Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-07-03
BIOGRAPHICAL.

October 8, 1888. He was graduated
from Brown university in 1858, and
on leaving college entered the Office Of
Abraham Lincoln at Springfield, Ills,
to study law. In 1861 he was admitted
to the bar, bnt did not practice. In
that same year he went with Lincoln
to Washington as one of the president 8
private secretaries. During the civil
war he was also Lincoln's adjutant
and aide-de. camp. He served in the
field for some time under Generals
Hunter and Gilmore. He was brevetted
lieutenant and lieutenant colonel.
After the death of Lincoln he was
made secretary of the legation at Par
is, remaining there till 1867, when he
became charge d'affaires at Vienna.
After holding this post for year he
resigned and returned to the United
States, but was sent almost immediate
ly to Madrid as secretary of legation.
where he remained till 1870. During
his service abroad he gained valua-
BILE knowledge not only of the language
and literature of the chief European
nations, but also of foreign diplomacy
and politics. On his return to the
United States he took up journalism
and was for time on the editorial
staff of the New York Tribune, and
published in its columns his "Pike
County Ballads" After about five
years of service on the Tribune he
married daughter Of Amassa Stone,
Of Cleveland, O., and went to that city
to live. He devoted himself mainly to
literary work, and occasionally took
part in politics, writing and speaking
in presidential campaigns. In 1879 he
accepted an offer from President Hayes
to become first assistant secretary of
state under Mr.. Evarts. He held this
position till the end of the Hayes ad-
ministration. In March, 1881, he took
charge of the Tribune during Whitelaw
Reid's absence in Europe, and conduct
ed ic with marked success through the
trying period of Garfield's assassina.
ton aud death.
Minister to England.
In March, 1897, President Mckinley
appointed him United States minister
to England. His London experience
was most valuable training for the i'm
portant position to which he was ap.
pointed in August, 1898, when he be.
came secretary Of state.
Very few of those who have been al
the head of the state department have
dealt with so many important questions
as Secretary Hay, and probably none
of them were thoroughly trained dip.
lomats. At the time of the boxer out.
break in China he was successful in
obtaining justice for the Chinese and
preserving the integrity of China.
In 1899 he directed the United States
ambassadors at London, Berlin, St. Pc.
tersburg and Paris, to propose that
each of these governments make dec.
laration of the "open door" policy in
China. They were invited to give as.
surances, first, that there would be nc
interference with any treaty port OF
vested interest; second, that the exist.
ing Chinese customs tariff would be
continued without discrimination and
administered by Chinese officials; third,
that there would be no discrimination
in the harbor dues and railroad rates
Italy and Japan were afterward in.
cluded in the negotiations. No treaties
were exchanged, but all the govern
ments approached pledged themselves
by definite promise to the "open door
policy.
He aslo negotiated the Hay-Paunce.
fote treaty, and several reciprocity
treaties, including one with Cuba
gave support to The Hague conference,
and induced the powers demanding tn.