The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-28 00:00:00

Mr. M'Cracken's Letter.

The letter of Mr. GEORGE M'CRAcKEN is not such
an astonishing act of awl aci ty as is the almost incredi-
ble act of folly of a Cabinet Minister in acting on such
a document. Mr. SEWARD, in taking up such an
epistle, must have had some private turn of his own
to serve, and one so strong as to overcome all the

dictates of common sense, as well as common polite-
ness and etiquette. The story of Mr. GEORGE
AI*CRACKEN is told in a few words. This young
man, barely 24 years of age, and described by
Senator SUMNER as a person utterly obscure, took
it into his head to travel through Europe, and dur-
ing that time made it his special business to visit his
country's Ministers and Consuls to see how the
Government was represented. After having visited
them all, he came to the conclusion that his coun-
try was greatly misrepresented, and, as a patriot,
he considered it his duty to inform the Secretary of
State of matters as he saw them. On reaching Paris
he drew up a report on the different Plenipoten-
tiaries, and Envoys Extraordinary, Consuls- General,
Consuls, and Vice-Consuls, for the information of
the President. He gives the freest opinions of some
of the most celebrated of his countrymen, and cor-
roborates those opinions by detailing private con-
versations. The Minister, at Vienna applauds
CHARLES SUMNER, and proclaims that an English
noblemen is the model of human perfection. He is
therefore " a thorough flunkey." The Consul-
General at Frankfort is vulgar, ignorant, and un-
worthy—one of CHANDLER'S tools, an advocate of
impeachment, and a blatant Radical. The Minister
at Madrid condemns Mr. JOHNSON'S course in a
malignant manner. The Consul at Constantinople
and at Tangier are in the same boat, while he at
Genoa is a common drunkard. It is scarcely
credible that a ruler in his senses could have
consigned such a letter to any place but the fire.
The idea is monstrous that gentlemen engaged in
difficult diplomatic missions should be subjected to
the impertinent intrusion of such an inexperienced
youngster, and their very kindness in receiving
him and discussing with him questions of interest
made the subject of report to their own Govern-
ment. This is, however, for the good taste
and feeling of the person thus received. The extra-
ordinary part of the story is the action taken -
by the President and the Secretary for Foreign
Affairs on such a report. Has Mr. SEWARD lost all
the keen intellect he once possessed, or is he engaged
in bringing into the greatest possible disrepute the Go-
vernment of Mr. JonNsori? How would the Queen
and Lord STANLEY treat theletter of an English youth
ho made it his business tolook up the English Ambas-
sadors, and then wrote actionable libels against the
characters of some of the most distinguished Eng-
lishmen engaged in the diplomatic service of their
country.? Republics are said to be proverbially
ungrateful to public servants, but if such a system
as this were tolerated the public service of the
United States would become one of danger and of
overwhelming difficulty. The house of a Foreign
Minister would be barred against his countrymen,
and his lips sealed. This young gentleman brings
it as a charge that the majority of the Foreign mis-
sions are held by Massachusetts Puritans!