The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-22

of stroke Of policy whose issue might be
doubtful and whose adoption would obviously
interfere with more congenial pursuits This
is the spirit of our present administration.
This spirit they have infused into every one Of
their subordinates.
Take the foreign missions for instance. Our
ministers have now been abroad upwards of
year. What have they done? Mr.. Soule has
filed a portion of the world with his name
Sloth cannot be laid to his change. He has GER
tainly acquired notoriety if not fame. He has
fought a duel, and had another fought in his
family. Both were with personages OF the high
est rank, and afforded topics for conversations
titled circles. He has moreover made demand
upon Spain for reparaton for the Black War
rior outrage and has made nothing by his mo-
ton. His diplomatic negotiation seems to have
been as unfruitful as his warlike movements.
On the whole, summing up the whole Of his
career to the present time, we are by no means
certain that our relations with Spain would not
have been in much better position had we had
no minister at all at Madrid since Mr.. Barrin-
ger LETT. Mr.. Mason, our minister to France
has not even satisfied public expectation with a
duel He has not been wholly idle, as, we I'M
derstand he is taking lessons in French from a
goyerness; but SO far as the good of his coun-
try is concerned, he might still have been
eating oysters and playing whist in Virginia.
Yet we have many questions Of Importance
among which the tonnage dues question is only
one-to settle with France. Mr. Belmont, our
minister to the Hague, is said to have spent
most Of his time in Paris, immersed in social
enjoyments. When he left we understood that
he would cover himself with glory. and the
country with fame, by settling the case of Cap
tain Gibson and acting as sponsor for Commo-
dore Perry. If he has done either, or even
made the attempt, he has kept his glory very
quiet, for no one has heard of it. Mr.. Spence,
our minister to Constantnople, has done some
thing. He has pledged the United States to
the side of Turkey in the impending war; for
which liberty he may possibly be recalled.
Mr.. Seymour, at st. Petersburg, seems to have
presented a. striking contrast to the activity
and zeal displayed by his British namesake; if
he has done anything, the world knows
nothing Of it. Mr.. Daniels has involved
himself in all sorts of ridiculous disputes at
Turin, and is now spending his time in trying
to get out of the scrapes into which his early
follies at that court have plunged him. If any
one knows Of anything that Mr.. Vroom has
done at Berlin, beyond appearing at court In
the costume prescribed by the master OF fr"
sian ceremonies, we should be happy to GEAR of
the fact. Finally, Mr.. Buchanan, our minister
to London, has, we have t.ne best reasons for
knowing, exhausted every argument on the
fisheries and Central American questions with
out advancing single step towards their
settlement,
Such Is the record Of the doings Of our minis
tiers to Europe during the first year Of their
official career. How faithfully they have fol-
lowed the example set them by the administra-
ton at home, we leave the reader to Judge
And, in view of go uniform spectacle of mac
tivity and imbecile weakness, we put it to the
common sense Of Captain-General Pezuela
whether vindication of our right and de-
fence Of our commercial interests assailed by
Spain can possibly he expected under Pierce's
Presidency.
Naval Reforms-Necessity Of a Further Adj
siition to our Naval Force.
The Report Of the Committee on Naval AZ
fairs. which will be found in another column.
presents frank erposf of the causes to which
the ineffciency of our navy, as compared with
the ornaments of other maritime powers and
the extent and Importance of our commerce, are
attributable. 1t discloses q lamentable picture
Of the manner in which this important branch
Of the public service is administe red; but while
1t suggests remedies for most of the abuses that
have contributed to the results which it has 80
graphically sketched, it omits an important re-
commentator, without which, the executive
details of the service will never be effectually
carried out, and that is, that the Secretary of
the Navy shall be himself member of the pro-
fession over which he is called to preside. If, as
is shown by this report, the head Of. ..the-naval
department is responsible for the gross neg
ligcnce and carelessness which 1T has sig
nalized as peculiarly distinguishing the adj
of our naval affairs, We would
ask, in the name Of common senas, how is
that responsibility to be made Elective and
-
complete whilst we place Civilian at the
head Of department. the complicated and
technical details of which it requires a
long practical acquaintance with the service
thoroughly to understand man may be a
shrewd politician, good orator and devoted
partisan, but none Of these qualities will enable
him to detect the faults of construction in
ship Of the line, or to maintain that strict or
ganzation throughout the various branches of
the service which it is essential to its efficiency
should be vigorously kept up
BY way of illustration, we need only point
10 two or three of the facts stated in the docu- |
nent before us, to demonstrate at once the alb
'urdity Of delegating to civilian powers that |
lis previous habits and training render him ut
erly incapable to fill. 1t is not long since one |