The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-24
THE HALE-PERRY C0NTR0 0TERSY.

The HALE-PERRY CONTRO TERSY.
The Senators from New Hampshire are making
vigorous effort TO restore the fair fame of Hon.
John 2. Hale, and at their suggestion commit
tee was appointed to inquire through whose in
strumentality portion of the official cores
pondence, in which he is accused of abusing his
privileges as Minister by smuggling goods, was
furnished TO the Washington correspondent of
prominent newspaper So far as the facts have
been given to the public, it seems that Hale,
Minister at Madrid, has been for some time
hostile to Perry, Secretary of Legation, and that
various charges have from time to time been
forwarded to the State Department against Perry
by Hale. One Of these allegations is that Perry
and his wife took too prominent part in
Spanish politics, and the irate Minister alleged,
among other things, that at a public meeting
held at Madrid on the 14th of October last Mrs.
Perry appeared before an immense assemblage
with her long hair flowing down her
neck and shoulders, and with stage
effect delivered short poem in favor
of the abolition of slavery in Cuba. The
meeting then voted itself society for the aboli-
ton of slavery in Cuba, with Mrs. Perry as its
President" This transaction horrlfed the Minis
ter, as a breach OF official propriety; and if the
great New Hampshire diplomatist can prove
that Secretaries of Legation are responsible for
the acts of their wives, his point seems to be
we'll taken. But If, on the other hand, she
claims the benefits of the woman's rights
doctrine (and the very action complained of
seems to indicate that she is ready to mount
the rostrum as Anna Dickinson or Susan An
thony), poor Perry may be the victim of mis-
fortune rather than voluntary accomplice in
the imputed offense against the dignity of the
United States; and II the Senate is to inquire
into the character and proceedings of the wives
Of all the Ministers, Secretaries of legation and
Consuls who are sent abroad, it may find the
task as Improbable as it is difficult.
Perry seems to have resolved that, if tales were
TO be told out of school, he would not be outdone
by his principal. He accordingly forwarded to
the Secretary of State series of documents
setting forth that the Spanish Custom House
officials had on what they deemed sufficient evi-
dence, complained to the Spanish Ministers that
Mr.. Hale was systematically abusing the
privilege he enjoyed as Minister
of receiving such goods as he required for his
personal use free of duty by assisting Spanish
merchant to evade the import duties of the coun-
try, and these transactions had assumed such
magnitude as to justify the belief that the
American Minister was deriving portion of
the revenue that shoEld have besn deposited in
the Treasury of Spain. This is n serious charge.
If public officers must steal, II may be better that
they should steal from foreign government than
our own, but Ii can scarcely be expected that
diplomatist who is paid large salary to repre-
sent this country at foreign court will exer-
else commanding influence over Cabinet
whose members are conscious of his procivities
ior petty pilfering. We are sorry, in view of
Mr.. haies past record, that he is accused of such
crime and we shall be glad IL his innocence can
be established; but his New Hampshire cham
P'ons "ul do much more 10 re-establish his fair