Diplomatist; born in
Pike county, Ind., March 2, 1836; graduated at the Indiana State University in 1855; studied at Harvard Law School, and was admitted to the bar in
Evansville, Ind. During the
Civil War he served in the
Union army, reaching the rank of colonel of volunteers.
After the war he was in turn editor of the Evansville
Daily journal and postmaster of that city in 1869-73.
He was minister to
Mexico in 1873-80, and to
Russia in 1880-81.
On his return to the
United States he engaged in the practice of international law in
Washington, representing foreign legations before arbitration boards, commissions, etc. In 1883-85 he was minister to
Spain; and in 1891 was a special commissioner to negotiate reciprocity treaties with
Spain,
Germany,
Brazil, and the
West Indies.
He was appointed
United States Secretary of State in 1892 and served till 1893, when he became the agent for the
United States before the
Bering Sea arbitration tribunal at
Paris.
In 1895, on the invitation of the
Emperor of
China, he participated in the peace negotiations with
Japan; in 1897 he was a special
United States commissioner to
Great Britain and
Russia, and in 1898 was a member of the
Anglo-American commission (q. v.). He is the author of
A century of American diplomacy, a brief review of the foreign relations of the
United States from 1776 to 1876.
See
Bering sea arbitration.
