The Topeka state journal., 1901-11-23
MR. HAY,s HAPpY spEEcH.

In his speech at the Chamber of
Commerce banquet in New York Tues
day evening, Secretary of State John
Hay stated clearly and concisely the.
doctrines and the policies of the Ameri
can people. and he did so in a most
happy manner.
Mr.. Hays speech was most reassur-
ing, not at all pyrotechnic in nature,
but a square toed statement of the tri-
umphs of American diplomacy and
dignified anticipation of the destiny of
a great nation devoid of threat and
bluster. Mr.. Hay got away from the
Yankee stump speech formula which
has so often characterized Americans
as pretentious and rIade US bit ridicu-
lous
Some of the choicest paragraphs from
Mr. Hays speech were as follows. In
speaking of American diplomacy, he
said:
In the last generation 1t was thought
a remarkable advance in straightfor
ward diplomacy when Prince Bismarck
recognized the advantage of telling
the truth, even at the risk of mislead-
ing his adversary. 1t may be another
instance of that naive credulity with
which I have often been charged by
European critics when I say that
really believe the world has moved on
ward in diplomacy as in many other
matters.
I'm my experience of diplomatic life.
which now covers more years than
like to look back upon, and in the far
greater record of American diplomacy,
which I have read and studied, 1 can
say without hesitation that we have
generally told squarely what we want
ed. announced early in negotiations
what we We're willing to give, and al
lowed the other side to accept or reject
our terms
In referring to the Monroe doctrine
Mr.. Hay said:
''But if we are not permitted to boast
of what we have done. we can at least
say a word about what we have tried
to do, and the principles which have
guided our action
s'The briefest expression of our rule
of conduct is. perhaps, the Monroe doc
trine and the Golden Rule With this
simple chart we can hardly go far
wrong.
Il think 1 may say that our sister re-
convinced of the sincerity of our atti-
tude. They know we desire the pros
perity of each of them. and peace and
harmony among them.
Discussing the cable and canal he
said:
I'VE consider our interests in the Pa
cific ocean as great now as those of any
other power, and destined to indefinite
development. We have opened our
doors to the people of Hawaii; we have
ippines which Providence imposed upon
us; we have put end to the embar
RAISING condominium in which we were
involved in Samoa, and while abandon
ing none of our commercial rights in
the entire group, we have established
our flag and our authority in Tutuila,
which gives us the finest harbor in the
South Seas.
Next in order will come Pacific
cable and an isthmian canal for the use
Ill Ill H..
exclusive American ownership and
American control-of both of which
great enterprises President Mckinley
and President Roosevelt have been the
energetic and consistent champions"
In closing Mr.. Hay said:
but that consciousness of strength
brings with it no temptation to do in
jury to any power on earth, the proudest
or the humblest. We frankly confess
we seek the friendship of all the pow
ers; we want to trade with all peoples;
we are conscious of resources that will
make our commerce a source of ad-
vantage to them and of profit to our
selves. But no wantonness of strength
will ever induce us to drive a hard bar
gain with another nation because it is
weak, nor will any fear of ignoble crit
icism tempt us to insult or defy a great
power because it is strong or even be-
cause it is friendly
1.-The attitude of our diplomacy may
be INDICATED In text OF scripture
which Franklin-the first and greatest
of our diplomats-tells us passed
through his mind when he was present
ed at the Court of Versailles 1t was a
text his father used to quote to him in
the old candle shop in Boston, when he
was a boy: 'Seest thou a man diligent
in his business. he shall stand before
kings
'I.et us be diligent in our business,
and we shall stand-stand you see, not
crawl nor swagger-stand, as a friend
and equal, asking nothing, putting up
with nothing but what is right and
just, among our peers. In the great de-
mocracy of nations"