my memories of eighty years-第10章

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　of　Europe；　in　order　to　secure　advantages　in　this　newly　opened　country　for　commerce；　have　sent　their　ablest　representatives。　　You　will　meet　there　with　the　diplomats　of　all　the　western　nations；　and　your　intimacy　with　them　will　be　a　university　of　the　largest　opportunity。　You　will　come　in　contact　with　the　best　minds　of　Europe。　　You　can　make　a　great　reputation　in　the　keen　rivalry　of　this　situation　by　securing　the　best　of　the　trade　of　Japan　for　your　own　country　to　its　western　coasts　over　the　waters　of　the　Pacific。　　You　will　be　welcomed　by　the　Japanese　Government　and　the　minister　of　foreign　affairs　will　assign　you　a　palace　to　live　in；　with　a　garden　attached　so　perfectly　appointed　and　kept　as　to　have　been　the　envy　of　Shenstone。　　You　will　be　attended　by　hundreds　of　beautiful　and　accomplished　Japanese　maidens。〃

When　I　repeated　to　a　large　body　of　waiting　office…seekers　who　had　assembled　in　my　room　what　Mr。　Burlingame　had　said；　they　all　became　applicants　for　the　place。

There　is　no　more　striking　evidence　of　the　wonderful　advance　in　every　way　of　the　Japanese　Empire　and　its　people　than　the　conditions　existing　at　that　time　and　now。　　Then　it　took　six　months　to　reach　Japan　and　a　year　for　the　round　trip。　　Of　course；　there　was　no　telegraphic　or　cable　communication；　and　so　it　required　a　year　for　a　message　to　be　sent　and　answered。　　The　Japanese　army　at　that　time　was　mostly　clad　in　armor　and　its　navy　were　junks。

In　fifty　years　Japan　has　become　one　of　the　most　advanced　nations　of　the　world。　　It　has　adopted　and　assimilated　all　that　is　best　of　Western　civilization；　and　acquired　in　half　a　century　what　required　Europe　one　thousand　years　to　achieve。　　Its　army　is　unexcelled　in　equipment　and　discipline；　and　its　navy　and　mercantile　marine　are　advancing　rapidly　to　a　foremost　place。　　It　demonstrated　its　prowess　in　the　war　with　Russia；　and　its　diplomacy　and　power　in　the　recent　war。

Japan　has　installed　popular　education；　with　common　schools；　academies；　and　universities；　much　on　the　American　plan。　　It　has　adopted　and　installed　every　modern　appliance　developed　by　electricitytelegraph；　cable；　telephone；　etc。

While　I　was　greatly　tempted　to　reverse　my　decision　and　go；　my　mother；　who　was　in　delicate　health；　felt　that　an　absence　so　long　and　at　such　distance　would　be　fatal；　and　so　on　her　account　I　declined。

As　I　look　back　over　the　fifty　years　I　can　see　plainly　that　four　years；　and　probably　eight；　in　that　mission　would　have　severed　me　entirely　from　all　professional　and　business　opportunities　at　home；　and　I　might　have　of　necessity　become　a　place　holder　and　a　place　seeker；　with　all　its　adventures　and　disappointments。

If　I　had　seriously　wanted　an　office　and　gone　in　pursuit　of　one；　my　pathway　would　have　had　the　usual　difficulties；　but　fickle　fortune　seemed　determined　to　defeat　my　return　to　private　life　by　tempting　offers。　　The　collectorship　of　the　port　of　New　York　was　vacant。　　It　was　a　position　of　great　political　power　because　of　its　patronage。　　There　being　no　civil　service；　the　appointments　were　sufficientIy　numerous　and　important　to　largely　control　the　party　in　the　State　of　New　York；　and　its　political　influence　reached　into　other　commonwealths。　　It　was　an　office　whose　fees　were　enormous；　and　the　emoluments　far　larger　than　those　of　any　position　in　the　country。

The　party　leaders　had　begun　to　doubt　President　Johnson；　and　they　wanted　in　the　collectorship　a　man　in　whom　they　had　entire　confidence；　and　so　the　governor　and　State　officers；　who　were　all　Republicans；　the　Republican　members　of　the　legislature；　the　State　committee；　the　two　United　States　senators；　and　the　Republican　delegation　of　New　York　in　the　House　of　Representatives　unanimously　requested　the　president　to　appoint　me。

President　Johnson　said　to　me：　　〃No　such　recommendation　and　indorsement　has　ever　been　presented　to　me　before。〃　　However；　the　breach　between　him　and　the　party　was　widening；　and　he　could　not　come　to　a　decision。

One　day　he　suddenly　sent　for　Senator　Morgan；　Henry　J。　Raymond；　Thurlow　Weed；　and　the　secretary　of　the　treasury　for　a　consultation。　He　said　to　them：　　〃I　have　decided　to　appoint　Mr。　Depew。〃　　The　appointment　was　made　out　by　the　secretary　of　the　treasury；　and　the　president　instructed　him　to　send　it　to　the　Senate　the　next　morning。　There　was　great　rejoicing　among　the　Republicans；　as　this　seemed　to　indicate　a　favorable　turn　in　the　president's　mind。　　Days　and　weeks　passed；　however；　and　when　the　veto　of　the　Civil　Rights　Bill　was　overridden　in　the　Senate　and；　with　the　help　of　the　votes　of　the　senators　from　New　York；　the　breach　between　the　president　and　his　party　became　irreconcilable；　the　movement　for　his　impeachment　began；　which　ended　in　the　most　sensational　and　perilous　trial　in　our　political　history。

On　my　way　home　to　New　York；　after　the　vote　of　the　New　York　senators　had　ended　my　hope　for　appointment；　I　had　as　a　fellow　traveller　my　friend；　Professor　Davies；　from　West　Point。　　He　was　a　brother　of　that　eminent　jurist；　Henry　E。　Davies；　a　great　lawyer　and　chief　justice　of　our　New　York　State　Court　of　Appeals。　　Professor　Davies　said　to　me：　　〃　I　think　I　must　tell　you　why　your　nomination　for　collector　was　not　sent　to　the　Senate。　　I　was　in　Washington　to　persuade　the　president；　with　whom　I　am　quite　intimate；　to　make　another　appointment。　　I　was　calling　on　Secretary　Hugh　McCulloch　and　his　family　in　the　evening　of　the　day　when　the　conference　decided　to　appoint　you。　　Secretary　McCulloch　said　to　me：　　'The　contest　over　the　collectorship　of　the　port　of　New　York　is　settled；　and　Chauncey　Depew's　name　will　be　sent　to　the　Senate　to…morrow　morning。'　　I　was　at　the　White　House；〃　continued　the　professor；　〃the　next　morning　before　breakfast。　　The　president　received　me　at　once　because　I　said　my　mission　was　urgent　and　personal。　　I　told　him　what　the　secretary　of　the　treasury　had　told　me　and　said：　'You　are　making　a　fatal　mistake。　　You　are　going　to　break　with　your　party　and　to　have　a　party　of　your　own。　　The　collectorship　of　the　port　of　New　York　is　the　key　to　your　success。　　Depew　is　very　capable　and　a　partisan　of　his　party。　　If　you　have　any　doubt；　I　beg　of　you　to　withhold　the　appointment　until　the　question　comes　up　in　the　Senate　of　sustaining　or　overriding　of　the　veto　of　the　Civil　Rights　Bill。　　The　votes　of　the　two　New　York　senators　will　decide　whether　they　are　your　friends　or　not。'　　The　president　thought　that　was　reasonable；　and　you　know　the　result。〃

There　was　at　least　one　satisfaction　in　the　professor's　amazingly　frank　revelation：　　it　removed　all　doubt　why　I　had　lost　a　great　office　and；　for　my　age　and　circumstances；　a　large　fortune。

President　Andrew　Johnson　differed　radically　from　any　President　of　the　United　States　whom　it　has　been　my　good　fortune　to　know。　This　refers　to　all　from　and　including　Mr。　Lincoln　to　Mr。　Harding。　A　great　deal　must　be　forgiven　and　a　great　deal　taken　by　way　of　explanation　when　we　consider　his　early　environment　and　opportunities。

In　the　interviews　I　had　with　him　he　impressed　me　as　a　man　of　vigorous　mentality；　of　obstinate　wilfulness；　and　overwhelming　confidence　in　his　own　judgment　and　the　courage　of　his　convictions。　His　weakness　was　alcoholism。　　He　made　a　fearful　exhibition　of　himself　at　the　time　of　his　inauguration　and　during　the　presidency；　and　especially　during　his　famous　trip　〃around　the　circle〃　he　was　in　a　bad　way。

He　was　of　humble　origin　and；　in　fact；　very　poor。　　It　is　said　of　him　that　he　could　neither　read　nor　write　until　his　wife　taught　him。　He　made　a　great　career　both　as　a　member　of　the　House　of　Representatives　and　a　senator；　and　was　of　unquestionable　influence　in　each　branch。　With　reckless　disregard　for　his　life；　he　kept　east　Tennessee　in　the　Union　during　the　Civil　War。

General　Grant　told　me　a　story　of　his　own　experience　with　him。　Johnson；　he　said；　had　always　been　treated　with　such　contempt　and　ignored　socially　by　the　members　of　the　old　families　and　slave　aristocracy　of　the　South　that　his　resentment　against　them　was　vindictive；　and　so　after　the　surrender　at　Appomattox　he　was　constantly　proclaiming　〃Treason　is　odious　and　must　be　punished。〃　He　also　wanted　and；　in　fact；　insisted　upon　ignoring　Grant's　parole　to　the　Confederate　officers；　in　order　that　they　might　be　tried　for　treason。　　On　this　question　of　maintaining　his　parole　and　his　military　honor　General　Grant　was　infl