St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1906-10-31
Praise for a VermOnter.
LOndOn'S Tribute to Henry DenisOn, the
Japanese Adviser.

Henry W. benson OF the M1kado'S
court in Japan. After his memorable
work at the Portsmouth peace conference
he visited the scenes of his boyhood and
called on his old friends in Guildhall, his
native town, and Lancaster The New
York Sun recently printed the following
very excellent article which is reproduc-
ed for the benefit of our readers. The
mention of Mr.. Denison as a college
man is in error as he was selfeducated.
The Sun copying from the T. p O., the
British weekly, said
Henry Denison, the American member
of the Japanese Foreign Office, who was
practically unknown except to the dip
iomats of the world until the time of the
Portsmouth peace conference, is really
the power behind the throne. There
have been aliens besides and behind
other thrones, says writer in T. P. o.,
Mr.. T. p. O'Connor's new English week
w. but in no modern state does there
live man bearing the relation of his
government and exercising the wide and
neighbors that Denison does in Japan.
For nearly 80 years he has held his post
in the Foreign office in Toxic.
He is modest man, this Denison; one
who has always kept himself in the
background, and his work for a quarter
of a century is merged, unidentified, in the
general accomplishment of the Govern
ment which he serves
If circumstances were different, says his
English admirer who has written the
appreciation of him. his name would
probably be as familiar in London as
those of Lansdowne, Grey, Hay, Delcasfe
Won Bulow, Lamsdorff and the rest, for
he is of their rank.
Denison prefers the satisfaction that
comes from work well done rather than
the praise of the world. He lives quietly
in one of the smaller official residences in
Toxic, almost recluse save to his init
mate friends, to whom he is said to bring
a charming simplicity of manner, a
splendid measure of warmth and geniali-
ty and a delightful fund of wit and
humor
He is said rather to avoid the social
life of the city and manfestly to shun the
inevitable intrigue and personal political
play of the diplomatic capital. He rarely
absents himself for a day from the Foreign
office, to which he goes early and at
which he frequently remains until far
into the night. Outside of an official
list that shows that he ranks next to the
Minister of Foreign Affairs in Japan,
that he is a Judge Of the Hague tribunal
and that he was officially included in the
japanese peace embassy at Portsmouth,
nothing official concerning him can be
found.
Born in Vermont some time in the '40s.
he went to Washington as youth from
college to take departmental clerkship
and there he remained through the civil
war.
Progress in the department was slow,
no one seeming to detect genius in this
unassuming young New Highlander, and
discouraged by the humdrum life Deni-
son sought and obtained consular
clerkship at Yokohama.
Japan was just then opening up to our
world and upon the few known facts of
the country had been builded romance
that claimed the imagination of the
young departmental clerk He crossed
the Pacific late in the Cos upon journey
that was to open to him his great career
in life. These consular days really pre-
pared Denison for his career.
There were extra territorial rights in
those days, and from those rights and
the first unfair treaties negotiated with
Japan grew a vast number of intricate
legal questions.
. Dao;co,,tc ;po1in ton uyoc RI the law
First a student of it because of the neces-
stiles of his work, he later became a
master oft through his growing love for
it. The possessor of a completely
balanced judicial mind, a Judgment as
dispassonate as a machine and a
memory almost as accurate as the
graver's art, he made splendid progress
in the law, and within few years he
resigned from the consular service to
practice law among the foreign commune
ty in Japan.
Frequent examples of his talent
brought him to the notice of the Japan
csc government, and in 1880 Count
Inouye, one of the elder statesmen of
Japan, then Minister of Foreign affairs,
invited him to join the permanent staff
of his office.
In those years there were hundreds OF
Western teachers, experts and guides OF
various kinds in the employ of the
Government teaching the people the
ways of the west; but the pupils soon
become masters and score by score the
instructors were dropped. Only hand
full now remain and Denison is their
leader, in rank, pay and considerations.
Denison has broadened and progressed
with his work until in his knowledge of
international law, the history of diplo-
macy, usage and custom and the general
science of government he is the eqnal OF
any living man. 1t is difficult to single
out the particular achievements of this
wonderful silent, reserved man who
stands forever in the background, but
there has not been an important foreign
affair for 20 years in which he has not
been consulted. .
Throughout the troublesome days OF
the war with China he was ever at the
side of Count Mutsu, then Minister OF
Foreign Affairs. Denison's part in that
piece of history will probably never be
known. All that we know Oft is that
at the close of the war Denison was
summoned to court to receive hand
some grant of money and the thanks OF
the royal family.
In the affair with Russia he was con-
stantly at the side of Baron Komura,