part05+-第98章

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



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



Delft；　and　by　Baron　de　Bildt；　chairman　of　the　Swedish　delegation



and　minister　at　Rome；　who　read　a　telegram　from　the　King　of　Sweden



referring　to　Grotius's　relations　to　the　Swedish　diplomatic



service；　as　well　as　by　President　Low　of　Columbia　University　and



myself：　the　duty　being　intrusted　to　me　of　laying　the　wreath　upon



Grotius's　tomb　and　making　the　address　with　reference　to　it。　As



all　the　addresses　are　to　be　printed；　I　shall　give　no　more



attention　to　them　here。　A　very　large　audience　was　present；



embracing　the　ambassadors　and　principal　members　of　the



conference；　the　Netherlands　ministers　of　state；　professors　from



the　various　universities　of　the　Netherlands；　and　a　large　body　of



other　invited　guests。







The　music　of　the　chimes；　of　the　organ；　and　of　the　royal　choir　of



one　hundred　voices　was　very　fine；　and；　although　the　day　was



stormy；　with　a　high　wind　and　driving　rain；　everything　went　off



well。







After　the　exercises　in　the　church；　our　delegation　gave　a



breakfast；　which　was　very　satisfactory。　About　three　hundred　and



fifty　persons　sat　down　to　the　tables　at　the　town　hall；　and　one



hundred　other　guests；　including　the　musicians；　at　the　leading



restaurant　in　the　place。　In　the　afternoon　the　Americans　gathered



at　the　reception　given　by　our　minister；　Mr。　Newel；　and　his　wife；



and　in　the　evening　there　was　a　large　attendance　at　an　〃American



concert〃　given　by　the　orchestra　at　the　great　hall　in



Scheveningen。







July　5。







Early　in　the　morning　to　the　second　committee　of　the　conference；



where　I　spoke　in　behalf　of　the　Beldiman　resolution；　doing　justice



to　Switzerland　as　regards　the　continuance　of　the　Red　Cross



interests　in　Swiss　hands；　and　on　going　to　a　vote　we　were



successful。







Then；　the　question　of　a　proper　dealing　with　our　memorial



regarding　the　immunity　of　private　property　on　the　high　seas



coming　up；　I　spoke　in　favor　of　referring　it　to　the　general



conference；　and　gave　the　reasons　why　it　should　not　simply　be



dropped　out　as　not　coming　within　the　subjects　contemplated　in　the



call　to　the　conference。　Though　my　speech　was　in　French；　it　went



off　better　than　I　expected。







In　the　afternoon；　at　the　full　conference；　the　same　subject　came



up；　and　then；　after　a　preface　in　French；　asking　permission　to



speak　in　English；　I　made　my　speech；　which；　probably；　three



quarters　of　all　the　delegates　understood；　but；　at　my　request；　a



summary　of　it　was　afterward　given　in　French　by　Mr。　van　Karnebeek。







The　occasion　of　this　speech　was　my　seconding　the　motion；　made　in



a　very　friendly　manner　by　M。　de　Martens；　to　refer　the　matter　to　a



future　conference；　but　I　went　into　the　merits　of　the　general



subject　to　show　its　claims　upon　the　various　nations；　etc。；　etc。；



though　not；　of　course；　as　fully　as　I　would　have　done　had　the



matter　been　fully　under　discussion。　My　speech　was　very　well



received；　and　will；　I　hope；　aid　in　keeping　the　subject　alive。







In　the　afternoon　drove　to　Ryswyck；　to　the　house　of　M。　Cornets　de



Groot；　the　living　representative　of　the　Grotius　family。　The　house



and　grounds　were　very　pleasant；　but　the　great　attraction　was　a



collection　of　relics　of　Grotius；　including　many　manuscripts　from



his　own　hand；　among　these　a　catechism　for　his　children；　written



in　the　prison　of　Loewenstein；　with　official　documents；　signed　and



sealed；　connected　with　the　public　transactions　of　his　time；　also



letters　which　passed　between　him　and　Oxenstiern；　the　great



Swedish　chancellor；　some　in　Latin　and　some　in　other　languages；



besides　sundry　poems。　There　were　also　a　multitude　of　portraits；



engravings；　and　documents　relating　to　Olden…Barneveld　and　others



of　Grotius's　contemporaries。







The　De　Groot　family　gave　us　a　most　hearty　reception；　introducing



their　little　girl；　who　is　the　latest…born　descendant　of　Grotius；



and　showing　us　various　household　relics　of　their　great　ancestor；



including　cups；　glasses；　and　the　like。　Mr。　De　Groot　also　gave　me



some　curious　information　regarding　him　which　I　did　not　before



possess；　and；　among　other　things；　told　me　that　when　Grotius's



body　was　transferred；　shortly　after　his　death；　from　Rostock　to



Delft；　the　coffin　containing　it　was　stoned　by　a　mob　at　Rotterdam；



also　that　at　the　unveiling　of　the　statue　of　Grotius　in　front　of



the　church　at　Delft；　a　few　years　ago；　the　high…church　Calvinists



would　not　allow　the　children　from　their　church　schools　to　join



the　other　children　in　singing　hymns。　The　old　bitterness　of　the



extreme　Calvinistic　party　toward　their　great　compatriot　was　thus



still　exhibited；　and　the　remark　was　made　at　the　time；　by　a　member



of　it；　that　the　statue　was　perfectly　true　to　life；　since　〃its



back　was　turned　toward　the　church〃；　to　which　a　reply　was　made



that　〃Grotius's　face　in　the　statue；　like　his　living　face；　was



steadily　turned　toward　justice。〃　This　latter　remark　had　reference



to　the　fact　that　a　court　is　held　in　the　city　hall；　toward　which



the　statue　is　turned。







In　the　evening　to　a　dinner　given　by　Mr。　Piersoon；　minister　of



finance　and　prime　minister　of　the　Netherlands；　to　our　delegation



and　to　his　colleagues　of　the　Dutch　ministry。　Everything　passed



off　well；　Mr。　Piersoon　proposing　a　toast　to　the　health　of　the



President　of　the　United　States；　to　which　I　replied　in　a　toast　to



the　Queen　of　the　Netherlands。　In　the　course　of　his　speech　Mr。



Piersoon　thanked　us　for　our　tribute　to　Grotius；　and　showed　really



deep　feeling　on　the　subject。　There　is　no　doubt　that　we　have



struck　a　responsive　chord　in　the　hearts　of　all　liberal　and



thoughtful　men　and　women　of　the　Netherlands；　from　every　quarter



come　evidences　of　this。







A　remark　of　his；　regarding　arbitration；　especially　pleased　us。　He



said　that　the　arbitration　plan；　as　it　had　come　from　the　great



committee；　was　like　a　baby：apparently　helpless；　and　of　very



little　value；　unable　to　do　much；　and　requiring　careful　nursing；



but　that　it　had　one　great　merit：IT　WOULD　GROW。







This　I　believe　to　be　a　very　accurate　statement　of　the　situation。



The　general　feeling　of　the　conference　becomes　better　and　better。



More　and　more　the　old　skepticism　has　departed；　and　in　place　of　it



has　come　a　strong　ambition　to　have　a　share　in　what　we　are



beginning　to　believe　may　be　a　most　honorable　contribution　to　the



peace　of　the　world。　I　have　never　taken　part　in　more　earnest



discussions　than　those　which　during　the　last　two　weeks　have



occupied　us；　and　especially　those　relating　to　arbitration。







I　think　I　may　say；　without　assuming　too　much；　that　our　Grotius



celebration　has　been　a　contribution　of　some　value　to　this　growth



of　earnestness。　It　has；　if　I　am　not　greatly　mistaken；　revealed　to



the　conference；　still　more　clearly　than　before；　the　fact　that　it



is　a　historical　body　intrusted　with　a　matter　of　vast　importance



and　difficulty；　and　that　we　shall　be　judged　in　history　with



reference　to　this　fact。











July　6。







At　5。30　P。M。　off　in　special　train　with　the　entire　conference　to



Amsterdam。　On　arriving；　we　found　a　long　train　of　court　carriages



which　took　us　to　the　palace；　the　houses　on　each　side　throughout



the　entire　distance　being　decorated　with　flags　and　banners；　and



the　streets　crowded　with　men；　women；　and　children。　We　were　indeed



a　brave　show；　since　all　of　us；　except　the　members　of　our　American



delegation；　wore　gorgeous　uniforms　with　no　end　of　ribbons；　stars；



and　insignia　of　various　offices　and　orders。