The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-06-16
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X THE OBSERVATORY r
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When the Civil War closed John
Hay was offered the post of secretary
of legation at Paris under Minister
John Bigelow. While he was true
American in all his fibre, he took"
to the luxurious life of his position in
that gay city; yet while thoroughly
enjoying himself he quickly saw
through the veneer of Napoleon III.
Fascinated by the beauty and gracious
ness of the Empress Eugene, as was
almost every one, having occupied
such vantage ground to see through
things while Lincoln's secretary, he
soon detected the hollowness of the
French Court, government and army.
What he saw and felt is given in quo
tations of his letters home of that per-
iod and have a most delicious flavor
at this dav. Owing to the methods
of President Andrew Johnson Hays
stay in Paris was a short one. Return
ing to America he plunged into the
| political ferment of that time, but to
his surprise found Sec of State Sew
ard was very friendly to him, and de-
termined 10 make good place some
where for one who had long stood at
the side of Lincoln. 1t is interesting
to read of events behind the scenes"
of those days, showing many of the
weak as well as strong points of the
great men. After a little time Hay
was appointed secretary of legation
at Vienna to take charge Off the post
John Lathrop Motley had suddenly
left in great anger over treatment Civ
en- him and his particular patron, SEN
ator Charles Sumner of Massachu
sets by Pres. Johnson. This was a
temporary post to be held till a new
Minister was sent. Speaking of Sum-
ner a very characteristic incident is
given of him: after the assault on him
when Brooks of South Carolina maui
ed him over the bare head as he sat
pinned down in his senatorial seat, he
seemed % recover after a long per-
iod of intense suffering, but gradually
the weaker strains in his nature be-
gan to show themselves, among which
was an increasing arrogance and an
undue valuation of his own PERSONAL
ty; an amusing incident is the fact that
soon after his engagement to young
widow he wrote a lady announcing
that engagement but never naming the
lady to whom he was engaged!
While in Europe this time Hay had
opportunity and leisure to observe,
and he became convinced that all over
that continent there was deep under
current stirring among the common
people for larger liberty; and the more
he saw of monarchies and accompany
ing aristocracy the less he liked it.
And letter to John Bigelow in 1868
is marvelously prophetic: after review
ing the kings and governments he ends
by saying "If ever in my green and
salad days | sometimes doubted labout
democratic institutional, | am safe
now. l am Republican till die.
When we get to heaven we can try
Monarchy, perhaps"
Next he became secretary of lega-
ton at Madrid, with Gen. Sickles, OF
whom he had no very high opinion.
That was the time when the prot1igate
Isabella II had just been driven out
of Spain, and Hay came in contact
with Gen Prim, then prominent fig
ure, and with the wonderfully eloquent
Castelar,, one of the great orators and
noble men of the Ninteenth century.
In 1870 Hay returned to our ooun-
try and soon after began his editorial
experiences on the New York Tri-
bune, one of that bunch known as
"Greeiey's young men," nearly all I'M
der 40 years of age, and some less
than 80; the golden age" of the Tri-
bune; my older readers will recognize
well-known names of former day:
George Ripley, Charles T. Congdon,
Bayard Taylor, Noah Brooks, Isaac
H. Bromley, George w. Smalley, J.
R. G. Hassard, William Winter,
Whitelaw Reid, Montgomery Shuyler
and John Hay. His newspaper work
was brilliant and increased his reputa-
ton. Soon after he and John Nicolay
began plans for writing the monu-
mental history of Lincoln. Meantime
we get an inside view of national pol
itics through those years, and read his
opinion of public men, such as Gar
field, Blaine, Pres. Hayes and Roscoe
Conkln of New York and his spec
tacular resignation of office when
Garfield refused to appoint his man to
New York office; followed by Conk-
Inns celebrated telegram of resigna-
ton, to which Senator T. c. Plat add
ed the words, "Me too. T. c. Platt,"
which Nast's cartoons made historic
in his pictures OF Conklin with card
tied to the end of the coat-tails with
those me too" words on it.
ing he was made Ambassador to Eng
land, where he made an enviable rec
ord and in those days learned the facts
which made him always suspicious of
the Emperor William II, and the
Prussian ambitions. To my mind the
most remarkable chapter in the two
volumes is the one in the second on
THE German Menace The author
does not hesitate to say that from
John Hays letters and papers there
is abundant evidence that the German
government. inspired by William,
formed a conspiracy against the Unit
ed States. Some of us remember the
many boastful and foolish savings re-
ported from the young William II,
particularly "after-dinner speeches.
For a while prominent Germans were
little ashamed of those sayings. THE
Kaiser went on however, informing
his subjects and the world of the ON
impotence of himself and God, and his
declaration steadily worked a change
-, ~ han of he c,,h,r, Ger,,oo n