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monuments; the old historic scenes of four hundred years ago came



up before me; with memories almost overpowering of my first visit



thirty…five years ago。 And all then with me are now dead。











June 25。







At nine in the morning off with Holls to Rotterdam; and on



arriving took the tram through the city to the steamboat wharf;



going thence by steamer to Dort。 Arrived; just before the close



of service; at the great church where various sessions of the



synod were held。 The organ was very fine; the choir…stalls; where



those wretched theologians wrangled through so many sessions and



did so much harm to their own country and others; were the only



other fine things in the church; and they were much dilapidated。



I could not but reflect bitterly on the monstrous evils provoked



by these men who sat so long there spinning a monstrous theology



to be substituted for the teachings of Christ himself。







Thence back to The Hague and to Scheveningen; and talked over



conference matters with Count Munster。 Received telegrams from



Count von Bulow in answer to mine congratulating him on his



promotion; also one from Baron von Mumm; the German minister at



Luxemburg; who goes temporarily to Washington。











June 26。







At work all the morning on my Grotius address Lunched at the



〃House in the Wood;〃 and walked to town with sundry delegates。 In



the afternoon went to a 〃tea〃 at the house of Madame Boreel and



met a number of charming people; but the great attraction was the



house; which is that formerly occupied by John De Wittthat from



which he went to prison and to assassination。 Here also Motley



lived; and I was shown the room in which a large part of his



history was written; and where Queen Sophia used to discuss Dutch



events and personages with him。







The house is beautiful; spacious; and most charmingly decorated;



many of the ornaments and paintings having been placed there in



the time of De Witt。











June 27。







At all sorts of work during the morning; and then; on invitation



of President Low; went with the other members of the delegation



to Haarlem; where we saw the wonderful portraits by Frans Hals;



which impressed me more than ever; and heard the great organ。 It



has been rebuilt since I was there thirty…five years ago; but it



is still the same great clumsy machine; and very poorly



played;that is; with no spirit; and without any effort to



exhibit anything beyond the ordinary effects for which any little



church organ would do as well。







In the evening dined with Count Zanini; the Italian minister and



delegate; and discussed French matters with Baron d'Estournelles。



He represents the best type of French diplomatist; and is in



every way attractive。







Afterward to Mr。 van Karnebeek's reception; meeting various



people in a semi…satisfactory way。











June 29。







In the morning; in order to work off the beginnings of a



headache; I went to Rotterdam and walked until noon about the



streets and places; recalling my former visit; which came very



vividly before me as I gazed upon the statue of Erasmus; and



thought upon his life here。 No man in history has had more



persistent injustice done him。 If my life were long enough I



would gladly use my great collection of Erasmiana in illustrating



his services to the world。 To say nothing of other things; the



modern 〃Higher Criticism〃 has its roots in his work。











June 30。







Engaged on the final revision of my Grotius speech; and on



various documents。







At noon to the 〃House in the Wood〃 for lunch; and afterward took



a walk in the grounds with Beldiman; the Roumanian delegate; who



explained to me the trouble in Switzerland over the vote on the



Red Cross Conference。







It appears that whereas Switzerland initiated the Red Cross



movement; has ever since cherished it; and has been urged by



Italy and other powers to take still further practical measures



for it; the Dutch delegation recently interposed; secured for one



of their number the presidency of the special conference; and



thus threw out my Berlin colleague; Colonel Roth; who had been



previously asked to take the position and had accepted it; with



the result that the whole matter has been taken out of the hands



of Switzerland; where it justly belonged; and put under the care



of the Netherlands。 This has provoked much ill feeling in



Switzerland; and there is especial astonishment at the fact that



when Beldiman moved an amendment undoing this unjust arrangement



it was; by some misunderstanding lost; and that therefore there



has been perpetuated what seems much like an injustice against



Switzerland。 I promised to exert myself to have the matter



rectified so far as the American delegation was concerned; and



later was successful in doing so。







In the evening dined at Minister Newel's。 Sat between Minister



Okolicsanyi of the Austrian delegation; and Count Welsersheimb;



the chairman of that delegation; and had interesting talks with



them; with the Duke of Tetuan; and others。 It appears that the



Duke; who is a very charming; kindly man; has; like myself; a



passion both for cathedral architecture and for organ music; he



dwelt much upon Burgos; which he called the gem of Spanish



cathedrals。







Thence to the final reception at the house of M。 de Beaufort;



minister of foreign affairs; who showed me a contemporary



portrait of Grotius which displays the traits observable in the



copies which Burleigh painted for me twenty years ago at



Amsterdam and Leyden。 Talked with Sir Julian Pauncefote regarding



the Swiss matter; he had abstained from voting for the reason



that he had no instructions in the premises。











July 2。







In the morning Major Allen; military attache of our embassy at



Berlin; arrived; bringing the Grotius wreath。 Under Secretary



Hay's permission; I had given to one of the best Berlin



silversmiths virtually carte blanche; and the result is most



satisfactory。 The wreath is very large; being made up; on one



side; of a laurel branch with leaves of frosted silver and



berries of gold; and; on the other; of an oak branch with silver



leaves and gold acorns; both boughs being tied together at the



bottom by a large knot of ribbon in silver gilded; bearing the



arms of the Netherlands and the United States on enameled



shields; and an inscription as follows:











     To the Memory of HUGO GROTIUS;



           In Reverence and Gratitude;



      From the United States of America;



  On the Occasion of the International Peace Conference           



            of The Hague。



           July 4th; 1899。











It is a superb piece of work; and its ebony case; with silver



clasps; and bearing a silver shield with suitable inscription; is



also perfect: the whole thing attracts most favorable attention。















 CHAPTER XLIX







AS PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN DELEGATION AT THE PEACE CONFERENCE



OF THE HAGUE: V1899







July 4。







On this day the American delegation invited their colleagues to



celebrate our national anniversary at the tomb of Grotius; first



in the great church; and afterward in the town hall of Delft。



Speeches were made by the minister of foreign affairs of the



Netherlands De Beaufort; by their first delegate; Van Karnebeek;



by Mr。 Asser; one of their leading jurists; by the burgomaster of



Delft; and 

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