Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-05-01
DIPLOMATIC D!sTINcr,o,.,

In The minds Of most people ,be,.
fused notion about diplomatic titles 49,. Coz,
is worth while TO correct: The terms Emb,.
sador, Envoy, Minister Plenipoenlia,rr " %:
lister Resident, &c. are used by some - rd Sn
as SYNONYMOUS; and hence yerv few , s"'
are acquainted with the real rank Of IN. pI'pe
resent s,ives abroad Upon this subiec, ~. Mp
offer few remarks. w '0ai
An ambassador is, properly speatir,
resentative Of the highes, grade. n. ;;sp
ally appointed only upon special occasion. 4 ~,
Is looked upon as The representative If ~.
person OF his Sovereign, on which acconn w. ~
is entitled TO higher honors thon anv n,h y
representative. The United States b,,. 1.'
er appointed an ambassador, nor have ,t''
ever, we believe, received an Embassalo- g..
any foreign Court. "'~
The only ministers known 10 The MAJ,
practice Of our Government are, ,hs r ,,,.
Extraordinary. * Minister Plenipoen,iar, ~
the Charge d'Affairs, and these are Tho r .,'..
now most in employ all over Europe S.~'
few nations still retain the grade Of Mri,,.
Resident which is inferior 10 the Plrni,o'.'
lisrv. bu, higher than the Charge dAE,i,, :,
the early period Of our Government, we btr.,.
the grade OF Minister Resident was for in.
introduced. All these ministers enoyrhe ,.n.
privileges, such as exemption from The or,,',
ton Of the laws IF the country where n,
reside but they differ in the houors 10 viii;
thy are entitled, and in the emolumen,, ,b.,
receive.
AT the present time, the United States hu,
abroad, six ministers Of the first, and se,e, If
the second grade. There are Ministers peni2,.
Tertiary near the Governments Of Grear Bri,si,
France, Russia, Spain, Colombia and Ne.i,o
and there are Charges d'Afairs, in Swed.n
Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal, B,.,l
Buenos Ayres and Peru.
During the late revolutionary confess !,
South America, the Government Of the Unt
States employed sort Of semi.dpIom.;
agenIs TO superintend their inrerss in thu
quarter, who we're called Agents for Comm,
tial Affairs" and who although not reeu.I; /
| accredited by the diff red, revolu,i nary G,
vernments which had not We, been acknoul
edged by the United States we're known b, ben
to be public agen,s and were treated wa,
| reasonable consideration. All these agsrc.
ceased with The acknowledgment Of Soulh A.
merioa independence, when Ministers var
appointed 10 the different States.
| Consuls differ from Ministers in nature d
their functions, as we'll as in lha, of their pre
vileges. They are not ordinarily admitted
correspondence with the Government wihl
the jurisdiction Of which they reside, but nus
communicate through their minister. Ing
are not exempt from be ordinary open
ton of the law, and are in fact merely COZ
mercial agents. ALI the great commercials
lions, excep, the United States, have C01a.
General. We have none Of tina, grade, VII
he single exception Of one at Algiers, wEoh
ing to perform duties more Of diplomatic hu
OF commercial character, is on that atco.r
invested with a degree Of dignity and p.ct
On the lis, of salary officers All the ohs
members of the Consular Corps, are Con,ss
Vic. Consuls, or Consular Agents, who, wit
the exception, we believe, Of our Commera
Agent al London, receive no compenssOHg
their services, excep, the fees aulhoripdf
law, and for notaral documents. These kG,i
majority Of cases, amount to very link
sum.