The Washington herald., 1908-03-29


not regarded as foreigners. yet Just after
ward, when they were hated and despised
because of war. marriages between them
and the bonnie American girls went
on with hardly any interruption and the
custom has Continued until now. and will
continue. for there is no legislation that
can keep Cupid from his own.
The most notable international marri-
ages in the first few years of the re-
public. all of which took place in Wash
ington's administration. We're those of
George Hammond. the British Minister. to
Miss Peggy Allen; the French Minister.
that firebrand, Citizen Genet, to Miss
Clinton. daughter of Gov Clinton. of New
York, ana the Spanish envoy, Senor
Yjuro, 10 Sally. the daughter of Justice
Kean. The Aliens were one Of the rich
est. most distinguished and aristoeratic
families OF Pennsylvania, and from its
earliest history had been connected with
the politics Of that State It is told of
Mrs. HammOnds grandfather. Chief JUS
tice Allen. that ne was one of the three
persons in Philadelphia in 1861 who kept
a coach which was drawn by four horses.
and his coachman. who was imported
from England. was a great whip The
marriage Of the English Minister and
Miss Hammond took place on the 10Th
OF May, 1923. and was celebrated by the
Bishop of Pennsylvania The bride is
described by her contemporaries as a girl
of remarkable beauty, but her cousin.
Anne Penn Allen. who married James
Greeleaf. was said 10 be the most splen-
did beauty this country ever produced.
Two years after his marriage Mr.. Ham
mond was recalled, and he returned Ia
England 20 accept the position Of under
secretary of foreign affairs His wife as
sumed the social position 10 which
she was entitled. and became a general
favorite and through all the years or her
married life was a happy wife. n devoted
mother. Three daughters of this mar
riage are still living in London. and the
youngest son, who died a few years back
held for half a century the same posi-
tion his father had occupied after his
return from America, under secretary foI
foreign affairs. and in 1874 received a
peerage at the hands OF Queen Victoria. IL
recognition of his services 10 the state
The marriage OF Citizen Genet with Miss
Clinton was equally happy. and upon her
death he married Miss Osgood, the daugh-
ter Of the Postmaster General Mr. Genet
did not return TO France upon his retire
ment from the diplomatic service, for az
fairs were in such an unsettled state in
his own country as to make the prospect
Of life there very uninviting TO this ardent
republican; besides. he had become very
much attached 10 the United States, so he
bought considerable estate here. where
he lived the life of gentleman and a
farmer with his devoted wife and family.
and his descendants are citizens of the
United States. Miss Kean was the en-
bOdiment of happiness herself and shed
sunshine wherever she went. and her union
with the Spanish grandee is said to have
beer an ideal ore. Later on one of Mr..
Hammond's successors wisely followed his
example and married Miss Cadwallader.
OF Philadelphia, who. as the wife Of Baron
Erskine, was the second American woman
10 preside over the British Legation.
Another notable marriage Of this period
was that Of Anne Bingham, eldest daugh-
ter Of Senator Bingham, Of Pennsylvania.
to Alexander Barring, who became Lord
Ashburton. Miss Bingham was beauti-
ful woman and had many suitors. among
them Louis Philippe dOrleans, who was
AT this period living in exile in the Quaker
City. When this distinguished foreigner
asked his daughters hand Mr.. Bingham
replied. Should you ever be restored TO
your hereditary position you would be too
great a match for her: If not, she is too
great n match for you" and this was.
perhaps. the first time that an American
citizen had sent a royalty about his bust
ness. The Bingham family had evidently
a great sympathy for foreigners since
Lady Ashburton's sister married three OF
them. Her first husband was Alexander.
Count de Tilly; her second, Henry Bar
ing; her third. the Marquis of Blaisdel
One Of the beautiful daughters of
Charles Carroll Of Carrollton. of Mary
land. married an Englishman. Richard
Cation; another, when left widow by
her husband. Robert Patterson. brother
Of the famous Betty, became the wife of
the Marquis Of Wellesley.
There were many other international
marriages at this time, both among the
small and great ones of the land. and
theY were happy, as marriages go They
did not. certainly, give rise 10 nauseating
scandal. nor were they subjects for sen
satioral articles in the press Of the day,
but then there were no new rich in
America; that was before Wall street
became a feature of American life and
the great mines OF the West were worked
TO enrich the emigrants who came over
in the steeTage, leaving behind them un-
savory pasts. II is the daughters of these
gentry who are the herOines Of the lurid
novels and the stories published in the
yellow journals. and. while pretending 10
scorn it, they glory on the notoriety they
attain. In colonial times and the first
half century Of the republic the great
fortunes were made by honest toll, in
commerce and domestic traffic The wo-
men Of the family helped TO acquire the
family wealth, and they knew how 10
husband it. Dignity and conservatism
marked the great families of those days
as it marks their descendants of to-day,
and the daughters of those families bring
no discredit on their houses. 1t is the
children of the newly rich. the girls who
have been taught that money is the root
Of all joy, who bring shame upon their
country; for an ignOble marriage, a mar
riage based upon nothing but desire for
wealth TO spend in dissipa ton on one side
and silly vanity and ambition on the
other. is shameful, and those who make
such a marriage should have the self
respect and decency TO keep their woes
from an unsympathizing public, which is
becoming rather bored with the oft-told
tales Of the unhappiness Of international
marriages. But since the few that are
brought to their notice are not congenial
the unthinking assume that all such mar
Tiages are unhappy. and in naming the
above marriages The Arbiter has sought
to prove that there is no foundation for
such a sweeping opinion.
There are those still living whose mem
cries go back far enough to .aclude the