New-York tribune., 1867-09-26
,,,v,srpps pLENIPOTEYTTARY.

able Secretary of State is slow. Diplomacy the
world over is a tardy business. Nations, IL Is
observed, must take their time, ana those whom
they delegate for that purpose are supposed 10
understand the art in all It's branches Inc
stately guild Of diplomats are the ages chiei
conseIyatives-the most useful ana acconi-
plished order Of incubi known to the Wollu-a
school of polished fogies whom 1t Is possiOie W
bow ont of the world. They are a company oi
ocnteel nedagogues who, on rare OCCASIONS
and in singular instances, may be an men OF
two in advance of the people, but are Iar
oftener far behind them. They no longer thiiik
Il sbrewd to make use of the birch i'll az minis
terne the lessons of politics, or in teaching the
people not to know; and to this extent
our political missionaries are IN accoiu
with the general sentiment OF the tlnie'
But the envoy extraordinary Is, neVertneicsS'
extraordinarily slow. Steam and the press sur
round and 90 by this political Gallipago; the
Gable dives under him, and the telegraph scars
over him: but he is the same sow-coach III
tho midst of q thousand locomotives. 10 the
Philistines who imagine that the world Oh ma
tions rests upon the back OF tortoise OF 'iis
character, diplomacy is the most marvellous anu
mysterious of arts, and the more yoiunilhouS
it's labOrs the greater is its revelation 10 the
world The Philistines are wrong. Diplomacy
as n business thriyes upon canGor ratner
than intrigue; and, if it be science,
it amounts in the long run to the science
of reading the newspapers. Nations nave
so far progressed in mutual understand
ines that the minister is little more, Tor
| the most part, than messenger. On points OF
hot hp
doing him at every turn. While he travels IN
tho old coach of state the sympatmes OF the
people reach electrically round the world and
the business of the diplomat is anticipated.
| A few days ago came to hand some oiliciai
memoranda of the reception OF our country-
men in Russia. 1t was dry and STALE and late,
but it was all that the established GallipagOn-
ism of our State Department could accomIno-
date us to in the way of transmitting news.
A full account of the same event, graphc IN
all its features and details, was sent to IHE
| TRIBUNE by its special correspondent in Russia,
and received publicity week or two ago.
The difference between the two accounts, III
point of interest was that between a lawyers
brief and n chapter of history, while IN respect
to expedition there can be no comparison
instituted between the slowness OF the State
and the celerity Of the Press. In much the
same way have the correspondents and COM
mssioners of that easy gong newspaper me
London Times, far outrun and out-wrltten the
ENJOYS, ambassadors, and agents of the English
Government. We fancy the late Lord Palmer
ston reading the London newspapers to find out
the probable results of certain negotiations IN
distant quarters of the world; but such an incl
dent cannot be so common in the journalism OF
the Old World as it is among the less fettered
and more indomitable enterprises of the New
The amount of intelligence which reaches us by
lightning express from thousands of miles across
the water may well amaze the elephantine
power of our foreign cotemporary. 1t is from
correspondents that we learn just those things
which men like Bismarck and Garibald i'm
part only to these rowing commissioners. A
diplomatist or ambassador is, unfortunately,
not the correspondent Of n newspaper, nor is it
his privilege to write contemporary history IN the
vein of Russell, or TO give lis official news
with the ability and dispatch of a travelling re-
porter. His melancholy occupation Is to tell us
from time to time what we knew many weeks
beforehand. Does great event occur IN Paris,
such as the Worlds FAN! a correspondent
will tell us all about il either through the Cable
or by letter long before the envoy thinks OF
sending word to his employers Are the In
dians to be treated with, OF a new territory to
be explored? \ correspondent will give the
Government its earliest report. Our states
men may congratulate themselves that
they can sit down at their breakfasts, and
read through the current spirit of Old
World diplomacy without waiting for
! Government dispatch. The Secretary OF
State may Learn more by reading the daily
papers than any of his numerous agents abroad
can tell him by other means; and this privi-
lcge lac shares with the humbest citizen in the
land Our most popular envoy, IN fact, Is the
commissioner of the live, inst-class New World
newspapers. From him we shall hear of kings,
and states, and policies; the humors, the life,
the aspirations of peoples of all which diplo-
macy fails 10 reveal, but which goes to weave
the finest purple of history. over his docu-
ments the world will have no inclination TO
sleep; for he reports the spirit of the age and
of mankind. The diplomat has high but mar
row vocation. yet fortunately is enabled TO re-
fresh himself by borrowing the notes of cor
respondent or reading the newspapers. In
word, great journal is in itself Department
of State, and its agents ENJOYS extraordinary
and ministers penipotentiary
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