Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-02-08


Tribune" caters for its readers.
In many instances negotiations are best car
ried on at the Court Of the foreign government
when. too, . commissioner sent out for the job
would be incompetent for the purpose.
Again, the science of international law is in
its merest infancy. 1t must be constantly
modified in its now incipient stage, by the pc
culiarities Of each form Of government te
which its doctrines are to be applied. What g
bold novelty-what u striking originality
what a vast and important element, does the
moral and material force Of such q nation as
the United States offer for the construction OF
an international code! Indeed, we have already
unsettled old and established usages, and en-
| grated on the customs of international obser'
vance new theories and practices stamped with
their purely republican origin. Is it desirable
that we should have no complete and we'll
| appointed corps Of laborers to continue TINS
work?
Nor is the pretense that the personnel OF the
diplomatic department is behind that OF other
branches ofthe public service, in capacity or
efficiency, entitled to better credit. Its achieve
ments are certainly not inferior. 1t is true
that instances can be found of unworthy men
in high diplomatic, Us we'll as in other stations
of our W or foreign governments. But we
are proud to say, it has never been our lot to
be brought in official contact with an incompe-
tent or unworthy American diplomatist. So
far rs our own associates are concerned, for
eign missions have been filled with men, not at
all wanting in character and efficiency, or who
failed in any instance to command the perfect
respect of his diplomatic colleagues.
We learned our first lessons in diplomacy
under the eye of the present Governor of Vir-
ginia. The suppression Of the African slave
trade on United States vessels; timely endea.
vors for the enlargement Of commerce among
American nations, by the removal Of obstruct-
ing restrictions and a wiser balance of recipro-
cal tariff duties; labored expositions of the
continental and general international policy of
our Government, sufficient to win the conf
dence Of the Brazilian Government, at q time
when serious endorsements threatened war
with England and actually involved war with
Mexico, winning for him the cordial approba-
ton of his own Government, and unusual CON-
mendations from the pen of John c. Calhoun;
a watchful supervision of the different consular
Offices, resulting more than once in the prompt
removal of improper appointees-constant cor
reSpondence with American representatives &C.
credited to neighboring States, counselling and
assisting their efforts for the immunity of our
commerce, in the midst ofopen hostilities induc-
ed by English and French armed Intervention;
a jealous advocacy Of the long standing claims
of his compatriots for indemnity from the
Brazilian Government; a maintenance Of their
rights, so jealous that he did not hesitate to sus-
pend diplomatic intercourse, on account of in
suit offered to q subaltern officer under his
flag such were the cares and labors which
increasingly occupied his time, and called into
all the capacities Of a very energetic
mind.
Successive periods of service at the Court Of
Berlin, under Messrs. Daniel D. Barnard, Of
New York, and Peter D. Vroom, Of New Jer-
sey, have furnished US with other instances to
which we can point with patriotic pride. Apart
from all the heavier labors of the post, the
successful attention Of either Of these gentle
men to the intricate details Of European politics,
in labors, the monuments Of which are
now on file ut the State Department, and which,
if directed in the line Of private enterprise,
would have furnished either with a rsnumera-
ton far beyond the insufficient amount of his
official salary.
Our last period of diplomatic service was full
filled under the command Of the very man up
on whom Mr.. Horace Greeley has chosen to
pour out his choicest walls Of insolent SANDER
John Y. Mason, Of Virginia. We have met
with nothing in the way of degraded journal
ism so unreasonably vindictive, so wantonly
cruel as the systematic course Of persecution
to which this noble and generous gentleman,
this warm-hearted patriot, this accomplished
and very sagacious statesman has been sub
jected, through the editorial columns of
the New York Tribune" At the very
time when this man, who has never will
fully injured a living being, lay stricken
with illness so severe that nothing but q bodily
constitution almost as strong as his own vigor-
Gus intellect gave hope Of his recovery, the
harpy of this abolition sheet was sounding
bitter derisive calumny in the ears of his dis
tressed family.
knowing John Y. Mason, as We do, we can
assure the people Of Virginia, who knew him
too, not many years ago, that this Virginia
statesman now brings to the performance Of
his diplomatic duties, the same high qualities
Of head and heart, which commanded our es-
TEEN when he occupied a judicial station
in our midst, when he represented us in
Congress, when he guided the delibera-
tons of the Cabinet Of James X Polk, with an
ability and success which no succeeding ad.
ministration of the General Government has
been able to command; when he stood forward
the foremost man in Virginia in the advocacy
and furtherance Of . comprehensive system Of
public works, or when he was called to preside
over the ablest deliberative body which has
assembled in our State capitol since the days
of John Marshall and James Monroe.
Time and space now fail us to specify the
labors which have won him new honors in his
present high position. We will reserve this
grateful task for another opportunity.
10 CORRESPONDENTS.
'Anti-Letcher Democrat."-We must re-
spectfully decline publishing your communica-
ton as well as your proposed "series Of arti-
cles" in review Of the Rufner pamphlet
The Hon. John Letcher is the candidate of our