part05+-第51部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





who；　as　he　thought；　had　misunderstood　China　and　done　much　harm；　I



sought　to　show　him　that　the　presumption　was　in　their　favor；　but



that　if　the　Chinese　Government　ultimately　came　to　the　decision



that　their　stay　in　China　was　incompatible　with　the　safety　of　the



nation；　its　course　was　simple：　that　on　no　account　was　it　to　kill



or　injure　any　of　them　or　of　their　converts；　that　while；　in　my



view；　it　would　be　wise　to　arrange　for　their　continuance　in　China



under　proper　regulation；　still；　that　if　they　must　be　expelled；　it



should　be　done　in　the　most　kindly　and　considerate　way；　and　with



due　indemnity　for　any　losses　to　which　they　might　be　subjected。　Of



course；　there　was　no　denying　that；　under　the　simplest　principles



of　international　law；　China　has　the　right　at　any　moment　to　shut



its　doors　against；　or　to　expel；　any　people　whatever　whom　it　may



consider　dangerous　or　injuriousthis　power　being　constantly



exercised　by　all　the　other　nations　of　the　earth；　and　by　none　more



than　by　the　American　Government；　as　so　many　Chinese　seeking



entrance　to　our　ports　have　discovered；　but　again　and　again　I



warned　him　that　this；　if　it　were　ever　done　at　all；　must　be　done



without　harshness　and　with　proper　indemnities；　and　that　any



return　to　the　cruelties　of　the　past　would　probably　end　in　the



dividing　up　of　maritime　China　among　the　great　powers　of　the



world。　As　to　the　building　up　of　the　nation；　I　laid　stress　on　the



establishment　of　institutions　for　technical　instruction；　and　took



pains　to　call　his　attention　to　what　had　been　done　in　the　United



States　and　by　various　European　governments　in　this　respect。　He



seemed　favorably　impressed　by　this；　but　dwelt　on　what　he



considered　the　fanaticism　of　sundry　Chinese　supporters　of



technical　education　against　the　old　Chinese　classical



instruction。　Here　I　suggested　to　him　a　system　which　might　save



what　was　good　in　the　old　mode　of　instruction：　namely；　the



continuance　of　the　best　of　the　old　classical　training；　but　giving



also　high　rank　to　modern　studies。







We　also　talked　over　the　beginning　of　a　better　development　of　the



Chinese　army　and　navy；　of　better　systems　of　taxation；　and　of　the



nations　from　which　good　examples　and　competent　instruction　might



be　drawn　in　these　various　fields。　Curious　was　his　suggestion　of　a



possible　amalgamation　of　Chinese　moral　views　with　the　religious



creeds　of　the　western　world。　He　observed　that　Christianity　seemed



to　be　weak；　mainly；　on　the　moral　side；　and　he　suggested；　at　some



length；　a　combination　of　the　Christian　religion　with　the



Confucian　morality。　Interesting　was　it　to　hear　him；　as　a



Confucian；　dwell　on　the　services　which　might　thus　be　rendered　to



civilization。　There　was　a　simple；　kindly　shrewdness　in　the　man；



and　a　personal　dignity　which　was　proof　against　the　terrible



misfortunes　which　had　beset　his　country。　Again　and　again　he



visited　me；　always　wishing　to　discuss　some　new　phase　of　the



questions　at　issue。　I　could　only　hope　that；　as　he　was　about　to



return　to　China；　some　of　the　ideas　brought　out　in　our



conversations　might　prove　fruitful。　One　result　of　the　relation



thus　formed　was　that　when　Prince　Chun；　the　brother　of　the　Emperor



of　China；　came　to　make　apology　before　the　throne　of　the　Emperor



William；　he　called　upon　me。　Unfortunately　I　was　out；　but；



returning　his　visit；　I　met　him；　and；　what　was　more　to　the



purpose；　the　dignitaries　of　his　suite；　some　of　whom　interested　me



much；　and　I　was　glad　of　a　chance；　through　them；　to　impress　some



of　the　ideas　brought　out　in　my　previous　conversations　with　the



minister。　I　cannot　say　that　I　indulged　in　any　strong　hopes　as



regards　the　prince　himself；　but；　noting　the　counselors　who



surrounded　him；　and　their　handling　of　the　questions　at　issue；　I



formed　more　hope　for　the　conservation　of　China　as　a　great　and



beneficent　power　than　I　had　ever　had　before。







To　this　succeeded　an　episode　of　a　very　different　sort。　For　some



time　Mr。　Andrew　Carnegie　had　done　me　the　honor　to　listen　to



advice　of　mine　regarding　some　of　his　intended　benefactions　in



Scotland；　the　United　States；　and　elsewhere。　I　saw　and　felt　the



great　possibilities　for　good　involved　when　so　noble　a　heart；　so



shrewd　a　head；　so　generous　a　hand　had　command　of　one　of　the　most



colossal　fortunes　ever　at　the　disposal　of　a　human　being；　and　the



bright　purposes　and　plans　revealed　in　his　letters　shone　through



the　clouds　of　that　mournful　summer。　So　it　was　that；　on　my　journey



to　America；　made　necessary　by　the　sudden　death　of　my　son；　I



accepted　Mr。　Carnegie's　invitation　to　visit　him　at　his　castle　of



Skibo　in　the　extreme　north　of　Scotland。　Very　striking；　during　the



two　days'　journey　from　London　to　Edinburgh；　and　from　Edinburgh　to



Bonar；　were　the　evidences　of　mourning　for　President　McKinley　in



every　city；　village；　and　hamlet。　It　seemed　natural　that；　in　the



large　towns　and　on　great　public　buildings；　flags　at　half…mast　and



in　mourning　should　show　a　sense　of　the　calamity　which　had



befallen　a　sister　nation；　but　what　appealed　to　me　most　were　the



draped　and　half…masted　flags　on　the　towers　of　the　little　country



churches　and　cottages。　Never　before　in　the　history　of　any　two



countries　had　such　evidences　of　brotherly　feeling　been　shown。



Thank　God！　brotherly　feeling　had　conquered　demagogism。







The　visit　to　Mr。　Carnegie　helped　to　give　a　new　current　to　my



thoughts。　The　attractions　of　his　wonderful　domain　forty　thousand



acres；　with　every　variety　of　scenery；ocean；　forest；　moor；　and



mountain；the　household　with　its　quaint　Scotch　usagesthe　piper



in　full　tartan　solemnly　going　his　rounds　at　dawn；　and　the　music



of　the　organ　swelling；　morning　and　evening；　through　the　castle



from　the　great　hallall　helped　to　give　me　new　strength。　There



was　also　good　company：　Frederic　Harrison；　thoughtful　and



brilliant；　whom　I　had　before　known　only　by　his　books　and　a　brief



correspondence；　Archdeacon　Sinclair　of　London；　worthy；　by　his



scholarly　accomplishments；　of　his　descent　from　the　friend　of



Washington；　and　others　who　did　much　to　aid　our　hosts　in　making



life　at　the　castle　beautiful。　Going　thence　to　America；　I　found



time　to　cooperate　with　my　old　friend；　President　Gilman；　in



securing　data　for　Mr。　Carnegie；　especially　at　Washington；　in　view



of　his　plan　of　a　national　institution　for　the　higher　scientific



research。







It　was　a　sad　home…coming；　but　these　occupations　and　especially　a



visit　to　New　Haven　at　the　bicentennial　celebration　of　Yale　aided



to　cheer　me。　This　last　was　indeed　a　noteworthy　commemoration。



There　had　come　to　me；　in　connection　with　it；　perhaps　the　greatest



honor　of　my　life：　an　invitation　to　deliver　one　of　the　main



addresses；　but　it　had　been　received　at　the　time　of　my　deepest



depression；　and　I　had　declined　it；　but　with　no　less　gratitude



that　the　authorities　of　my　Alma　Mater　had　thought　me　worthy　of



that　service。　In　so　doing；　I　sacrificed　much；　for　there　was　one



subject　which；　under　other　circumstances；　I　would　gladly　have



developed　at　such　a　time　and　before　such　an　audience。　But　as　I



listened　to　the　admirable　address　given　by　my　old　college　mate；



Mr。　Justice　Brewer；　when　the　honors　of　the　university　were



conferred　upon　the　President；　the　Secretary　of　State；　and　so　many



distinguished　representatives　from　all　parts　of　the　world；　it　was



a　satisfaction　to　me；　after　all；　that　I　could　enjoy　it　quietly；



with　no　sense　of　responsibility；　and　could；　indeed；　rest　and　be



thankful。







As　to　my　own　personal　history；　there　came　at　this　time　an　event



which　could　not　but　please　me：　the　Royal　Academy　of　Sciences　at



Berlin　chose　me　as　one　of　its　foreign　honorary　members。　It　was　a



tribute　of　the　sort　for　which　I　cared　most；　especially　because　it



brought　me　into　closer　relations　with　leaders　in　science　and



literature　whom　I　had　so　long　admired。







To　finish　the　chronicle　of　that　period；　I　may　add　that；　on　my



return　from　America；　being　invited　to　Potsdam　for　the　purpose；　I



gave　the　Emperor　the　very　hearty　message　which　the　President　had



sent　him；　and　that；　during　this　interview　and　the　family　dinner



which　followed　it；　he　spoke　most　appreciatively　and　intelligently



of　the　President；　of　the　recent　victory　for　good　government　in



the　city　of　New　York；　of　the　skill　shown　by　Americans　in　great



works　of　public　utility；　and　especially　of　the　remarkable



advances　in　the　development　of　our　navy。







One　part　of　this　conversation　had　a　lighter　cast。　At　the　close　of



that　portion　of　the　communication　from　the　President　which



referred　to　various　public　affairs　came　a　characteristic　touch　in



the　shape　of　an　invitation　to　hunt　in　the　Rocky　Mountain　regions：



it　was　the　simple　message　of　one　healthy；　hearty；　vigorous　hunter



to　another；　and　was　to　the　effect　that　the　President　especially



envied　the　Emperor　for　having　shot　a　whale；　but　that　if　his



Majesty　would　come　to　America　he　should　have　the　best　possible



opportunity　to　add　to　his　trophies　a　Rocky　Mountain　lion；　and



that　he　would　thus　be　the　first　monarch　to　kill　a　lion　since



Tiglath…Pileser；　whose　exploit　is　shown　on　the　old　monuments　of



Assyria。　The　hearty　way　in　which　the　message　was　received　showed



that　it　would　have　been　gladly　accepted　had　that　been　possible。







On　New　Year's　day　of　1902　began　the　sixth　year　of　my　official



stay　at　Berlin。　At　his　reception　of　the　ambassadors　the　Emperor



was　very　cordial；　spoke　most　heartily　regarding　President



Roosevelt；　and　asked　me　to　forward　his　request　that　the