Vol. XVI, No. 2 WASHINGTON February, 1905 



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 ©(SHSAIPIlEe 

 MBAZK 



RUSSIA 1 



By Hon. Charles Emory Smith 

 Formerly Minister to Russia and Ex-Postmaster General 



AT the very outset I shall throw 

 myself on your kind indul- 

 gence, I hope you will not 

 think me one of that rash company, 

 more numerous in enrollment than po- 

 lite in name, that rush in where angels 

 fear to tread. Believe me, I know full 

 well the difficulty and the delicacy of 

 my venture, and have known it from 

 the start. The only excuse that can be 

 pleaded in extenuation of the hazard is 

 that the persuasiveness of your commit- 

 tee, if not greater than the restraint of 

 my warning good sense, was at least 

 more potent than the firmness of my 

 resolution. 



Russia just now is at the best a tempt- 

 ing but perilous theme. Half a century 

 hence it will be possible to look back 

 through the clear perspective of years 

 and measure the true relations of the 

 events of today to a new career of prog- 

 ress and greatness. But in the present 

 hour we see the portents without the 

 promise, and Russia is shadowed by the 

 gloom of the clouds without the gleam 

 of the sun. The inherent difficulties of 

 the subject are enhanced by the per- 



sonal position of the speaker. There 

 are phases on which it is becoming that 

 I should speak with reserve — perhaps, 

 to use an Hibernianism, with silence — 

 on the principle, "the wisest word I 

 ever said was the word that wasn't 

 spoken. ' ' It is true that the diplomatic 

 trust was laid down some years ago, 

 and the easier, if not higher, diplomacy 

 of American free speech was resumed ; 

 and you will permit me to amend the 

 words of the poet and say : 



More true joy returned Marcellus feels 



Than exiled Minister with a Senate at his heels. 



But there are obvious proprieties 

 which follow the minister even in retire- 

 ment ; yet while they should be re- 

 spected, there is still large room for free 

 expression. I did not hesitate to say 

 in St Petersburg, looking out from the 

 Foreign Office upon the broad Alexan- 

 der Place, from the center of which 

 rises the stately and splendid memorial 

 shaft to the first Alexander, that there 

 were things in Russia which we of the 

 United States, in the best spirit of sin- 

 cere friendship, could wish otherwise, 



*An address to the National Geographic Society, January 20, 1905. 



