The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-23

deal with the subject of our foreign missions
more thoroughly and more literally than the
last. Enough has been said. both in our own
columns and elsewhere, to expose the fallacy OF
our present system. Indeed, argument is not
needed to show that q scale Of emolument
which was barely remunsrative in the days OF
/ Franklin, is totally insufficient for the cores
| ponding office to-day. Republican simplicity
is all very WE'LL we approve and like to see it
practiced. But republican dignity is an equally
| essential requisite for our ambassadors. Not
moral dignity alone which too frequently fails
| to be appreciated. and is only discerned by the
calm eye of the historian; but that dignity
which is derived from externals, and which
though fictitious and deceptive, if you will, inn
poses, nevertheless. on the crowd, and produces
| an impression on the world at large. Dinners
balls and pageants are to the philosophic OBJ
server poor enough chids play; fine dresses
| and fine eating are in his view, unworthy the
consideration OF q reasoning man. But the
man Of the world who after all is the safest
guide in such matters. will tell us that all these
trivialties constitute most important whole;
that reputation for hospitality and profuse
| nor ineficacious in diplomacy; and that
money expended in outward show and lar
| CESS is very often placed at excellent
interest. Custom has in fact obliged our foreign
representatives to entertain largely; their table
| is open both to their own countrymen and to
those foreigners whose goodwill it is polite to
obtain, and whose services may be of use to our
Inf a., tbo Iau, baa Ga,
pace with the practices and while we grumble
| il our foreign ambassadors fail in the duties
| which usage thus prescrbes, we. who ought to
| provide them with the means of discharging
| them. leave them to supply the deficit in our
| liberality from their private funds. Private cor
porations who may serve in more than one
particular as model for the great corporation
of government, have long since discovered that
it is short-sghted policy to pay their officers
poorly. They have been well taught that the
embarrassments Of the agent reflect upon the
company-that beggarly economy of a few
dollars really costs as many hundreds. The
rule is not confined to these: governments. as
well as railroad companies, suffer if their agents
are reduced to straits OF fail to make credit
able figure in the world. We repeat it. ano-
ther year must not be allowed to elapse without
practical recognition of this obvious truth.
Our diplomatic salaries must be increased to
such scale that wealth shall not be the main
test for Office. and our ambassadors shall not
see themselves surpassed by the agents of every
other country.
At the same time, the reform need not be
wholly one-sded. That we fail in fulfilling
our duty to our representatives is clear enough
but it is hardly less obvious that we are repaid
in our own coin, and that the ambassadors of
the United States have hitherto discharged
their functions most negligently. Brilliant ex-
ceptions to the rule may be cited; but we are
running small risk of contradiction when we
assert that in general. American diplomatic
agents have bestrred themselves less actively
and rendered fewer substantial services to their
country than the emissaries OF any other nation
1t has been too common for our diplomatists
to regard newspaper fame and popularity as
the chief prize to be won during foreign mis-
sion. They have too often rested their claims
to public gratitude on the democratic tone Of
their dispatches. and the decamatory style in
which they have asserted the inviolability of
their felow-citizens and the greatness of the
Union. These recommendations possess doubt
less. certain weight but there arc others to
which an ambassador might appeal with more
truth and confidence, which our ENJOYS have
generally disregarded.
The fundamental duty of foreign ambassador
is to oversee the relations existing between his
own country and the nation to whose court he is
accredited. He is not only bound to extend the
national flag over his fellow countrymen abroad,
but is obliged by every consideration Of wis
dom and prudence to make it his special duty
to become perfectly familiar with the course Of
the commercial and political relations existing
between his home and the State where he re-
sides If inequalities exist-ii his countrymen
as q body do not enjoy the same privileges
abroad as foreigners possess hcre-our represen-
tative ought to note the fact, and do what in him
lies to have the balance adjusted. 1t does not
rest with him to suggest to foreign powers the
necessity of repeating laws which present this
unfairness; but he ought. and if he is conscien-
tious he will, represent their tenor to his GO
vernment and will fortify the representation
with full details oftheir practical working Here
it is that we discover the negligence Of our am
bassadors. Had they discharged their duty.
we should now have possessed several dozen
volumes of statistics. without any fine writing
OF defamation, on the relations OF the United
States with foreign countries We should have
known exactly how American vessels and
American merchandise are received abroad,
and in what particulars foreigners arriving
here are placed in a superior position to Ame-
ricans dealing with foreign States. 1t would
not have been left for the press to point out the
unequal laws which press so heavily Oh our
merchants and our mercantile men.
We refer more especially in these remarks TO