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of　Dresden　is　famous；　and　for　this　occasion　splendid　additions



had　been　made　both　to　it　and　to　the　orchestra；　nothing　in　its　way



could　be　more　impressive；　and　as　a　climax　came　the　last　honors　to



the　departed　King；　when；　amid　the　music　of　an　especially



beautiful　chorus；　the　booming　of　artillery　in　the　neighboring



square；　and　the　tolling　of　the　bells　of　the　city　on　all　sides；



the　royal　coffin　slowly　sank　into　the　vaults　below。







On　the　following　morning　I　was　received　by　the　new　King。　He



seemed　a　man　of　sound　sense；　and　likely　to　make　a　good



constitutional　sovereign。　Our　talk　was　simply　upon　the　relations



of　the　two　countries；　during　which　I　took　pains　to　bespeak　for　my



countrymen　sojourning　at　Dresden　the　same　kindnesses　which　the



deceased　King　had　shown　them。







During　the　summer　a　study　of　some　of　the　most　important



industries　at　the　Dusseldorf　Exposition　proved　useful；　but



somewhat　later　other　excursions　had　a　more　direct　personal



interest；　for　within　a　few　hours　of　each　other　came　two



unexpected　communications：　one　from　the　president　of　Yale



University；　commissioning　me　to　represent　my　Alma　Mater　at　the



tercentenary　of　the　Bodleian　at　Oxford；　the　other　from　the



University　of　St。　Andrews；　inviting　me　to　the　installation　of　Mr。



Andrew　Carnegie　as　lord　rector　of　that　institution；　and　both



these　I　accepted。







The　celebration　at　Oxford　was　in　every　way　interesting　to　me；　but



I　may　say　frankly　that　of　all　things　which　gave　me　pleasure；　the



foremost　was　the　speech　of　presentation；　in　the　Sheldonian



Theatre；　when　the　doctorate　of　civil　law　was　conferred　upon　me。



The　first　feature　in　this　speech；　assigning　the　reasons　for



conferring　the　degree；　was　a　most　kindly　reference　to　my　part　in



establishing　the　Arbitration　Tribunal　at　the　International



Conference　of　The　Hague；　and　this；　of　course；　was　gratifying。　But



the　second　half　of　the　speech　touched　me　more　nearly；　for　it　was



a　friendly　appreciation　of　my　book　regarding　the　historical



relations　between　science　and　theology　in　Christendom。　This　was　a



surprise　indeed！　Years　before；　when　writing　this　book；　I　had　said



to　myself；　〃This　ends　all　prospect　of　friendly　recognition　of　any



work　I　may　ever　do；　so　far　as　the　universities　and　academies　of



the　world　are　concerned。　But　so　be　it；　what　I　believe　I　will



say。〃　And　now；　suddenly；　unexpectedly；　came　recognition　and



commendation　in　that　great　and　ancient　center　of　religious



thought　and　sentiment；　once　so　reactionary；　where；　within　my



memory；　even　a　man　like　Edward　Everett　was　harshly　treated　for



his　inability　to　accept　the　shibboleths　of　orthodoxy。







This　reviving　of　old　and　beginning　of　new　friendships；　with　the



hearty　hospitality　lavished　upon　us　from　all　sides；　left



delightful　remembrances。　Several　times；　during　the　previous　fifty



years；　I　had　visited　Oxford　and　been　cordially　welcomed；　but　this



greeting　surpassed　all　others。







There　was；　indeed；　one　slight　mishap。　Being　called　upon　to　speak



in　behalf　of　the　guests　at　the　great　dinner　in　Christ　Church



Hall；　I　endeavored　to　make　a　point　which　I　thought　new　and



perhaps　usefully　suggestive。　Having　referred　to　the　increasing



number　of　international　congresses；　expositions；　conferences；



academic　commemorations；　anniversaries；　and　the　like；　I　dwelt



briefly　on　their　agency　in　generating　friendships　between　men　of



influence　in　different　countries；　and　therefore　in　maintaining



international　good　will；　and　then　especially　urged；　as　the　pith



and　point　of　my　speech；　that　such　agencies　had　recently　been　made



potent　for　peace　as　never　before。　In　support　of　this　view；　I



called　attention　to　the　fact　that　the　Peace　Conference　at　The



Hague　had　not　only　established　an　arbitration　tribunal　for



PREVENTING　war；　but　had　gained　the　adhesion　of　all　nations



concerned　to　a　number　of　arrangements；　such　as　international



〃Commissions　of　Inquiry；〃　the　system　of　〃Seconding　Powers；〃　and



the　like；　for　DELAYING　war；　thus　securing　time　during　which



better　international　feelings　could　assert　themselves；　and



reasonable　men　on　either　side　could　work　together　to　bring　in　the



sober　second　thought；　that　thereby　the　friendships　promoted　by



these　international　festivities　had　been　given；　as　never　before；



time　to　assert　themselves　as　an　effective　force　for　peace　against



jingo　orators；　yellow　presses；　and　hot…heads　generally；　and



finally；　in　view　of　this　increased　efficiency　of　such　gatherings



in　promoting　peace；　I　urged　that　they　might　well　be　multiplied　on



both　sides　of　the　Atlantic；　and　that　as　many　delegates　as



possible　should　be　sent　to　them。







〃A　poor　thing；　but　mine　own。〃　Alas！　next　day；　in　the　press；　I　was



reported　as　simply　uttering　the　truism　that　such　gatherings



increase　the　peaceful　feeling　of　nations；　and　so　the　main　point



of　my　little　speech　was　lost。　But　it　was　a　slight　matter；　and　of



all　my　visits　to　Oxford；　this　will　remain　in　my　memory　as　the



most　delightful。＇7＇











＇7＇　The　full　speech　has　since　been　published　in　the　〃Yale　Alumni



Weekly。〃











The　visit　to　St。　Andrews　was　also　happy。　After　the　principal　of



the　university　had　conferred　the　doctorate　of　laws　upon　several



of　the　guests；　including　Mr。　Choate；　the　American　ambassador　at



London；　and　myself；　Mr。　Carnegie　gave　his　rectorial　address。　It



was　decidedly　original；　its　main　feature　being　an　argument　in



behalf　of　a　friendly　union　of　the　United　States　and　Great　Britain



in　their　political　and　commercial　policy；　and　for　a　similar　union



between　the　Continental　European　nations　for　the　protection　of



their　industries　and　for　the　promotion　of　universal　peace；　with　a



summons　to　the　German　Emperor　to　put　himself　at　the　head　of　the



latter。　It　was　prepared　with　skill　and　delivered　with　force。　Very



amusing　were　the　attempts　of　the　great　body　of　students　to　throw



the　speaker　off　his　guard　by　comments；　questions；　and　chaff。　I



learned　later　that；　more　than　once；　orators　has　thus　been



entrapped　or　entangled；　and　that　on　one　occasion　an　address　had



been　completely　wrecked　by　such　interruptions；　but　Mr。　Carnegie's



Scotch…Yankee　wit　carried　him　through　triumphantly：　he　met　all



these　efforts　with　equanimity　and　good　humor；　and　soon　had　the



audience　completely　on　his　side。







Returning　to　Berlin；　there　came　preparations　for　closing　my



connection　with　the　embassy。　I　had　long　before　decided　that　on　my



seventieth　birthday　I　would　cease　to　hold　any　official　position



whatever。　Pursuant　to　that　resolution；　my　resignation　had　been



sent　to　the　President；　with　the　statement　that　it　must　be



considered　final。　In　return　came　the　kindest　possible　letters



from　him　and　from　the　Secretary　of　State；　both　of　them



attributing　a　value　to　my　services　much　beyond　anything　I　would



dare　claim。







On　my　birthday　came　a　new　outburst　of　kindness。　From　all　parts　of



Europe　and　America　arrived　letters　and　telegrams；　while　from　the



Americans　in　various　parts　of　Germanyespecially　from　the　Berlin



colonycame　a　superbly　engrossed　address；　and　with　it　a



succession　of　kindly　visitors　representing　all　ranks　in　Berlin



society。　One　or　two　of　these　testimonials　I　may　be　pardoned　for



especially　mentioning。　Some　time　after　the　letter　from　President



Roosevelt　above　mentioned；　there　had　come　from　him　a　second



epistle；　containing　a　sealed　envelop　on　which　were　inscribed　the



words：　〃To　be　opened　on　your　seventieth　birthday。〃　Being　duly



opened　on　the　morning　of　that　day；　it　was　found　to　be　even　more



heartily　appreciative　than　his　former　letter；　and　the　same　was



found　to　be　true　of　a　second　letter　by　the　Secretary　of　State；



Mr。　Hay；　so　that　I　add　these　to　the　treasures　to　be　handed　down



to　my　grandchildren。







Shortly　afterward　came　a　letter　from　the　chancellor　of　the



empire；　most　kindly　appreciative。　It　will　be　placed；　with　those



above　referred　to；　at　the　close　of　this　chapter。







Especially　noteworthy　also　was　the　farewell　dinner　given　me　at



the　Kaiserhof　by　the　German…American　Association。　Never　had　I



seen　so　many　Germans　eminent　in　politics；　diplomacy；　literature；



science；　art；　education；　and　commerce　assembled　on　any　single



occasion。　Hearty　speeches　were　made　by　the　minister　of　the



interior；　Count　Posadowsky；　who　presided；　and　by　Professor



Harnack　of　the　university；　who　had　been　selected　to　present　the



congratulations　of　my　entertainers。　I　replied　at　length；　and　as



in　previous　speeches　during　my　career；　both　as　minister　and



ambassador；　I　had　endeavored　to　present　to　my　countrymen　at　home



and　abroad　the　claims　of　Germany　upon　American　good　will；　I　now



endeavored　to　reveal　to　the　great　body　of　thinking　Germans　some



of　the　deeper　characteristics　and　qualities　of　the　American



people；　my　purpose　being　in　this；　as　in　previous　speeches；　to



bring　about　a　better　understanding　between　the　two　nations。







The　Emperor　being　absent　in　England；　my　departure　from　Berlin　was



delayed　somewhat　beyond　the　time　I　had　fixed；　but　on　the　27th　of



November　came　my　final　day　in　office。　In　the　morning　my　wife　and



myself　were　received　in　special　audience　by　both　the　sovereigns；



who　afterward　welcomed　us　at　their　table。　Both　showed　unaffected



cordiality。　The　Emperor　discussed　with　me　various　interesting



questions　in　a　most　friendly　spirit；　and；　on　my　taking　leave；



placed　in　my　hands　what　is　known　as　the　〃Great　Gold　Medal　for　Art



and　Science；〃