Evening journal., 1912-08-06
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The DipIOmatiSt Who Was
Not SkiIfuI in His Own
Relations
By Holland

While chatting one afternoon in
1892 with the late Senator William
p. Frye of Maine, he asked me If /
had ever met Eugene Schuyler, thel
diplomat and historian.
"One very hot Sunday afternoon in
July 1879. while on my way across
Union Square in New York ] found
Mr.. Schuyler" said. Il was in
search of him and had 'heen told by
the clerk Of the hotel at which he
was staying that he was sitting on a
bench underneath a horse chestnut
tree in the square. I found him in
his shirt sleeves He had a COPY of
one of Tolstoi's novels in his hand.
] began 10 ask him certain questions
which / had been directed to put to
him respecting the part he played in
the great diplomacy which preceded
The war between Turkey and Russia,
two years earlier, when he was con-
sui general at Constantinople.
But MIR. Schuyler would not talk
upon that subject \ He shook his
massive head and stroked his thick
beard with an expression of firm de-
cision upon his countenance. In
stead of speaking of the part he play
ed in that great disturbance he show
ed me his copy Of Tolstoi and said 10
me that II was his own translation OF
Tolstoi's novel, The Cossacks.' which
he had made while serving as secre-
tary of legation at St. Petersburg
| from 1S70-1S76.
"I will gladly talk with you about
Tolstoi, whom I know he said, and
| am perfectly frank to say that
look with real pride upon the fact
that ! WAS the first to introduce Toll
stoi TO American readers But not
one word about the Russo-Turkish
war or the part he played in prevent
ing Lord Beaconsfeld the British
minister, from intervening in behalf
OF Turkey, would Eugene Schuyler
speak 10 me All he said was. That
belongs to the State Department
~ did not know that Eugene Schuy-
Ter was the first TO translate Tolstoi
into English" said Senator Frye "T
do know. however. that President
Harrison was about as badly cut up
over the treatment which Eugene
Schuyler received from the United
States Senate as he was over any in
cident of the early part of his admin
istration.' II was when Harrisons
administration was half over that I
had this conversation with Senator
Frye
President Harrison" Senator
Frye continued. was intensely inter
ested In the work done by Eugene
Schuyler when he was serving the
government as Consul General at
Constantinople i'm the early part of
President Hayes's administration
Schuyler had made a wonderfully
vivid and yet perfectly simple report
setting forth the frightful atrocities
which Turkey had committed upon
Bulgaria in May. 1876 This report
caused great excitement in England.
/ II served 10 prevent Lord Beacons-
field from intervening. as he at one
| time proposed to do. in behalf of
Turkey rs against Russia in the war
| that broke out between those nations
I'm April, 1877, partly as a result OF
| Turkish atrocities i'm Bulbaria and
elsewhere in the Balkans. The moral
effect of this report greatly aided
! Russia in the war with Turkey, and
the Russian government acknowl-
edged informally its indebtedness to
Eugene Schuyler
General Harrison, after his cleo
tion as President, determined to ap-
point Eugene Schuyler, who mean
/ time had been minister resident to
Greece, Servia and Rumania, firt As
sistant Secretary of State. He was
gratiiied TO know that James G.
Blaine, who was 10 be Secretary OF
State, cordially approved that ap-
pointment II was with real gratif.
cation that President Harrison seni
Schuyler's name TO the Senate fol
confirmation as first Assistant Sec
retary of State ] knew-and some o
my colleagues were also aware o.
the fact-that Schuyler would have
regarded 1t as a very great honor L
serve as Assistant Secretary OF Statl
under Mr. Blaine
yet the Senate refused 10 canfirn
the appointment. The public neve
knew why, but I will tell you why
Schuyler had written a book ol
American diplomacy i'm which h
criticised American diplomatic meth
DDS and in that way had given offenc
TO several Senators. They made III
matter a personal one and for tina
reason succeeded in rejecting Schuy
ler's nomination. He was grea
diplomat. but In his personal rela
tions not always skillful diplomat
ist
President Harrison, however, wa
determined to find some suitabl
place for Schuyler and nominate'
him Consul General to Cairo. takln
good care before he did so 10 be as
sured that his nomination would b
confirmed and II was
yet I knew that Schuyler weI
10 Cairo broken hearted He was
keenly snsitive man. He was gres
ly humiliated by the rejection of h
name as Assistant Secretary
State and have believed since N
news of his death came to me tv
years ago that he really died Of
broken heart"
Copyright 1912. by r. ]. Edward
All rights reserved..)
Tomorrow Mr. Edwards will tell
The Little Incident That Led 10
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