The Washington herald., 1915-01-26
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The First Rich American Minister to
England.


By DIR. f. j. EDWARDS.
Chauncey N. Depew said to me. shortly
after President Mckinley had nominated
John Hay as Ambassador at the
Court of ST. James, that Immediately
after McKinley's election the Republican
organization OF New York State unani-
mously and earnestly recommended the
appointment of Depew TO the post OF
Ambassador to the Court of st. James.
and this Recommendation was taken per-
| sonally to Mckinley by Lieut. Gov Sax
ton, who represented the organization.
Saxton learned from Mckinley that po-
litical considerations compelled the ap-
/ pointment of another than Depew, and It
became known a few weeks later that
these considerations were strong enough
| to persuade the President-elect to nomi-
nate John Hay for that post.
Financially. am much better OF than
I would be II I were serving as Ambas-
| sador to the British court" said Senator
Depew. 1T would have cost me about
$4,000 to serve four years as Ambas-
sador. To offset that l would receive a
yearly salary of 1880. l should have
been obliged to give up various remuner-
entire salary"
1 asked the Senator II the renting of
alive offices, and 1 presume that the
house which l would have rented I'm Lon
NoH NOulu nave dDEOIDtu pTdGllGdllN
very expensive houses by our ambassa-
doris was not recent development of our
diplomatic service. In reply Senator
Depew said:
II suppose almost everybody thinks so
and believes that this was the reason
why, for important missions, men who
possess considerable wealth were ap-
pointed. Really the example was set
nearly fifty years ago. For more than
,N.asF
rious courts OF the civilized nations were
for the most part men of small means.
They lived modestly and occasionally
were able to save something from their
salaries. This modest style of living was
one of the reasons why so many people
in Europe were accustomed to look upon
the United States with a sort OF toler-
ance, condescensiOn and something like
pity.
Abbott Lawrence. of Massachusetts,
was the American minister who opened
the eyes OF the English people to the
ability of an American to maintain him
self as minister in a situation that COM
pared favorably with the manner of life
OF other ambassadors and ministers. Alb
bolt Lawrence Is forgotten now. yet It
was he and his brother Amos who estab-
lished the great cotton mills on the Mer-
rimac River and for whom the city of
Lawrence was named. He came very
near being President OF the United States.
He lacked only six votes of securing the
nomination of Vice President on the
ticket with Zachary Taylor. Had he been
nominated he. instead of Willard Fill
more. would have succeeded Taylor.
President Taylor had a warm personal
friendship for Abbott Lawrence, and one
of the first appointments he made was
that of Lawrence as Minister to the Court
of st. James At that time the post had
not been raised TO ambassadOrial dignity.
Mr.. Lawrence shortly after he arrived
in London, rented one of the finest Lon
don residences. 1t belonged to one of the
most aristocratic of the English peers. He
paid for il in yearly rentals a sum exactly
equivalent to his salary. Everybody in
England was astOnished when 1t became
known that the American Minister had
hired a house, one OF the finest in London,
at a yearly rental which took his entire
salary to meet. He entertained in a man
ner worthy OF the house. and he was the
first of American ministers to make law
ish use of his wealth in maintaining his
official home in London. That was nearly
fifty years ago"
Copyright, 1915 by E. ]. Edwards. All rights re
seTTed.)
Tomorrow Dr. Edwards will tell How
Horace Greeley Yearned for High Office"