The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-10-29
The Infamy OF Dan. Sielkles' Career in
Spain.


correspondent W, lifting from Spain, that
are decidedly odorous. They have sole
reference to the career of Sickles, by
whose appointment as Minister to that
country, the seal of infamy wac affixed
to the Grant administration. This cor
respondent writes as follows:
Gen. Sickles has certainly made haste
to fall thoroughly and pitiably, and he
has produced storm of indignant feel
ing against our Government, which Gen.
avoided None Of the stories about
Gen. Sickles' past life had been publish
ed here, and the Spaniards were 80 little
pleased with Mr.. Hale, that it operated
in favor OF his successor, who was well
oomed with unusual honors and marked
cordiality. In fact, the feeling of the
Spaniards towards the United States had
never been 50 friendly since have known
them.
,Gep. Sickles seems to have fallen into
the same error with most Of our public
men who come out hero to try their
hand at diplomacy in Spain. Perfect ig-
norapce Of this people, compact set Of
erroneous notions about Spain and Spa
niards, and o total want of diplomatic
instinct, or previous training to the bust
ness, lead them all by the same road,
Whenever they attempt to do anything.
Those Who, attempt nothing, and simply
lie down to eat their salaries, of course
do not make their mistakes so conspicu-
ous, They Ill seem to imagine that there
is some strange virtue in a diplomatic
note1-that something can be done by
diplomatic note But / never yet knew
anything to be done by diplomatic
note. rmA
IF international business could be so
transacted, what need Of diplomatic
agents2 Why not fire off the notes di-
rect from the State Department by mail?
They would be all the more forcible and
effective in that way. In fact. Minis
ter who has no other means or resource
for doing International business than di-
plomatic notes, is O fifth wheel in q
coach, of no sort of use whatever, and,
besides useless, positively prejudicial.
Men like Soule and Sickles-men not
content with being useless-run their
heads against stone wall, or get them
selves into an inextricable snarl very
quickly.
The impression made on Europe by the
heroism and grandeur of our war; the
successful effort in Spain to rid them
selves of the Bourbon dynasty; the as
piration of this people to found Fed
eral republic; the sustained effort of the
Oubans for freedom; the steady payment
of $4, ,000,0 or SIS. 900, 600 every month
towards the reduction of our national
debt, whilst q monthly deficit of abont
as much is wringing the vitals Of Spain
all the motives for admiration and
popular sympathy towards us were SO
great, that it seemed to me anything
anything, no matter what--could be done
by the United States in Spain at this
time; and it was SO. We had only to
take hold Of the means ut our disposal,
them, and do'unything we pleased here,
and laugh at Europe. What mistaken
ohoice of an agent ut home-what igno-
rant. misguided and perverso energy
hereto change all this in month, unite
all parties Of Spaniards in one storm of
indignation and antipathy to MS, and set
oil Europe outside OF Spain laughing at
Sickles hns ruined the business con-
fded to him. and made it impossible, at
least temporarily, and ruined himself for
the transaction Of any business what
soover with Spain now or hereafter. He
has got himself into bad odor with the
people, and, at the same time. into such
ridiculous and pitiable diplomatic po-
siton, that any business put into his
hands hereafter, or confided to his advo-
cacy, must fail. simply because he has
hold of it. The Spaniards are thus
constituted: argument is of no avail with
them; reason is an article they use rare
1y. They either like you or they don't;
and if they don't. if you were to offer
them mamma from heaven they would not
take it from your hands; and again, if
they like yon, you can lead them almost
anywhere. Violence is of no use; threats
are always productive of precisely the
opposite effect from that intended. If
you undertake to crush them, utter they
can resist no longer, they will lie down,
and let themselves be whipped and kicked,
but they will not yield. You can get
nothing ont of them by that process.
Long after you are tired out and are gone
about something else, they will spring
up and come back on you, as upyielding
and as unreasoning as ever. You must
know this people; know the springs
which move its government, and move
its newspapers and it's clubs, and know
how to produce its fav ;rable resolutions.
or the effort to do anything with them is