New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-23

of the world, and was associated on
terms Of intimacy and confidence with
& group of men seldom rivalled in in
terest Of personality and Of Importance
of place in human affairs. or all
his environment he was one OF the
shrewdest and most appreciative Of
observers. Indeed, we might say
that the gift of penetrating and un..
derstandinR observation was one OF
the foremost characteristics OF the
man; unrivalled by only his power
TO express accurately, lucidly and elo-
quently the results, both objective and
subjective, Of his observations. lie
gives US in his early writings some fine
sketches Of Hooker Butler and other
picturesque and important figures, as
well. Of course, OF Lincoln; while
q little later in Paris he mordantly
etched a portrait Of Louis Napoleon
which must stand for all time as a
classic, unchallenged and unsurpassed.
Hay was equally an observer OF men,
of affairs, and of C.. scenery OF nature.
In London he studied Parliament; in
Vienna. both the Court and the Ghetto,
the latter the more interesting 70 himi
in Spain. CASTELAR,, Sagasta, PIim and
Serrano; in Florida, and 81 his home IN
Indiana, landscapes, sea, sky, flora and
fauna, as though he were complex OF
Rusk;n. Thoreau and Lafcadio Hearn.
Early in the Civil War he keenly
perceived that the nation was paying
a fearful penalty for lack OF rational
military preparedness. A little later.
in Europe, after the Six Weeks War,
he saw with equal clearness and ac-
curacy the trend and purpose OK the
Prussian military system which was
then rousing the unthinking admiration
Of the world.
Again, at the close Of his first service
in Europe, at Paris and Vienna, he
wrote:
Two year. ago II was another
Europe. England has come abreast
of Bright. Austria is governed By
Forty-Eighters. Bismarck is be-
coming appalled, by the spirit Of
Freedom tina he sucked with the
blood of Sadowa. France still lies
in her comatose slumber-but she
talks in her sleep and murmurs the
Marseillaise. And God has made
her ruler blind drunk. that his
Helot antics may disgust the world
with despotism. If ever, in my
green and salad days, | doubted.
till die. When we get to Heaven
From these observations in Europe,
continued during two years more in
Spain, he came home TO become the
foreign editor Of The Tribune, in cir
cumstances worth recalling, as related
by Mr.. Thayer:
Going uptown after landing. Hay
called on some of his friends.
Toward evening he fell in with
Whitelaw Reid and they dined to-
gether at the Union League Club.
Then, AS the story runs, Hay ac-
companied Reid to The Tribune
Office for last chat before taking
the midnight train for the West.
On his table Reid found the fresh
est dispatches, some of which
would have served as texts for
editorial comment. One, contain
ing important news from Europe,
Reid handed TO Hay, asking him
what should be said about 1t. Hay
volunteered to deal with IL himself.
sat down at a table, and in very
quick time he gave Reid leader
which overjoyed him. The next
day, when Horace Greeley saw It,
he said: 81 have read million
editorials. and this is the best OF
them all"
Now, if only tho author had been
sufficiently in touch with his subject to
add some touches Of local and personal
color to his too brief story Of Hays
important service at the editorial desk
even 70 have told how a colleague 1T
the close Of one afternoon asked,
"Well, John, what have you been writ
ing on today" and how the diplomat
replied. ooh, been jumpin' on some O
them kings! Therell be waillng in
royal palaces tomorrow"
Much of interest is told Of Hays
early poetic efforts, particularly the
pike County Ballads" though much is
left untold. Credit is correctly given
TO Whitelaw Reid for suggesting the
tenor of the closing stanzas of Little
Breeches" and "Jim Bludso," though
the story that the writing of the for
mer poem was suggested by Bret
Harte's plain Language from Truthful
/ James" is mentioned only TO be DIS
I