The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-04

general business of their principals, the new
COnveyances, the line fences, the trespassers
those who threaten to trespass, the suits, and
those influences, insidious and otherwise,
which sometimes generate great and involun-
tary changes.
From this imperfect sketch. it is apparent
that the United States do not belong. natu-
rally, to the European diplomatic system any
more than China does, excepting in our com
mercial relationships, and these are mostly
managed by Consuls, whose peculiar province
they are. Comparatively speaking, then. our
diplomatlsts IN Europe have little or nothing
in common with the European body. and
under ordinary circumstances, are a com
paratively idle body, and a useless BODY.
The ten thousand little affairs which directly
and indirectly occupy and interest the Euro
pean diplomatist are of not the SLIGHTEST
concern to the American Envoy, as thew have
no bearing, near or remote upon American
interests.
The conclusion is, that the rules which
apply to the diplomatic profession i'm Europe
have no application to us, or our body of dipio-
matists. We publicly recognize this in the
fact that in this country diplomacy is not
made career as it is there Our diploma
lists are not grown, they are made-sometimes
out Of whole cloth, often out of wood, some-
times out of putty or poor clay. Such as they
are--good, bad, and indiffeTent-they are pro
H.,
out practice or experience in their duties
duties which are, happily, of such a light and
general character that there is seldom any
balk in discharging them. These representa-
tives thus spring into being, remain visible
while, and then disappear from their orbits
forever. But while this is the case, we pre-
serve the traditions of European diplomacy,
that to such and such Court there must
be such and such a kind of Minister
Er1rp 4hn,ra sg
lent reason for this, as we may see from the
organization of the diplomatic service among
them. There are the subOrdinates, and there
are the chiefs of a regular profession, and the
opportunities of promotion must be preserved,
or the system would break down, and it is
essential it should not break down. But with
us these considerations have no weight. As a
matter of fact, our Government is under no
constraint on the subject and may do pre-
cisely as it likes in regard to the qua
lity of the representatives it deputies to
any European court. 1t is thus we come to
the conclusion that it would be wise to reor-
ganize our diplomatic service on the basis of
sending out to perform it only those who are
necessary to discharge its plain and limited
duties. And we hold that, with few excep-
tions, we require nothing but Charges des
Afaires at European COURTS and that one of
these is sufficient for two or three places,
even WL6I6 we uOW IdluIdlu ministers at
each.
We could not on an instant's notice venture
to say positively Just what the necessities of
each case demanded but in the general we
think we see very plainly where some useful
reforms could be instituted. Perhaps we need
a full mission to England, and at least a Resi-
dent Minister in Paris. But we know no rea-
son why our interests in Spain and Portugal
should not be united and committed to the
care of single Charge des Affaires. We
think that Austria and Switzerland would be
well served by a similar arrangement, and
Italy and Rome by another like it. Certainly
a Charge for Constantnople and the East
would be ample, as it would be likewise for
Belgium and Holland. Perhaps we should
require a Resident Minister at Berlin and
another at st. Petersburg; but nobody could
say that Denmark and Sweden could demand
anything more than a Charge des Atfaires
between them.
We offer these suggestions for the considera-
tion of the Senate Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions, and commend them to their serious
attention. While those gentlemen appear to
be for increasing the rank, and of course the
pay, of our representatives in Europe, at least
in one instance, we are for diminishing them.
Some of the members of that committee belong
to the progressive school; and we should be
glad to see them progress in the right direc-
ton, on the subject which we have now ven
tured to call to their notice. They have an
excellent opportunity to distinguish them
selves by reform based on the ideas we have
thrown out, which we doubt not would COM
mand the liveliest appreciation Of the public.