Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-01-08
From The Boston Daily Advertiser
FORHIGN POLICY or THE GOVERN.
HUkKT

Mr. Seward will hardly bear away from
this war any better trophy Of his official sue
cess than the tribute paid at Richmond 10
the success Of his diplomatic management
The Richmond Wig especially declares with
emphasis that the change in the attitude Of
Europe towards the Confederacy is explained
by the fact, that the superior diplomacy OF
the United States has easde 1t appear for
the interest Of Europe 20 bc inmicsl to the
United States Tho Yankee system OF for.
eign management they deem almost inimit-
able" but still they beg their Government to
try it, And even the gloomy exposition Of
foreign affairs given by Davis in his mess.
age, was, in fact, and when compared with
his previous Statements of the case, n con-
fsssion that in diplomacy he had been com.
pletely distanccd, and that, AZ he urges in
the face Of reason, law aud interest, foreign
powers have oecn persuaded to favor the
cause Of, the United States.
This admission of the rese.S is after all
only fresh illustration Of the view which
we often enforced, that in the higher polite
!. al qualities the rebel leaders, SO far from be-
ing gifted, as has been SO commonly held,
are in fact deficient, and that their supposed
experience in government, which half the
world regarded as guaranty of success for
their management now, was simply an expe
rience in the practice Of the lower political
arts, not qualifying them for the higher af.
fairs of government Their position, both
! as regards their own people n part of the
people OF tho Nerth, has been such as to
give them full practice in the methods by
which men are made subsefvient for polite
al ends; but upon the broader field Of poll |
ties in matters involving real craftsmanship,
fhey have sought few occasions for ven,ur-
ing and especially in this matter of diplo- !
macy, the annals Of our Government in the !
years when it was under their control say I
but little for their skill or success, or for,
their experience, in its higher walks.
The selection Of agents made by them, /
when It became necessary to scheme for Flu.
rspcsn support, sufficiently demonstrates the
poverty OF their resources in this particular.
Mr.. Mason, the man well qualified and nc
customcd to cowing FESTIVE Denocratic allies ,
into submission, but never credited with any
high degree Of political wisdom, OF mental
power or attractiveness Of manner, and Mr..
Slidcll, the card-table intrigucr, vcrscd in the
arts of deceit, shrewd and selfish. but with
even less than his colleagues political judy.
ment, were the men whom the rebels hailed .
as their best representatives, the men who,
OF oil their number, were most sure to make
the appeal to reason and interest with sue
cess and to foil the Vaccinations OF tn, Coy
eminent. As a choice of Repre- sentative
men the selection could not have been more
fortunate, nor as on exercise Of political in
fiuence could it have been more abortive.--
Landing in Europe with no small capital in
the shape of notoriety and popular sympa-
thy, the rebel government is forced 70 con-
fess that its cmisssries have completely fail
ed Of every important object.
The Government, on the other hand, has
been able to call to its aid diplomatic capaci-
ty Of very different order. There have
been few periods of our history when we
have had in Europe four ministyrs of such .
ability and estimation in the eyes Of the .
world at large, as Messrs Adams, Dayton,
Motley and Marsh. With the two leading
powers especially, our cause has been upheld
with distinguished ability, vigilance and sue |,
cess. and it has only needed an adequate rep
resentation at the friendly court of'St. Peters
burg to make our diplomatic corps at the
I'm ostiiInrortant points meet every demand Of
the rnost critical emergency. The efforts Of
this excellent body of diplomatists have been
directed moreover by a statesman who, with
little ,experiencs in national Office, had habit
ually given a closer attention to the broad
relations of affairs than large part Of our
offcars. previously in high station had ever
been capable of, and who is confessedly gift
ed with a singular power of discreet and
cven subtle management In such hands the
good cause has achieved triumph Of success
over its opponents which even they are forced
10 admit; it has made its way against preju-
dice and even against supposed interest, and
l, ~, Id xko 81, ,f
those who proudly claimed q monopoly OF
the craftsmanship Of the country, as they
cff,cor