The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-02-02

Legislative Departments Of the GovernmenttOa
point which makes the whole thing ridiculous
Congress is determined that no American
Minister Shall epeak disrespectfully Of its action
even TO friends at home; and the Secretary Of
State seems Inclined to hold the representatives
of the country abroad 10 rigid responsibility
for conversahonslwith their couutrymen at their
own hresides We can understand the propriety
of recurring that American Ministers abroad
shall not put themselves in an attitude OF hos.
tiity to their own Government, or make public
proclamation OF their differences OF opinion with
those who have the conduct of its affairs. ! But
il is simply absurd to say that they may not con.
vers attbeiT own tables, with their own country
men, Just as freely as if they were at home.
And il seems to us still more unworthy to
permit anonymous persons to put our Ministers
at foreign Courts upon their defense with their
own Government, for opinions they are re-
ported to nave uttered in such private and con-
hdential intercourse.
The action of Congress in the case OF Mr.. Har-
vey, and the reasons assigned for it, areIsmply
pltiful. No man can read them, we venture to
say, without a feeling of humiliation. Mr.. Har-
vey is the American Minister IN Portugal-bold-
ing the place by appointment Of President Lin
coin, With the advice and consent of the Senate
and discharging all the duties OF his post with
ability and fidelity which stand unimpeached.
A year ago or more he wrote private letter to
Mr.. Seward, which was published, through no
agency OF his own, in the newspapers OF the
day; and in that letter he expressed dissent
from the PRINCIPLES and policy OF Congress IN
ITS treatment of the question OF restoration.
For this dissent thus expressed, Congress
Furnishes Mr. Harvey by cutting off his salary
as Mr. Schenck expresses it, by starving him
out.' Mr.. Stevens made a feeble attempt TO
deny that Mr.. Harvey was to be punished for
expressing differences Of opinion with Congress,
and alleged that it was because those opinions
were expressed in "foul and vulgar language;"
because he denounced and vilhed Congress in
the language of "blaCkguard.n
Uh ORC aTnili Nuif
which Mr.. Stevens habltually speaks of those
who differ from him in opinion, will certainly
be surprised to find him making such an 0biec-
ton as this. Over and over again during the
present session, as well as heretofore, he has
stood in mis- place and branded members sitting
by his side as 'foOlsn and "knaves," as "trai-
tors" and towards, because, and only because,
they differed from him on certain measures OF
public policy upon which they were called to
act. Even ii the language OF MIR. Haryeys
letter had been of the character which he as
crlbed to il, Mr.. Stevens is scarcely the man
from whom objections on this score would come
with any special force nor did his authority
receive any access of weight from being rein
forced by Mr.. Schenck.
But the charge was utterly unfounded, as the
letter itself abundantly proved. There was
nothing whatever in it which any man any
where, in office or out, might not properly say
without any violation of taste or of proper
courtesy towards any Department OF the Gov
ernment. The strongest allegation Mr.. Stevens
himself could even pretend to find warrant for
in the letter, was that Mr.. Harvey had charged
Congress with purpose to rule or ruin" and
had compared its policy with that oil the Duke OF
Alva. And even this was utterly untounded, tor,
as MIR. Raymond showed, these terms were not
used with regard to Congress, but TO partisans
engaged in and excitingn the crusade against
the Union. II was not without significance
that Mr.. Stevens should have so promptly
SpHr persons to himself and his asso Gates; but
! the excuse given by him for cutting of MIR.
! Harvey's salary was evidently pretext. 1t was
not the real reason. He urged it, not because
| OF any lack of taste in the use OF language on
the. part of Mr.. Harvey-nor because his opi,
Mons were expressed in foul and vulgar" terms
but because they we're different from those
! held by Congress- 1t they had been on the
| other side, would Mr., Stevens have objected to
| them no matter how coarse the language in
which they were conveyed Suppose Mr. aHar-
vey had spoken of the President precisely as he
did speak of Congress-. does anybody believe
that Mr., stevens would have proposed to cut of
his salary on that account? .-.'-'...'.' I'D.
I'm this particular case, Congress unques-
tionably proposes to punish our Ministers
abroad for expressing opinions dlherent from
those of Congress-, even in private letters.
This is the precise meaning of its action in re.
gard to Mr.. Harveyi why IL is to be confined
to him, the public have not been informed.
We do not know that Mr.. Stevens would
shrink from applying the same rule to Office
holders of all grades, at home and abroad.
He would doubtless be quite willing TO cut OIL
the salary of every man in othce who does not
! agree with him In opinion; and probably
nothing but the fear that Congress and the
country are not quite ready for SO sweeping a
measure, prevents him from. bringing forward
bill to that effect. But unless the principle
ito be more general in its application, it is
worse than absurdr-it IS unjust in its opera
tion and malicious in its motiye-to apply it
to the case of any single man. There is no
more reason or excuse for cutting of Mr..
Halvey's salary because OF his differences with
Congress, than for cutting off that of Mr..
Stevens himself because of his differences
with everybody else.
The whole business is paltry and pitiful. II
reflects discredt upon the country, and places
the men sent to represent it abroad IN posi-
tion which no man fit TO serve the country any
where ought to hold. No Minister can submit
without humiliation, to the supervision of hi'
private conversations by the Secretary OF State
nor can any man be expected to submit hi
private correspondence to the scrutiny and con
troll Of Congress- 81. 40 a.. 81. ,I .or $500. I...
Radical Observation-Disclosures E'Auger
'04 -i'' that Won't BOre.'' h".' t'T
From the World. .aa.taEal h!ad sLl aao h
This pithy phrase of the late President owe
its great currency at the time it was uttered