New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-04-15


free and enlightened citizen is delegated be made up
to him by swinging salary, while Paris and Lon
don should be allowed as 80 much on account oy
the fortunate holders OF these prizes; something
as Fonblanque Of The London Examiner suggested
years ago. in relation TO the English Church and
lis inequalities-that the revenues OF tens and
twenties Of thousands should be assigned for the
trial of the virtue Of the curates while the hierar
chy should taper up 10 an Archbishop of Canter-
bury with forty pounds year. Still, we do not
violently expect that our hint will be acted on BY
the present Administration which has not shown
ts readiness to take the advice We have never
withheld from it, which would have been for Its
advantage and the good of the country, and we
must submit TO see the saying still hold good that
TO them that have shall be given.
The other saying, that to whom much is given
from him much shall be required, we may be sure
will not come to pass. For we don't give them
ythipg expecting anything in return. The SUI
perstition Of former times was that fitness for an
Office was an incident not absolutely immateral in
the qualifications of candidate. But, bless you,
we have transcribed that weakness long years ago.
In fact, in free country, every man should be
locked upon as good as every other NAB, in this
respect as in others, and plaguy sight better
too The constitution of cabinets and the selection
Of foreign ministers have for a long time borne
witness to the truth of this apophthegm. Fitness
is the last thing regarded in the matter. The
question is not What can you do but
" What have you done The good and faithful
servant whohas been most active in helping his lord
to Lis Kingdom, issuTe of entering in to ENJOY the
best things il has to offer, while the weaker sort
have to take up with the leayings. The men who
have done the most toward Inducing the President
into the White House have their pick OF the Sec
Rotary ships and the frst.class missions, while the
lesser Offices are nicely appOrtioned according to
an accurately. graduated scale of services among
the retaincrs below the salt. There may be some
degree OF attention paid TO the qualifications vi
candidates in certain material particulars for some
of the home placer. Perhaps man who could
not read and write would not be appointed Sec
rotary Of State, and knowledge OF the first four
rules of arithmetic may be considered convenient,
if not even essential, in a Secretary OF the
Treasury. But no such nicetes are required FROM
ambassadors TO foreign courts. Electioneerlng
services are all that we look at. Er qaO5ts
"Hgno fit Mereurius;" we can manufacture.
Mercury ont of any stump.
A knowledge of European history, an acquaint-
ance with the present state of affairs in the world
and competent knowledge of the modern tongues
one would suppose at the first blush to be indis-
pensable in diplomat. MATS nous drOns change
tout ella. 1t is no e1aggeratiOn to say that we do
rot care whether our representatives abroad can
read or write, for we do not care whether they are
able TO speak eyen-as witness Mr.. Mason at Paris
and Mr.. Dodge at Madrid General information
or specific acquisition are equally unimportant.
Fortunately it is, as Mr.. ToOts says, of no con-
sequence" As there is nothing for them to do,
dumb man will serve as well as Cicero. If there
happens to be any business of vital importance,
such as helping ourselves TO Cuba, for instance, We
pick out mau equal TO the emergency. When
there is work like this to be done, the dos have to
stand aside for such man as Mr. SOule, who, like
Sir Andrew Aguecheek, speaks three or four Ian
'guages, word for word without book and hath
"all the good gifts of nature, and among them,
that of being ga great quarreer.' But when he
had tried csjolng and bullying gold and lead, and
all in vain, Mr.. Dodge will serve perfectly well asa
wig block in his place. We DO not object to pay
ing public servants properly for public seryce';
but We think i! is putting rather too fne point
upon it. 10 make our diplomacy mere soup
kitchen for the sustentation of sturdy political
mendicants. If il must be used in some sense as
part of electoneeriDg machinery-as we fear i! can
hardly be entirely disentanged from it now-we
trust that the Coming Man Should lie ever arriye)
will at least possess such discretion in its appica-
ton as to make our diplomacy, if not useful at
least not SO very unornamenta as it is at present.