Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-01-12
EUarts was Sighted by LoweH

he ought to hint to them that they
should refrain from calling upon Mr..
Lowell. Il called upon Mr.. Lowell,
out of courtesy, his rank and mine in
the diplomatic service being the
same" wrote Judge Hunt But
greatly regret that I did so, for I was
treated with cool, damned discount.
e8y."
While Mr.. Lowell was minister at
London, our consul general there was
E. A. Merritt. Some years after Gen
eral Merritt had returned home he
was told what Minister Hunt had
written home concerning his treat
ment by Minister Lowell, and was
asked if he could offer any satisfac-
tory explanation of the letter
Well, said General Merritt, after
thoughtful pause. Il have always
had the highest respect and admira-
ton for Mr.. Lowell as great repre-
sentative of American literature and
scholarship; but as consul general
at London when Mr.. Lowell was sta
toned there as minister l soon came
to learn at first hand that the literary
atmosphere which was inseparably
connected with Mr.. Lowell, and his
associations with the great of Eng
land, caused him to show at times a
wOSful lack of tact to those of his
fellow Ocuntrymen with whom he
came in contact. l have always felt
that Mr.. LoWelPs conduct in this re-
gard was untntentional and absolutely
unconscious on his part, but, just the
same, it did occasionally cause proni-
nent Americans to feel somewhat
hurt. A case in point is Senator
William M. Evarts, and it is one of
several instances that came under my
personal observation.
During Mr.. LowelPs second year in
London Mr.. Evarts was sent as dele
gate by the United States government
to the important International none
tary conference held in Paris. On his
way thither he stopped off at London
for a few days. Then it was that 7
discovered that Mr.. Evarts was one of
the best-known living Americans in
all England. He was especially re-
membered there as the leading coun-
sci for the United States before the
Geneva Court of Arbitration, which
decided the famous Alabama cases in
favor of our government, and in off
cial circles he was also remembered
as secretary of state during the en-
tire Hayes administration
We'll, as a result, Mr. Evarts was
highly honored in London, and was
the guest Of distinction at two or
three brilliant functions. At one of
these affairs he met Lowell and was
speedily astonished and grieved to dis
cover that Lowells manner towards
him was, as he expressed it. tactless,
cool and Indifferent Mr.. Evarts could
not understand it, and though he at
first thought he had unintentionalIy
done something to offend Mr.. Lowell,
he could not think of anything he had
done to merit such treatment, not
even when he, as secretary of state,
had Mr.. Lowell reporting to him as
ministss to Spain. And Mr.. Evarts
carried his grief over the incident
with him to Paris, though later he
was cOnsOled by the reflection that
Mr.. Lowell had Internationally and
unconsciously treated him as he not
infrequentIy treated other distinguish
ed travellers from home
But must add this went on Gen
eral Merritt, My own relations, per
sonal and official, with Mr. Lowell
were extremely pleasant from begin
ming to end"
Copyright, 1910, by E. J. Edwards. All
Rights Reserved)