
cated the office of Ambassador in 1897.
Mr.. Bayard was man Of tine public
spirit There are so many of our public
men that when they get in public office
seem to be absolutely engrossed by the
Office and do nothing in the way Of
public service out of the routine OF
the particular Office that they fill. But
Mr.. BayaId, from 1869, when he
entered public life, for 30 years up to
his retirement from the ambassador
ship to England as man who in very
many regards showed his fine sense oil
public spirit. He was man who had
|
to them. You who have not read his
Grafton on Daniel Webster, delivered Of
Dartmouth College in 1889, should read
1t in order to appreciate more fully the
magnificent character of Webster when
it is delineated by a man of Nh.
Bayard's calibre. So"
His address delivered before the Yale
Law School in 1883 on 1.-THE RESPONSE
| h,lttv IF tho anal prnfaee;-,, :. u
public" is a mastery PAPER and will
take rank with any of the literary pro
ductions of this country. He delivered
at Harvard year later an grafton OF
! "Unwritten Law" that has been recog
! nized as an able and brilliant pro
duotion. All of these papers, and
there were several others, breathe or
atmosphere of lofty patriotism and
attest the learning and scholarship o.
Mr.. Bayard.
With all of the ENDORSEMENTS o.
public business, with all the cares o.
state that were upon this man for 81
} years, he never forgot his native State
, and Of all things else in life | think hi
loved Delaware the dearest. To him
1t was always home, sweet home, anc
} to Delaware he always came with
feeling of delight and feeling of re
lief. Rather impaired in health,
recall that in 1879 he took a trip t,
England, returning to Wilmington il
the fall, and on his return there tn,
citizens of Wilmington, irrespective o
party connections, arranged reception
to him, and he was escorted to GU
largest public hall and there an ad
. dress of welcome was delivered, t,
, which he responded. In the course o
I that response he said:
My chief desire and my main effor
) at this moment is to let you simpl,
, and clearly understand the quiet deel
r and sincere happiness with which thi
: sive, fills my breast. In full view o
: those who now surround me, my lif
|, has been lived, and my incomings ant
outgoings all known. When, therefore
. the Judgment of such court comes tt
| be PASSED after full half century o
trial and experience in private life
$ and 10 public service, and it is rem
| dered in sentences so full of generou
r appreciation, affection and respect a
t your worthy and venerable chairman
Q has addressed to me, what must be M,
I emotions, and how full to overflowin,
e must feel my cup of blessings and o
/ honor. have an ambition to comics
o to you. 1t is to possess tie unsus
. pecting confidence Of the people O
D Delaware, and to retain it," Thes
t were words, my friends, uttersd froh
4 the innermost recesses of his heart ant
t they expressed exactly what he felt OF
y that occasion. He never lost hi
/, attachment for the bar of New Castl