New-York tribune., 1902-05-15

member ha iSSfo
'hat met in Paris charged with conducting nego-
tia tions for peace the close Of the Spanish war
commission that performed inestimable service
10 the country. Time will do full justice the
work of the men who conducted those difficult
and devcate negotiations. and their names will be
inscribed on the of history with those of the
representatives who in the early and trying days
OF the republic secured possession Of the continent
and prepared the way for development and progress
which have in 4 century made nation OF seventy
hve millions of prosperous people and created q
new world power.
WHAT MIR. REID SAID.
At the close Of the speech of Mr.. Bliss, he Of
fered a toast TO Mr.. Reid, and there great
applause. Then Mr.. Reid said in reply:
It would be an extraordinary person who could
listen to these words and face this assembage with
out deep sensibility the warmest appreciation.
You will not, am sure, imagine me ungrateful
You have referred to the approaching ceremonials
I'm London. The event 10 be commemorated is
TO which special attention and honor have been
habituaIly extended among civilized nations since
diplomatic intercourse between them began. The
duty in connection with with which the President
has honOred me has ever been priced as high
trust and signal distinction. But no event quite
like this has occurred within modern history; and
1t has been the duty of no Special Ambassador be
fore carry under similar circumstances the
friendly messag ges of such people on the
hand, in the government which the sun never
It is the first change its head for two-thrds
Of century; and marks the constitutional and
orderly succession by the eldest 10 the best be-
loved sovereign the English speaking race have
ever known. on the other hand. the congratula-
tions and good wishes your representative is
charged 10 present. come from what is now clearly
the greatest compact and united body OF sef-gOv
erning people that has appeared on the tide
Of time, and TO he carried to that peoples
nearest of kin.
The duty thus undertaken is one ! did not seek
But WheE It laid upon by the President OF
my country it became a trust which few citizens
could be high enough 10 decline, and which l was
certainly proud to accept
Gentlemen in search OF issues for the next cam
paign had not then, however. instructed me that
should be abjuring the Declaration OF Inde-
pendenCe. If we dared to accept like the other
uons OF the world. the invitation of a friendly
ereiGn and show him a customary interna tional
cvility.
Neither had the discovery in international etl-
quette been then logically eXpouEded. that must,
alone among civilized nations reject this special In
vitation unless the English had first sent special
representatives to us without invitation! Nor
the further discovery. that occasion that had not
occurred before for more than a generation and
that ensts national feeling and patriotic sentiment
to an extraordinary degree must not be treated by
with any more attention than they shall have
first given, every four years Oftener, to our
ordinary transfer OF lower. thing under our hap
pier system regular the rising OF the tides or
Nor had they then explained that quite lately our
Republic under different administrations. repre-
senting both parties had properly enough sent one
special embassy to the crowning Of Car. In such
autocracy Russia. and another to the crown
ing of a King. in such monarchy as Spain: but
could not with self-re.pect send one to
the cTowning OF constitutional monarch, after an
unprecedented interval Of sxty-fve yeas over the
one people of all the world closely related to
US, and the with which we have the most in
tercourse and the most business.
Stiu less had the searchers for a campaign issue
then pointed out how vastly fragile and brittle
is the republicanism Of the United States than IS
that Of France. or Of Switzerland. of Mex
publics send special ambassadors ministers TO
this monarchy now with impunity, as they have
sent them before and their institutions do
tremble. while about to be rocked by the
perilous experiment to their foundations That
phenomenon confess myself still profoundly
puzzled 10 explain. excepting perhaps the theory
that issues for the next election not
in France or Switzerland Mexico they in
this unhappy country OF
They say that these republics are taking this
course mere matter Of surface politeness.
Even that does explain why we must he
thought big to be polite so great that our un-
trammeled soul must above courtesy. and
scorn extraordinary occasion a civil response
TO a civil invitation. 1t does not explain why We,
the nearest, the most important with business in
terests almost great those OF all the other
TepuUHCS cOInDlleur SnOulu fOlce our Diplomacy,
which has been thought the handmaiden OF peace
and the courier of trade this opportunity
national rejoicing, such has not occurred be
fore lor nearly two-thirds OF century. offer an
afront, by either rejecting the invitation outright
by saying that at any rate Will not take the
trouble to give il such attention is expected and
IS given by everybody else
The latest notion Of the lssue-searchers i'm
peaches the Presidents power to send embassy.
He can send no diplomatic agent, they say, with
the previous action Of the Senate. Are we
really at then still with Spain, the treaty OF
peace having been negotiated by unlawful body?
But perhaps he has full power to send diplomatic
agents for the gravest duty dplomatists can
approach. that of securing satisfaction or
lowing 70 be renewed but not presume to
send them only with messages OF peace and good
will.
Aside from these recent and not yet fully authen-
ticated discoveries, 1t further appears now that I
had failed grasp the sartorial dangers that
threaten the Republic. / hadn't realized that this
great cause of freedom round and round would be
in peril that the bashful Goddess of Liberty
would turn her face from and veil it, II one wore
in the English capital such clothes as other people
wear.-such clothes our own Mr.. Choate has
been wearing without perceptible harm to the Re
public for three years past and such worn
before by a long line of his honored predecessors.
including Democrats like Thomas F. Bayard and
Edward J. Phelps. and such Republicans James
Russell Lowell and Robert Lincoln and John Hay.
In fact in my unfortunate ignorance of these pro-
founder mysteries Of diplomacy and of the founda-
tions of the Republic. ! thoughtlessly willing
10 leave the clothes question to the tailors.
But the alarm raised by the sentinels the
watch towers of Liberty startled from that
blind Inconsistencies Of danger. Still I
bew,iIdered TO understand why the costume which
our fellow citizens themselves find quite re-
publican, at home, and favorte in the country
at play, necessarily becomes monarchical abroad.
Or TO state the brain-racking problem in its acut-
est FORM why should the liberties Of the Republic