New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-03-30
AMERICAN DIPLOMACY.

The change in the Administration at Wash
ingtOn will of course be followed by the usual
change in the Diplomatic functiOnares through
out. We presume that no one will be spared
or left in his present condition. The custom of
turning out Ambassadors aud Secretaries as
soon as they have learned to be capable Of some
utility will be followed, with few reservations,
for which we may be thankful.
The subject of Diplomacy is one but little
noticed in this country. OF the great body of
newspaper political commentary it is an excep-
ton to find an article on the character of our
Diplomatic service. The appointment of lite
rary men, or those versed in the languages of
Europe, is of the last Importance. Our poiti-
clans are seldom men Of education. Our stand
ard Of greatness being very low, they are called
great in two thousand newspapers, though
their scope of observation is simply political,
and their politics not profound at all as
regards Europe. We do marvel, indeed,
though the thing is done habitually, when one
of these great men has the sublime assurance
or Rome, without being able TO speak word
of French, not to mention German or italian.
Prefernent TO Office being in this country, as a
general rule, the reward of purely partisan
service, irrespective of special fitness for the
post, we may expect TO suffer accordingly.
But as all politicians at home can speak the
English language, and to prevent the business
of the Custom-House aud Post-Ofiice from
coming to a dead stand.Stiil, all the clerks
cannot be ruthlessly expelled, but those most
versed in the intricacies must be retained the
business proceeds, and we question if any Gus
tom. House or Post. Office in the world is bet
ter conducted than our Own. Bribery is noto-
rious in the one department in Europe, and in
the other, even in England, Colonel Maberly,
its Secretary, not long since declared in Par
lament that he would as soon throw money into
the gutter as send iC by post, ewing to the
chances Of its being pilfered 1t may be add
ed, by way of explanation, that the reason for
this fact exists through an eternal law. The
great men of England, having the power in
their own hands, honestly fix their salaries at
their own rates, and leave next to nothing for
the subOrdnates, who of course will make up
the deficiency the best way they can In this
country, however, the graduation of salaries
establishes an almost perfect equality, for
while the salary of officials seldom rises above
three thousand dollars, it rarely falls be-
low third of that sum. The illustrious Lord
BrOugham, who is called stateman in shall
low, rubbisby criticism, even on this side Of
the water, while he votes $50 or $50 10 q
Post Office Clerk, deems $4,000 or 10000
only sufficient for Chancellor or Foreign Am
bassadOr. Hence, abject meanness on the one
hand, and soaring pride on the other.
The peculiar nature of our foreign appoint
ments is such that mere political assurance
cannot be sustained by the ability of clerks.
The clerk Of the embassy, called the Secretary,
cannot do the work of the principal. He can
not dine out in place of his principal He
cannot take up the parole, and answer ques-
tons, make inquiries, sustain the business of
the scene or the dignity Of the country His
rank in Europe is fixed He cannot 90 out of
bis sphere. So when We have a Minister
abroad, as We generally have who cannot speak
French. we have besides fogy, dumb repre-
sentative THE deaf and dumb Minister
said Madame de Stsel, Of the American En-
voy, who was very hard of hearing and could
not speak French.
Retrospection does no good, except to
warn against future errors, so il is NOT
worth while TO inquire what might have
been our influence abroad il We had had |
men on the Continent Of Europe 1T for their /
places in lS4S. We cannot recall one who /
could speak the diplomatic language, or who |
was worth his salt in communing with, advising, I
Strengthening the Democracy OF Europe az
that time But We can recall several who 1
we're entirely dependent on their clerks for all /
they said and did, and one prime BLACKBOARD.
who lay dead drunk in his Ambassadorial hotel
while his servant admitted persons at dollar
head, " to see His ExceIlency. the American
Minister, dead drunk"-of course, a sight
fitted to the Democracy of the seven thousand
rum-hOles where the Primary Meetings may