The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-18


our diplomatic and consular system are daily
made apparent to us, by tn deplorable blum
ders to which they necessarily give rise, ought
by this time to have had the effect of arousing
public attention to the sub ect Based upon
principle Of economy which, consider
ing the peculiar nature Of this branch of the
public service, has, we must say, been carried
us capable servants, nor does it protect us from
claims arising out Of the insuficiency of the
sums appropriated for their remuneration. We
expect, in fact, our representatives abroad to be
like the English Minister Pitt, "heaven born"
in diplomacy gentlemen in manners and edu-
cation, and in every other respect, able to cope
with the carefully trained and highly paid
diplomatists Of Earope, but we forget that we
neither afford them the necessary opportunities
of qualify ing themselves for their posts, nor do
we give them such allowances as will enable
then to cut o tolerably decent figure amongst
their political confreres. The remuneration OF
the secretaries, attaches, and clerks of our
foreign Legations, is conceived on about the
same liberal scale as that of an English nCDle-
mans butler and footmaa The consequence is
that no American gentleman ever seriously
thinks of applying himself to learn the cutles
| of any of these Offices. Diplomacy holds out
| no hopes TO him as a career, and, although it
| may please him to accept subordinate post in
a legation as means Of getting into the
. best society" abroad, 1t never occurs to
him that it is incumbent upon him to bestow
more than mere formal attention on its de-
tails. Itfollows, therefore, that as neither our
ministers secretaries of legation, nor attaches,
are qualified by their previous training and
experience to discharge the regular duties Of
their offices, and to decide upon the multifari
GUS questions that arise from day to day, there
must be some person attached to, although not
officially recognized in, the legation who can
supply the absence of those qualities, and act rs
general referee in all points of difficulty. The
head clerk is the party who thus alternately
discharges the duties of minister, secretary of
legation and attache and in nine cases out of
ten he is a foreigner, having no further connec-
ton or sympathy with this country and its in
terests than is derived from the ordinary tie
existing between the employer and the en-
ployed.
AS the salary that this person receives is so
wretchedly small that no American or natural
lied citizen will be induced to accept it, and as
an indispensable fixture in the office, he has but
little to apprehend from the periodical changes
that take place in the legation, and he is EN-
boldened gradually to introduce practices and
establish fees that are instituted solely for his
own benefit, and that occasion great deal of
unnecessary trouble and expense to such of
our countrymen as happen to be travel
ling abroad Now, system which enables
the recognized servants Of the government
to delegate their duties to irresponsible per-
sons, and those persons foreigners, and which,
instead Of increasing the facilities intended to
be afforded by our diplomatic agents to cur
citizens throws distractions and expense in
their way, must be radically wrong, and re-
quires prompt and thorough revision. If less
attention were paid to the cut Of our diplomatic
agents coats and breeches, and more to the
morale and proper constitution Of the service,
we should not be subjected to the notifying
remark which has become by-word in foreign
capitals, that jealous as we are of cur nation
atty, we send over ministers and official sub
ordinates so incapable that we are obliged to
transact through foreigners the whole of the
business of our embassies.
Lest our readers should imagine that we are
drawing an exaggerated picture of the abuses
of our diplomatic system, we will inst place be-
fore them. by way of illustration the case of
the London legation, which is at present at
tracing attention from the passage Of a bill
introduced in the United States Senate by Mr..
Everett for the relief of Henry Cronchy, a
person who has claims, or tancies he has claims,
against our government for services rendered
in the joint as well as several capacities of minis
ter. secretary of legation, and attache of that
particular mission.
Mr. Henry Cronchy became first attached to
he American Legation in London in the time
of Mr. Everett, in the capacity Of an occasional
copyist, and being found an intelligent, useful
sort of man, he was subsequently, appointed
clerk at salary Of $500 IA year. Having made
himself thoroughly acquainted with the routine
duties of the Office, and succeeded in rendering
himself the factotum of the legation, he soon
monopolized all the real business of the en-
bassv, the minister and subordinates for the
time being being but too glad to escape from its
dry and irksome details, and, secure in such an
efficient substitute, to enjoy the pleasures Of q
sojourn at some aristocratic country residence
or fashionable watering place, Mr.. Cronchy
became literally the representative Of the great
American people, and the Deus er machiaa Of
the legation With his increased Importance came
change in his original unassuming and modest
manners, and complaints were occasionally
heard from our travelling citizens Of his AFRO
gance and impotence of temper. But few
Americans who visited the legation on business
ever saw any one but Mr.. Cronchy, and he seems