When the vacancy occurred in the English mission by the resignation
of Mr. John Welsh, I very strongly urged the appointment of
Mr. Lowell. Mr. Evarts was quite unwilling to select Mr.
Lowell, and in deference to his wishes, President Hayes offered
the place to several other persons, including myself. The
offer was communicated to me by Mr. Evarts who was, at that
time, Secretary of State. But there were many good reasons
why I could not accept it. The offer was made to Governor
Alexander H. Bullock, a member of the little society of which
I have spoken. I was myself authorized by the President to
communicate his desire to Governor Bullock. His answer, declining
of account of the condition of his family, will be found in
the life prefixed to the published volume of his speeches.
Now, if Governor Bullock had accepted the appointment, which
was undoubtedly very attractive to him, what Mr. Lowell did
in England would not have been done. He will doubtless go
down in literature as a great poet. But it seems to me he
is entitled to an equal rank among the prose writers of the
country, and indeed among the prose writers of the English
language of our time.
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