sent from Mr. Carnegie's
estate in Scotland, where Blaine was staying, to a prominent
Republican leader:

"'June 25. Too late victor immovable take trump and star.'
WHIP. Interpreted, it reads: 'Too late. Blaine immovable.
Take Harrison and Phelps. CARNEGIE.'" (_James G. Blaine_, by
Edward Stanwood, p. 308. Boston, 1905.)]

We retired for the night, and next day the whole party was paraded by
the city authorities in their robes up the main street to the palace
grounds which were finely decorated with flags. Speeches of welcome
were made and replied to. Mr. Blaine was called upon by the people,
and responded in a short address. Just then a cablegram was handed to
him: "Harrison and Morton nominated." Phelps had declined. So passed
forever Mr. Blaine's chance of holding the highest of all political
offices--the elected of the majority of the English-speaking race. But
he was once fairly elected to the presidency and done out of New York
State, as was at last clearly proven, the perpetrators having been
punished for an attempted repetition of the same fraud at a subsequent
election.

Mr. Blaine, as Secretary of State in Harrison's Cabinet, was a decided
success and the Pan-American Congress his most brilliant triumph. My
only political appointment came at this time and was that of a United
States delegate to the Congress. It gave me a most interesting view of
the South American Republics and their various problems. We sat down
together, representatives of all the republics but Brazil. One morning
the announcement was made that a new constitution had been ratified.
Brazil had become a member of the sisterhood, making seventeen
republics in all--now twenty-one. There was great applause and cordial
greeting of the representatives of Brazil thus suddenly elevated. I
found the South American representatives rather suspicious of their
big brother's intentions. A sensitive spirit of independence was
manifest, which it became our duty to recognize. In this I think we
succeeded, but it will behoove subsequent governments to scrupulously
respect the national feeling of our Southern neighbors. It is not
control, but friendly cooeperation upon terms of perfect equality we
should seek.

I sat next to Manuel Quintana who afterwards became President of
Argentina. He took a deep interest in the proceedings, and one day
became rather critical upon a trifling issue, which led to an excited
colloquy between him and Chairman Blaine. I