The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-10-19
Farragut.

Farragut.
THR movements of Admiral Farragut in
European waters have excited great deal of
wonderment on the part of some of the sensa-
ion journals of the Old World. Whenever a
person of note, whether of royal, noble, or
plebeian bleod, goes over an extended tour,
every turn and crook in his path is carefully
noted by these European Jenkinses, and not
an incident is suffered to pass without being
tortured into something Of political signif-
canoe. Farragut has puzzled these enterpris-
ing Bohemians not little. He carries his
flag into every sea and harbor, and sits down
with royalty to eat and drink in every capital.
Addresses in all the tongues of modern Babel
are showered upon him, and to each and every
one he contrives to get up reply of some sort,
satisfactory on all sides in the main. But
nothing comes Of all this perambulation by
land and taoking by water. The old Sea Dog
quietly pursues his way from one point to
another, accommodating himself to the man
ners and customs of each nationality he visits,
arousing the utmost enthusiasm while he re-
mains, and leaving the most enduring and
flatteripg impression when he departs. And
yet nothing comes of 1t. He talks blandly and
hatteringly to the Sultan one day, and on the
next receives and encourages Cretan deputa-
tion; he plays the very humble and obedient
servant to the petty King of Denmark, and
then tosses off bumper with the royal au-
tomaton of Prussia under the management of
Count Won Bismark. In all this he is exces-
sively neutral and the Bohemians are sorely
distressed thereat.
The passage of the Dardanelles is the soli-
tary event in Farragut's European cruise
which has afforded them a considerable degree
of satisfaction. The Treaty of Paris closed the
straits to the navies of the world; and very
wisely, for the only argument in favor Of
throwing them open to men-of-war would be
to permit those sailing under different and
jealous flags to raise a smoke on the peaceful
waters of the Black Sea. The Sublime Porte,
in the excess of its admiration for royal blood
has seen proper to relax the rule in favor of
vessels bearing sove1eigns Or their heirs, and
this has caused no complaint on the part of
the treaty powers. But there is no taint of
royalty in the veins of Farragut, and he, too,
was suffered to sail up into the Golden Horn.
The amiable Turk known as Abdul
Axis, it is true, cited the great
achievements of the Admiral as a substantial
reason for the violation of his treaty obliga-
tions, and with this apologetic explanation
Europe was comparatively satisfied for time.
But the more they dwell upon the subject
the more formidable does it become, and the
Courier Russo Of st. Petersburg has at last
come to the conclusion that Farragut's en-
trance into the Bosphorus constituted "a most
serious political event." Another journal,
the EpOque of Paris, has also been thrown
into perplexing mood by the movements of
our great naval hero, and comes to the con-
clusion that some of the great powers will
soon demand of the United States the cause
and meaning of all the mystery connected
Herewith.
These circumstances serve to illustrate the
difference between the political and govern
mental systems of the two hemispheres. The
great men of the whole world can traverse the
length and breadth of the United States, and
attract no more attention than travelling
circus. There is an enthusiastic outpouring
by the people to welcome the dignitaries a
each stage of their journeys, and nothing
more. In Europe all is different, for the sim
pie reason that the rulers and the peo-
pie are natural enemies, and are con-
tinually plotting and contemplating against
each other. Therefore, whenever a man of
note makes a journey either by sea or land, it
is regarded as being significant of something
or other of political tendency. He is either
spying out the nakedness of the enemy's
country, or is engaged in fomenting coali-
ton which may result in something serious.
Not until all Europe rises in its might and
shakes off the incubus of kingcraft and oil
garchy will there be change in this respect,
and not until that auspioious event will gov
ernment in the Old World be made to fulfil its
true mission, the happiness aud prosperity OF
the entire people.
CnENIhI MnTINEC