Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-08-31
From the pailadelphsa) q S Gazette.
FOREIGN MINISTER'S.

- f.
By the arrival OF Gen. Dearborn at Bos-
ton-the lamented death Of Cesar a. ehod'
ney-and the resignation OF Ninian Ed
wards, our country is without proper re-
presentation al Buenos Ayres, Mexico and
Portugal. In announcing, some months
since. the intentions OF Gen. Dearboa 10
leave Portugal, we INDUCED ia lew re
marks upon the improperly OF appointing
foreign ministers tor general purposes,
without requiring from them a pledge to
remain at the courts to which they are
despatched, long enoug b TO afford our
country some advantage from the expert
ence which they may obtain there. we
do no, pre- tend 10 Judge the necessity OF
filling the place recently vacated by Gen.
Dearborn, but il within these last fifteen
years, a minister to Portugal could be OF
service to this government it would seem
that the present agitation OF that kingdom.
would require bis presence TO secure our
nations rights, and protect our mercan.
tile interests.
At Mexico and Buenos Ayres, our co"n.
iry should be represenled-no sectional
views or feelings OF party friendship,
should influence The executive, in appoint
ing foreign minister. We need iD these
countries men who are intimately aCqusint-
ed with the great interests OF our country
-men who are versed in mercantile &C.
Quirements, end who, 10 this knowledge
of their own country's need, can add
knowledge of that country's language, TO
which they are sent. Men OF application
should be sought for, and we take the IL
berry OF expressing all opinion, that gen.
tlemen trom the Atlantic states would be
more likely 10 suoserve the interests OF
our country, in The character OF ministers
TO commercial nation, than any VINO
might be Selected from the interior portion
OF our union.
To this qualification of locality should
be added what we before referred to,
knowledge of the language, and a deter
minaIion to hold the appointment long e.
nough to be OF some service TO the couh-
try.
At present our foreign ministers hold
communication with the government to
which they are sent chiefly by the aid OF
Interpreter, and have no means OF OBJ
tanning knowledge of the general sense
of the nation, by the ordinary course OF
information, the newspapers, without CIV
ing an impolitic publicity to their lnten~
ton, by requiring translation OF the most
trItling paragrap h-so much Tor the iaR-
guage
Our ministers pocket their D9000 oct at
and take up their residence al foreign
court to secure their $4,000 salary, small
enough 10 be sure, for some appointments
but no sooner Is an electloneerlng cam
palgn opened, than they hasten home,
give up their appointment. and rush into
the metee-know that it the income OF
domestic appointments are not so great as
those of foreign ones the outgoes are pro-
-portonately less. Almost any thing, from
9 presidential election, TO newspaper
dispute, will vscate The Office OF foreign
minister aud leave our country unrepre.
sented at court where every hour It's IN
terests are liable TO be jeopa rdised. The
deduction from such facts IS obyIous--ei-
Their the appointment of ministers TO TO.
reign courts is entirely unnecessary, and
the consequent expenditure national
waste--or that persons have too often been
designated to these Offices, whose want OF
qualifications rendered it quite lmmaierlal
whether they attempted discharge OF the
duties of their appointments or not.