New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-19

list of Englishmen you have made your eues'S
IS far too long for the brlefest reclIAi Itch ,o,r
And now you are sending me OH Win YOU
Godspeed to the other side, as more tn1 1 oIlJe
you have before and toleraIlIy , Hed
guests remember me for your sake shaI my NJ
myself surrounded from the frst 0! no'' "a
brilliant friends ,a5.
me a very unworthy mepber OF the cluo. an
almost ashamed to recall the fact that the is So
time I stood before you was TO thank you lo1
the welcome YOU gave me on my return iIOth q
post whence my colleagues ana IhHse l 10,
brought home peace with nanona4 eAp"i if.Sr,
Whatever may await me in the future anlui1soi'
can scarcely hold out more grateful attaIno
r1ent than the approval then given here by those
who have known me longest and best ana given
next by the country we tried 10 serve .,,,+
May I add with reference 10 the new appo ~
rlent whose duties am now ABOUT 70 ul1 tI,+
a. ~ .f,a 80 r. has been received? We have
been living in q strenuous time NO man ~ tto
great metropolis and in my place coula wen . 90
80 en- active mart in the incessant contro-
VERSES and turmoil Of the last thlrd OF cgti-
fury. and my critics. / believe nave geIieIaIly
81 ebo-a of them After such life TO have
this appointnent made by the PreSlde;4I OF t.IS
country without the ming OF sIIis ,,itbon+
rnendation and approved by the 0eIate "it oS
a dissenting voice, and received by the pLeoII
and the public with such apparently setie Ia a.
corI5iaIftv fills me with a SOLDERING sense OF TO.
sponsibiIity beyond anything have ever ever tsiS
before and with earnest aspirat tons that all inns
generous confidence may prove III the emu NO ~
have been wholly misplaced IT. o,,,t
Let me take the opportunity before uis Otu I'5
SO largely made up of members of the press anu
others OF literary and artistic pursuits - 20
most of all is the unbroken good Will Expressed
with such heartiness and without DISTINCTION VI
Marty bv my colleagues in the press OF the GU!
and State of NeW-York. among whom Hahe
lived and worked and done my share OF hShIlIis'
for more than a generation. ,, ,.,o
Nav [ presume a little on this! Wouid linz
TO take the liberty of pointing out that other
work may now bring different duties. NO oLe,
l trust viii ever fnd me unmindtul OF the TisL o
and the Just claims Of the profession Ii I
most in the world and am the proudest 10 nave
served. No man can have spent ms me n az
uewspaper work without being led by all ms
habits and instincts TO sympathy with news
paper workers and readiness TO faclltale 'neH
efforts And yet may hint to the generaI man
ager of our wonderful Associated Press seTNIce'
whose wary eye see upon me, ana 70 , ooeasS;
in less responsible places, who may nave chahCSN
to think Of the matter hitherto with ieSs 81.
lous care than Mr.. Stone himself ana ms IIpIe
sentatives in the great capitals always SNOW
thar there may, in fact there must come d 'lIIie
when it will be my duty to report first ana eN-
clusively to the government instead or reporting
TO the newspapers! l.,
It is perfectly true that an open course Is
the best that a free people wish to know from
day 10 day what is being done in their mans
and by their authority; that our government Is
not adapted to secrecy and does not IKE TO MAKE
a mystery Of its movements and us poIlcy
But the japanese have been showing, on a
great scale that there is a duty in war whlch
under any sagacious government must come pc
fore the duty of furnishing bulletins for the daily
press Diplomacy. If ii is to be sagaclouS OF
successful, even the diplomacy of repuonc,
must be somewhat in the same class. Nellher
can always be advantageously conducted coralh
publico.
There is another phase of our newspaper ac-
tiyities that merits more serious consideration
from all of US than we generally give 1t Inc
free press largely rules a free country II may
make peace or war; it has done both But II Is
quite capable of fomenting very grave difficulties
which it never desired or intended or even
thought Of In our great distances and lsolauoh
oil fEali
moteness and elbow-room and INDEPENDENCE. 1t
has sometimes been apt in moments OF eXclte-
with q high spirited and sensitive nation as
with a candidate for town constable or the
Board Of Aldermen. Is it not time for the press,
when it exercises the power, to recognize also
the Obligations Of rule-consideTatiou, modera-
ton and a scrupulous regard both for the rights
and the susceptibilities of others?
We have ourselves resented at times with I'M
wonted asperity the slightest foreign interfer-
ence in our own domestic discussions. More
than once those of US of maturer years have seen
this country dashed into fury almost belllger-
ent merely by the critical or carping references
IN foreign newspapers. 1t might be well now, in
some quiet hour, TO consider the other side, and
reflect how they may feel over our free spoken
comments on their affairs. Have we not. in
TACT taken sides, and led our people to take
sides, habituay and even vehemently, al
most every foreign question that comes to our
notice? Would il not compo-t better some
times with our position now If we were
little less dogmatic in laying down the duty Of
this or that nation in its own domestic affairs,
happy conflicts between contending nauonsY
Do not misunderstood me, I am arraigning no
one, and making no criticisms of others which
do not take to myself also. But has not the
time come in the development of this country
and in the increased intimacy and importance
OF its relations 10 other countries when we NAV
advantageously practise a little more reserve in
commenting upon other peoples affairs a little
more i1npartiality between countries at war, and
a friendlier tone to each when we are on good
terms with both, and have every interest to re-
main so? What is good policy for individuals IN
the disagreements Of their neighbors might
sometimes in these international cases be pretty
good policy for newspapers, too, and for the
people at large-an attitude of friendly neutral
lty-Whle meantime diligently mnding their
alone
But let change the subject 1 came TO
thank you for your gracious reception, and in
stead OF that here 1 am preaching away if 1
were seated again at an editorial desk and en-
gagged in our usual business, Mr.. Clark Howell,
General Taylor, Mr. Miller and all the rest of
my old colleagues the business of reforn1fn5 al
together this tough old world off hand
Whoever looks hack over the earlier records
OF THIS club VIII find that there were two New
Workers, then in the prime of active work
among Us, whom you summoned again and again
10 your table and whose sparkling oratory was
your constant delight For many years they
have been serving the Republic abroad with con-
spicuoUs ability and distinguished success They
viii soon be on the ocean homeward bound and
1t warns the heart to think of the greeting you
VIII give Them
When then. by all Fames banners famed
Our laurelIed wanderers come to land.
Meanwhile, N1r. President, and gentlemen. NAV
! hope 10 see you from time 10 time in London?
You Will know where to find me- and you will
not need my assurance that I shall try 10 make
you as welcome as you have made me. The
great kindness you extend now, and the con-
fdence you bestow are purely credit 1 shall
5&Fe deserved IL all, only il, while taking the
greatest care for our own interests I can still
help maintain in full force that good under
standing between ourselves and Great britain
2 & oh,