The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-12

! that our Minister, Mr.. II ale, had bean In tbs
habit Of smuggling goods into Spain under
cover OF his diplomatic privilege, for the profit
| and advantage OF Spanish ommercial house
and of receiving regular pay ment at the hands
| of that house for the taxes OF which the Gov
| eminent was thus defrauded. Fail proofs OF
| these transactions were at the sams time fur
nished, and It was shown that Mr.. Hale had
| kept, with the commercial house concerned a
| egular account current OF the profit aud loss
| of this disgraoeful trsfnc. In oonseque OF
| the desire of the Spanish Government not to
| give useless notoriety to the transaction, our
| Secretary, Mr.. Perry, contented himself with
| reporting the matter in due course to
| the Government at Washington, and with iu-
| forming Mr.. Hale of the action taken by the
Spanish authorities. Mr.. Hale, on the con-
| trary, seems to have thereupon commenced
that personal warfare upon Mr.. Perry aud his
| family which he has continued with so much
assiduity down to the present time -one of
| his most recent official communications bsing
| description of the personal appearance, age,
dress, and general demeanor OF Mrs. Perry.
| Why he was left in Office by Secretary Seward
| for SO long time after his official misconduct
had been officially brought to the notice of
| our Government, we find it difficult to under
| stand. He returned this forbearance, as
might have been expected, by the coarsest aud
| most mendacous abuse Of the official from
| whom he had received it.
settled by the removal OF both Mr.. Hale and
Mr.. Perry. We fail to see either justice or
good sense in such disposition of the case.
| If both parties were equally in fault, or If
bothy prrties being in fault, it were
difficult to decide which had been most TO
| blame, the case would bear a different aspect.
| But it ia not 80. Mr.. Hale is shown to have
degraded his official position, insulted the
| country to which he is accredited and dis
graced the nation he represents, by carrying
on the business Of smuggler under cover of
| his diplomatic character. A grosser or less
exousabe oifense it is not easy to imagine.
Mr.. Perry has been guilty Of nothing, is
not even accused Of anything, and is univer-
sally conceded to have performed the duties
J of his Office with ability, dignity, and success
He has had the entire respect at all times of.
| the Government to which he was accredited,
and OF the people among whom he lives. We
see no reason why he should be removed from
office, or why he should receive anything but
approval and applause at the hauds of the
Government he has served.
Senator Sprague's Last Spread.
| From the N. Y Herald.
| Senator Sprague of Rhode Island has again
| electrified the Senate and the country with
another of his pungent, stirring, and char
aoteristic speeches. His theme, like its pioneer
effort, was the deplorable condition OF the
the text upon which to hinge his sparkling
effusion. Although on reading his speech It is
at times little difficult to discern what he is
exactly driving at, yet it must be remembered
that one Of England's most remarkable men,
Horace Wslpole, was noted for occasional
obscutity and ambiguity while giving utteranoe
to noble thoughts. Senator Sprague is the
Walpole of the American Senate. Like Wal
pole, he rarely addresses the Senate, but when
he does he stirs up the old fogies amasingly.
AS was said of Walpole, 80 we may remark Of
Sprague-his life is devoted to the qualification
of fsstidious and whimsical taste, and in q
measure to retailing and recording the politi-
cal gossip and fashionable scandal OF the day.
Furthermore, and in continuation of this an
alogy, Sprague, like Walpole, is placed in
comfortable circumstances so far as worldly
possessions are concerned; has taste for pic
lures, prints books, manuscripts, relics OF an
tiquity, objects Of vertu and a thousand odds
and ends; in brief, he is q sort Of ga.herer-up
Of unconsidered trifes, with which he amuses
himself and edifes his friends. Moreover,
Sprague, like Walpole, to continue the figure,
is famous for his letters, the style being sin
} gularly easy and apprOpriate-take, for exam-
} pie, the brusque note addressed lately by Mr.
Sprague to the editor of Rhode Island paper
and as was said of Walpole, so 1t may be re-
= peated of Sprague: ''the most eccentric, the
? most artificial, the most fastidious, the mos
3 capricious of men," he is, nevertheless, JUS
the man for the times for the United States
Senate as at present constituted. He startles
the old dry bones of that body with sudden
shock that a telegraph operator sometimes feel
while manipulating his instrument during
4 thunder storm. II he does not make them
, howl he makes them laugh, which is evidence
+ that at any rate he enlsts their attention,
t merit that Garrett Davis long winded haran
9 CUES upon blown-up topics cannot boast Of
t There is one thing, however, decidedly trans
r lucent in Senator Sprague's last spread-h,
/ declares that he has not bought the Nationa
n Intelligencer. Here he shows wisdom. Their
o is no indication OF vacillaton, no exhibition o
!, imbeeility of mind, so far as that operation il
Q concerned. And while his colleague, Senate
II Anthony, attempts to put rosy and faoetiou
o glow upon Senator Sprague's stunning orato
r rical effort on Thursday last, by pr0nouncinl
% him, with more truth than jest, leader o
r finance, in the same breath in which he char
% acterizes Colorado Jewett as diplomat ant
1t George Francis Train as general statesman
10 Sprague himself subsidies amid the ap
D. proving smiles of galaxy of fash
'r ionably attired ladies in the Senate gal
Ie leries. 'Sprague does not like Anthony. Neithe
N do we. Anthony is envious of the advancing
!, celebrity of his gamecock colleague. Henc
'r Anthopy's wings are likely to be clipped il
n the little bantam State of Rhode Island, an
Sprague will crow louder than ever. Spragu
is useful in the Senate. The eighteen yea
settlers in that body are growing mouldy-
like old cheese. They are getting tough an