The true Democrat., 1857-02-24
The New British Minister.

We find in a late number of the New York Times the following brief sketch of Lord Ma. per, the Lew British minister to the United States, whose arrival in this country may be looked for toward the cease of next month: Lord Napier Is not peer of the United King dom; he lS only Scotch noLeman, but he s the representative ut one of the most illustrous families ln British history, and whatever his own personal merits be, he is related to an i'm mense number of heroes and distinguished men. lie Is descended from the renowned Sir John Napler,oi Nerchiston, who invented logarthms: ms father was the well known Chinese com missioner, and hlS maternal grandfather Is Ad- mlral the Earl ot Dundouald, who distingui,b ed hlmsel! with Lord Cochraue in the service ol the South American provinces in their N ar oi independence, and m the Greek war He be- longs [" the iamliy nf the historian of the Pm lHsuiar War, oi the hero Of the Scinde. and of the eccentric Admira. Napier, of whom we have lately heard 50 much. Lord Napier was f,rm. erly attached to the British Legation in Naples: and sihce the close of the Crimean War he has been residing on his estate iu scotland He i. ' represented as grave man Of business: but h, ne Is thriy-cight years old and has not been Ncht "n an independent mission belore it i, not probable that he IS a man oi brilliant intellect. He ls married and has children. In addition to Scotch pesTage he Is Baronet of Nova Scotia.
 The appointment of Lord Napier to the Am erlcan mission has induced the London Times to Indulsei m some uueaSy-mauy persons think lIl-uatured speculations in regard to his Gtues, to represent with ability and success her Maies. tvs Government in Republic like the United States. We give below the conclusion of inc remarks of our grumbling transatlantic cotem- porary:
 This is the only ground or which we see any reason against the appointment of Lord Nanirr as British minister at Washington. Bv his previous career he would appear to be admir-. ably fitted for any diplomatic appointment in the git ot the crown, save only the mission to Washlngton He has been we'll taught He has practsed the craft of diplomacy in Vienna Ieheran, Constantinople, Naples, St. Peters. burgh, and again at Constantinople. He is therefore, well adapted to represent his country Tn the East, or at any of the despotic and milf. tary courts of continental Europe. The very assldulty, however, with which he has labored in ms vocation at such posts proves that he has never had tune to gain and insight into the working of free institutions He has now to complete his education at Washington. A bet. ter choice might have been made but certainly many worse one, as dipomatists go. lis not our wish to cavil at the man, for he enjoys a very high reputation for capacity; but we object to the system. The choice of our minister at Washington shauld be an exceptional one, as the caso Is exceptional. A straightforward pub llc man, accustomed to popular forms, with an English tongue In his head-he needs no other would Ie the best representative we could send across the Atlantic. Let us hope that a wiser system may in time be adopted with re- gard to these diplomatic posts. and meanwhile wish Lord Napier joy of his appointment. If he forgets well nigh all he ever learned, and takes warning by the example of his predeces- Sors, he may do his country good service, even at Washington.