The Washington herald., 1915-03-17
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The Career of a Distinguished Amer
lean.
Written ESPECIALLY for The Washington Head.

lean.
Written ESPECIALLY for The Washington IIc-aId.
Ky DIR. T.. J. EDWARDS
Sometimes what appears to be a poll
teal misfortune or even a political trag-
cdy OF the kind which ends the career Of
I an ambitious man by his defeat when a
candidate for office turns out to he the
beginning of very successful career %
This statement was made to me by Asa
A. Potter. for many years a banker Of
Boston. and now living in happy retire
mont from active business life in New
York.
y often think of that when recall the
career of Arson EurIiHgamc." continued
Mr.. Potter. Il knew NJ. EurlinEamC
well 7 Was 4 young man When lie was
making his vigorous CanvaSses for cleo
ton to the IIousc of Representatives. at
( Washington. Nowadays none hut those
who were livinS<i in tn" mid-iiftI"S can
have any idea OF tn" tremendous national
sensation which followed Burl.uGame' =
acceptance Of challemG" by Preston S.
Brooks. of South Carolina. to fight a
duel BurlinEam" accepted the challenge.
named rifles as the weapon. and an ISL
and near Niagara Falls as the place.
"A good many people thought that
BurlinCame named rifles hecaus" he felt
certain that Mr.. Brooks would insist that
rifles were not proper duelinG weapons.
Those Of us who knew BurlinEam" well
were confident that II" would have ap-
peared on the duollng ground with his
rife had not prudent council and con-
ferences prevented the meeting.
Ptrr
defeated for reelection to congress in
the national election OF 1917. He was
bitterly disappointed and made M his
mind TO retire to private life. In fact. he
said TO a friend OF mine that his career
In public life had been very short, that
his defeat for reelection to Congress vas
a sufficient intimatiOn that the people
had had enough Of him and while. of
course. he felt somewhat Inundated at
his defeat. nevertheless it gave him an
opportunity 10 resume his law practice.
He thought that he could earn enough
from his practice at the bar TO make
him. In the course OF a few years. imam
cialIy independent.
Then there happened another political
accident of which he was apparently the
victim. All OF Burlingamc's friends in
Boston were greatly pleased when the
newspapers reported that President Lin
coin had nominated him as Minister TO
Austria. Within Il day or two their graf
ihcation was changed to diSmay. Word
came from Washington that the AUS
trian government would not accept Mr..
Burlingame as minister, giving as rea-
son that BurlinSame had been 4 good
friend of Louis Kossuth ut the time
when he was attempting to lead a revo-
luton of the IIungarians against Aus
trla.
Again BurlinGame contemplated TAX
ing up his profession as a lawyer when
suddenly. without his previous knowl-
edge that Lincoln had anything Of the
kind in mind, the President appointed
him Minister to China. There was no
difficulty about getting that appointment
confirmed, and within few weeks
BurIingamc started to China, carrying
with him formal and Informal express
sions Of friendship by almost everybody
In Boston.
Tie was Just the man for that mis-
sion. He WIS extraordinarily gifted with
the capacity to male himself personally
very charming. He could make friends
with anybody. lie had not been in China
n year before he was cordially welcome
In all high places. and h" at last was
able to negotiate those treaties which at
last opened China to intercourse with the
United States and the world. China's
new development bcgaT with the rati-
fication OF the BurlimEame treaties
Suppose BurlinGamc had been re-
elected to Congress in 1852 or suppose he
had been able TO so to Austria rs Amer
lean Minister. his career would have
been good one. but not conspicuous.
The political accidents and misfortunes
which he met with made it possible for
him to perform a service with which his
name will always be associated
Copyright. lcl5. by r. ]. Edwards. All rights
srved.l
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards will tell OF
The Man Who Made Friends with
China"