Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-11-01

the Constitution. to preside over the destnss o
these Uuited States. we account the filing Of the
French mission. lately made vacant by the death
Of Judge Mason, one OF the greatest and most dis
tressing Not that there 10 any lack of material
for the position. On the contrary Old Buck is af-
aicted with an embarrassment of riches" in this
respect that its dreadful think Of II is the very
supcrabundance of material that is at the bottom
Of all his trouble. To select the proper one. out
Of So many eager patriots who arc willing TO
dance attendance in the ceurtly salons OF Nnpo-
leon le petit, TO the agreeable tune of seventeen
thousand Ave hundred dollars year, 10 what
sore vcxes tho patriotic soul of tho venerable
Buck, and agitates, with unsecmly excitement,
the ordinarily grave deliberations OF his mosaic
Cabinet.
1t is one of the happicst fe atures Of our Demo
cratic Republican Government that public Offices
never go Alleging. Let there he vacancy, in
any department OF tho public service, from seat
in the Council Board of the Cabinet down 70 the
Postmas;ership Of an interior hamlet and there
are always plenty Of ciixsns ready to sacrifice
themselves to the call Of their country and the
exge ncies of the public service. Whatever 9TH
or causes may contribute 10 tho downfall OF
"cur glorious Institutions VIC feel entirely safe
in assuming that such dreadful catastrophe
viii never occur for the lack of patriots en- ough
10 discharge ,he .inecure duties OF most of the
public Offices oil The coun,ry-parienlary when
their native patriotism properly stimulated by
q copious supply Of what Col. Benton used 10 call
Govern ment mint-drop.." but which the rrcscr-
ent public Of the present day is wont to charnc
terisc by the conventional and inderiyutiyc term
"spondulix.'
According TO all accounts. there mover were 50
many applicants before for the mission to the
Court of Sain, Cloud. The applicants themselves,
and their friends. are said to swarm tho BANG
of Washington City thicker than leaves in Val
lambrosa," or Sora in the marshes of lower Nir.
gina. or "Patricks" in the muster Of the Hi
bernian militia. In the whirl and excitement of
their opportunities and expostuations, we mag
inc that Old Buck is badgcred md bothered to
that degree that his larboard eve makes a more
than ordinarily obtuse angle of vision with the
upper air, and that his usually seteue white cho-
ker troubles him even to greater extent than tho
same article of vestiture does tho celebrated Mr..
Toodes in the play. when that gentleman is Ia.
boring under the affects Of too much potaton in
what Mr., Richard Swiveller, by u characteristic
conceit denomnates "tho rosy"
New York, alone 40 we unde rstand. presents
four candidates ior the French Mission--Ex Scna-
tor Dix, Judge Roosevelt. Prince John Van Blu.
rem. and last but not the least, tho Cheyalicr
james Gordon Bennett. Dix and Ro4 .evelt have
the advantage over the other two of being rccog-
missed as gentlemen. The Princes qualifications
consist in being travelled man, in having snuff
fed the pcrfumed air Of European Courts when
his Governor" was President Of the United
States, and in being bogus Prince, which is
probably, in arstocratie circles bcttc thaa being
no Prince at all. An accomplished mountcbank.
and "happy" in post prandial speeches. ho is the
man, above all others. for the low comedy depart
ment Of our European diplomacy. But when We
come to Bennett we see at once that his merits ex-
coed those OF all the othors, even with the same
proportion with his chances Of success Having
been one of the bit,erest opponents of Buchauan's
election, he occupies now, Of course. a command
ing place in bis affections. The Presidents rule
has been to reward his enemies and punish his
friends-a policy he has pursued ever since the
last war with great Britain. when though Fed
eralist. he shouldered his musket and started to
the defence of Baltimore. There is no telling
how much he would have damaged his friends on
that occasion, but that the British, hearing that
Buck was coming, took to their heels, and ncon.
tinently ncd the country.
But Bennett possesses another qualification OK.
ceedinsy rare in an American diplomat that Of
both speaking and writing the language of the
country 10 which be seefs TO be accredited, In
European nations familiar acquaintance with
all the modern languages is considered one OF the
indispensable qualifications of an ambassador
With us, not so. We send diplomatic represen-
tat'ves abroad not to protect the interests of tho
country, but TO propitiate some party interest Mt
home For this reason We mostly take crovelling
politicians for such places instead of statesmen
and scholars. Now, the Chevalicr Bennett being
tabooed in respectable society in New York, has
resided for considerable portion of his time, Of
late years. in the French Capital. 10 this way,
and as one Of the necessities Of journalism also,
he has acquired knowledge of tho French Ian
guage, which would enable him to hold diplo
matte pow-wow with the best of them. Can Mr.
Buchanan overlook this rare and singular qual6
cstionf Can bs afford, also to disregard tho
fact that Bennett. Is French Minister. would have
the counsel and assistance Of that "6dus Achatcs'
that intimate Of Palmerston confdant o.
Louis Napoleon-that well.beloved Of Opera
prime dome, and special aversion OF Miss Gamble
the Incompatible Chsvalier Wykofi Hardly
fNew York get the mission, the Cheyalier Ben.
nett must Of necessity be the man. Tire Ben.
netti ess .-w s=s
Bot will New York get That's the ques.
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