Butte record., 1856-01-05

father Of the one could not bend his
son to taste for the soapboiier's trade
any more l,>en the fathcr of The other
could bend his son to taste for diplo-
macy.
Benjamin Franklin was one Of the
most extraordinary men the country OF
the world has produced. Bancroft SAYS
she was the greatest diplomatist Of
the eighteenth century. He never
spoke a word too soon; he never
spoke word too late; never spoke a
word too much, and he never failed to
/ speak the right word at the Ii hit sea-
son"
Bancroft, as is woH known, Is O
very able diplomatist himself, and no
( one IS better qualified to Judge of
Franklin's merits in this respect than
be.
Franklin, being the son Of a poor
soapboiIer, had very slender adyanta-
ges for an early education; but the
strong mind and great love of knowl-
edge that nature had given him, soon
enabled him to step forth from the ob-
scure condition in which he was born.
The country has been tolerably pro
life in good diplomatizts since Frank
Inns time but we can probably count
the period that Will intervene before
we have another like him by centuries.
Ex-President Van Buren IS a very
abe diplomatist, and his father, we be-
heve, bore but little resemblance to
Chesterfield, OF, at least, subjected his
son to no such diplomatic training as
Chesterfield did his.
We hardly know Of any exhibition
Herr AleXander7s not excepted
calculated to create in a spectator
greater curiosity and astollishment
tAan chat Of an interview between
Talleyland and Van Buren, in which
each was trying to pump" the otber.
Van s}uren himself, We believe, has
given an account Of his last interview
with Ialleyrand, when lie (Fan Buren)
was minister to the court Of London !;
on which occasion, Gin common with
most others when they mot, We pre-
sume,) the curious and interesting
operation spoken OF above, was mutu-
ally sought to be performed. The day
' an Buren was to leave England for
the United States, Talleyrand, hap
pening at tie time to be in London,
called upon him, and seemed to have
something important to communicate.
Van Buren DID not 1--WE do not say
couid noN speak French, and there was
no Interpreter at hand. Time was
precious, and what was to be done! In
previous interviews they had always
communicated with each other through
the medium Of an Interpreter. Van
Buren makes a motion politely express
siye Of his regret at the awllwardness
Of the interview, and also Of the neces-
city Of his going. After an impatient
gesture or two, Talleyrand breaks out
in very good English, with, ''Well,
well, if there is no Interpreter, | sup
pose [ must talk English, if YOU viii
not French"
We don't profess to be very well
informed as to President Van Buren's
knowledge of languages, but We would
Just suggest that if any man happened
to be in his company, and desired to
communicate something to another that
he didn' wish Mr.. Van Buren, to I'M
derstand, that he should use other Ian
guage than the French.
There were two women in the last
half century who displayed extraordin-
ary diplomatic talents; so extraordin-
ary, in fact, that for long time they
possessed very great influence over two
Of the greatest heroes the world has for
many centuries produced, and exer-
cised no little control over the destin-
les Of Europe. We allude TO the En-
press Josephene and to Lady Hamil-
ton. We look in vain Cor any evidence
of the bending of the twig towards
diplomacy in the early I'VE cannot say
education, for one of them had money!
bringing up of the daughters of the
West India planter, and the poor la
borer Of Lancashire. Nature, in spite
Of the most adverse circumstances,
seemed bent upon making them diplo-
matists. Mrs Powell, the most cele-
brated actress Of her time, and Lady
Hamilton, were both servants together
in the family Of a Dir. Budd-one a
housemaid, and the other a nursery
maid. We see nothing in the seryi-
ces here rendered, calculated to fore
shadow that greatness they both after
wards achieved. The heroes Of Traf-
algar and Ansterlitz never bowed to
another's influence as they bowed to
that of the two famous women from
whose counsel they SO long profted.-
The influence Of one Of these woman
o7er the greatest of naval heroes, only
-. IL - L. u,