The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-05-15
CHoArrs LAuRELs.

hh1ASoADOH
 Unexampled honors have been shown Ambassador Choate upon the occasion of his departure from London. This, too, in a post where much honor has been won in the past by a number of distinguished Americans. In the early days of the Republic the English mis- sion was not a primrose path of dal- iiance; it was rather one of stones and briars. Then young nation under the impulse of necessity sent over it's most nstute and adroit diplomatists. for they had to confront at St. James a more or less studied contempt on the part of the British for the cc1onists who had declared and achieved their independence. The war of 1872 con- c1uded by a treaty of peace in which no one of the original matters<in dis pute was mentioned, had effected little for the betterment of the United States at the English court, and this n spite of the demonstrated fact that an American could man a ship bravely and fight it capitally well and the further fact that the western rifiemdn had proved himself at New Orleans to be an unerring marksman.
 At a later day Dallas and Bancroft, the historian, dignified the oeiice of minister, but neither would appear so to have won upon the English as to make their departure a national event. Van Buren who was entirely capable through genuine ability and fine ad- dress to win his way at any court, had barely time to make his first good im- pression when he was thrown out by the heels hostile majority in the Senate having rejected his nomination.
 During the civil war. Adams who was one of the very ablest men ever appointed to St. James. had his hands full and more than full in holding England to her duties as a neutral in that contest. He had to have too many disagreeable interviews and write too many letters like his famous one anent the Alabama-'Tt Is needless to gay to your Lordship that this Is war"-for 1t to be possible to leave a gracious tm- pression as a carpet knight of diplo- macy. Later Minister Schenck taught our cousins. so the tradition goes, to play famous American game of cards, the real discovery of the posts im- portance socially. however, being re- served for Mir. Phelps. Phelps was probably the best lawyer that has ever gone to St. James from this country.
 
 had elegant manners as every one who had the pleasure of knowing him will testify. He left a deep impression of the capacity of the American bar in diplomacy.
 Lowell continued the literary tradi- tion of Irving and Bancroft and his oc- casional addresses were most hand somely received by the English, while his scholarly charm endeared him to large circle of the learned in the Brit ish metropolis. If Bayard was less successful, it was because he was per- haps too much delighted with his as- signment and was carried to some ex- cesses of adulation. The essentially noble character of the man, however, won for him many deep attachments. Hay was there but for a brief period while Choate has had the advantage over all others in the length of his tenure. It has accordingly remained for him to write his name in the com petition, Eclipse, first; the rest mo- where" Honors and honors have been heaped on him and his leave taking has assumed character unique in the annals of diplomacy. That this has been due in part to the changed posi- ton of this country in international affairs, is no doubt true; England values highly kindly relations with the United States, but MT. Choate has borne himself well and acquitted himself with marked credit in his great post.
 Will Mir. whitelaw Reid improve on the record? He has long hungered for the place and while Choate's delay in leaving has deprived the new Ambas- sador of the pleasure of making his debut in the season." there will be yet other "seasons'' in which he will relish in full fruition his long postponed de- sires. If Choate shall be surpassed it will be hard to conceive what new means the Britisher will employ to signalize so striking and affectlonate a preference.