February 9. Mr. Frelinghuysen asks Mr. Lowell to thank everybody; and it is to be presumed he does so.
Very well. This required a good deal of red tape. But it was very nice of Mr. Corcoran to put a monument to the poet of “Home,” and somebody must do something.
It is interesting to see how wide are the consequences of such courtesies, and how important they may be.
Lowell really wanted to serve the American people, and any intelligent question addressed to him found a courteous and intelligent reply. It would not be difficult to give a hundred instances, and if any of the diplomats of to-day sometimes groan under the burden of such correspondence, let me encourage them by copying an autograph letter of his which a friend has sent to me this morning. A public-spirited gentleman in Minnesota had determined that there should be a school of forestry in that State. He knew there was such a school in India at Dehradun. He wanted the report of that school, and so he sent to the United States legation in London to ask for it. Here is Mr. Lowell’s reply, and it is interesting to know from Mr. Andrews that it was of real service in the establishment of the first school of forestry of America:—
Legation of the United States,
London, March 10, 1882.
Dear Sir,—On receiving your letter of the 17th of February I at once wrote to Lord Hartington, who the next day sent me the report, which I now have the pleasure of forwarding to you, and especially if it helps you in awakening public opinion to the conservation of our forests ere it be too late. I foresee a time when our game and forest laws will be Draconian in proportion to their present culpable laxity.
Faithfully yours,
J.R. Lowell.
Hon. C.C. Andrews.