The New York herald., 1865-01-06

macy aad the Mission to France.
President Lincoln Is . very curious oombina-
ton of Rabelais and Richelieu. With all the
coarse, shrewd wit Of the former, he possesses
all the diplomatic adroitness and sagacity of
the latter. In the West he was equally cele-
brated for his broad stories and his keen cum
ming; but 1t must be admitted that since he be-
oame President his stories have proven him .
true humorist, and his cunning, when applied
to State affairs, has been transformed into diplo-
macy During his term Of Office he has dis
played his powers by completely superseding
the renowned Joe Miller and by deceiving, de-
feating and disappointing our ablest profess
sional politicians His original nomination at
Chicago, for which he undoubtedly pulled the
wires, was his first great triumph as q diplo-
matist, and when his election ratified that
triumph he filed his Cabinet with bis rivals, as
a practical joke. Since then these rivals have
been more or less employed in intriguing against
him; but what advantage have they gained!
he has secured another nomination at Balti-
more; he has been reelected by the people; he
is master Of the situation for four more years,
and he has a worldwide fame-thanks to the
HERALD-as popular humorist and political
diplomatist As the Commander-in-C Chief of our
armies and navies he failed; but as humorist
and diplomatist he has no rival in the coun-
try. Indeed, SO perfectly are the qualities
of Rabelais and Richelieu mingled in
his character that his humor Is always diplo-
matte and his diplomacy excessively humorous
So soon as President Lincoln was reelected,
last November, his political friends began to
select and apply for the Offices which they de-
sired as the rewards of their jealous and
patriotic services in the Baltimore Convention
or during the campaign. In our opinion the
Presidents estimate of the value of these SER
vices Was exceedingly small. he could hardly
feel very grateful to others for denomination
which he had himself achieved, or for re-elec-
ton which he owed less to tho labors of his
friends than 70 the weakness and mismanage-
ment Of his opponents It must have seemed
to him rather cool thing for those whom he
had checkmated at Baltimore, and those who
had been forced to 60 for Lincoln or nobody
during the canvass. to come and ask favors at
his hands; but come they did, and in multi
tudes that no man could number. Among the
Offices especially desired that of Minister to
France was most prominent. Paris is very
gay city, a very lively city, very enjoyable
cty, and most Americans are as anxious to go
there as good Christians are to go to heaven.
Usage and precedent have settled that 1t is not
necessary to speak French in order to be our
French Minister, and SO that consideration de-
TERED nobody. Some forty or fifty leading
republicans are said to have applied for this
position within month, and how many names
have been added to the list since that time Mr..
Lincoln and his private secretary only know.
But the best Of it is that each Of these appli-
cants claimed that the French mission had been
expressly promised to him before election
"a the price Of his support Either old Blair,
or youns Blair, or one Of the little Blairs, or
some responsiD..a Or irresponsible agent of Mr..
Lincoln, had offered ...is glittering bait, and
each Of the forty or fisyT gSgdgeons had
taken it down. As matter Of party euqSette
Mr.. Lincoln was obliged to consider these ap-
plications, and 80 be listened, and laughed, and
got Of few jokes, and hinted to each aspirant
that he would surely be the lucky man, and
finally said that Minister Dayton was doing
very we'll and could not be removed until after
the reinaugurstion. With this answer every
claimant was Of course satisfied, and had it not
been for special dispensation of Providence
Mr.. Lincoln's decision and this eulogistic
article would have been postponed until next
March.
But in the course Of time it happened that
Minister Dayton suddenly died, while visiting
an American lady, just after dinner. Hardly
had this news been received here before forty
or fifty kilograms were despatched to Mr.. Lin
coin and forty or fifty politicians were travel
ling with railroad speed to visit Mr. Lincoln,
and all about this French mission. 1t was
then that the genius of our gifted President
shone most brightly. Inspired by the spirits of
Rabelais and Richelieu, he had made up his
mind what to do before the first telegram was
received or the first applicant for the Office had
donned clean dickey and pulled the Presi-
Dental doorbell The spirit Of Rabelais sug-
gested what good joke II would be to humbug
all the aspirants. The spirit Of Richelieu sug-
gested that it was not polite to make enemies
Of forty-nine Of the claimants for the sake of
pleasing one of them. Jimmy, the doorkeeper,
(since discharged by Mrs. Lincoln), received
orders to usher in the anxious inquirers singly,
and to each Of them the President stated that
he had not yet decided about that French mis-
sion, and that he guessed he would let Bigelow
describe the antique gravity Of Mr..
Lincoln's classic features as he rolled
out this bit Of choice Latin, nor the
paralyzing effect upon the forty or fifty appli-
cants for Minister Dayton's shoes and portfolio.
They felt an overpowering consciousness that
the game was up, and we can assure them that