The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-23

COMPLAINTS AGAINST DIPLOMATIC AND Con-
suIAR AGENTS ABRoAD.--We have received a
lengthy statement too prolix for insertion in
our columns, of complaint preferred by DR..
Ducachet an American physician practising
at Guyana, in Porto Rico, against Mr.. Latimer,
United States Consul at st. Johns, the capital
of that island. The facts, as nearly as we can
gather them, are these:-
1t seems that in consequence OF the break
ing out of the cholera at ST. Johns the Gap
tain General ordered the Alcalde OF Quay
anna to send physician there, who fixed
doctor happened at the time to be labor
ing under the effects of recent attack of i'll
ness, and requested Mr.. Francis B. Preston,
the United States consular agent at Guayama,
to address an official communication to Mr. La
timer, embracing full statement of the facts,
and requesting him to lay it before the Captain
General The return of post brought reply
from Mr.. Latimer stating that the doctor
while practising on the island must conform to
the laws which governed Spanish physicians
and surgeons, some of whom had been sent
from their families and private practice to in
fected places, and that he, consequently, could
not present his memorial. On the receipt
of this communication, DR.. Ducachet not
thinking it prudent to disebey the order, set
out on his journey on horseback there being
no other mode Of conveyance, but was taken
i'll at the first town on his route, and was
compelled to remain there some days. From
thence he addressed q letter to the Captain
General direct, stating his case and request
ing to be relieved from the duty assigned to
him. His Excellency at once kindly despatch
ed an express to the place where he was stay
ing, with instructions to the Alcalde to provide
him with every comfort that his invalid state
required and when restored to health to al
low him to return home. DR.. Ducachet con-
trasts the Governors generous conduct with
that of Mr. Latimer, who was not called upon
to pronounce any opinion on the merits of his
case, but simply to discharge duty imposed
upon him by his office-that of presenting a
memorial to the authorities from an American
citizen who felt himself rather hardly
pressed upon. He alleges that the Consul's
motive for acting as he did was the appreheI-
sion that his interests would suffer from his in
terference-he being a merchant at st. Johns
and having heavy commercial interests at stake.
The conclusion which the doctor draws from
these premises, on the correctness Of which we
do not undertake to pronounce an opinion is
that it is impolitic on the part of this country
to entrust the care Of her interests abroad to
men who are liable to be controlled by such
considerations. This opinion comedies with
the view we have always expressed of the ex-
pediency of rendering the position Of our d.
plomatic and consular agents independent
of local influences, ny giving them such sa-
larics as will enable them to fulfil in q becom-
ng and efficient manner the responsible du-
les assigned to them.
In regard to the merits of Doctor Ducachet's
complaint against Mr.. Latimer, we can, of
course, have nothing to say, until both sides Of
the question are before us. In fact, we do not
think that the public journals are the proper
quarter to address such charges to, when there
is any reasonable foundation for them. The
Department of State, and failing its action,
Congress itself, are the legitimate tribunals
to which all complaints against public func-
tionaries should be addressed. 1t is time
enough to have recourse to the newspapers
when redress cannot be obtained through the
regular channels of authority.