The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-19
DIPL0MA7IO AND CONSULAR SER


DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR SER
VICE.
SOME time ago the American Consul at King
ston, Jamaica, entertained himself by de-
livering an ardent speechin favor of the Cuban
insurgents to an audience assembled in the
foreign port to which he was accredited. I'M
satisfied with this inappropriate outburst of
enthusiasm, he more recently made another
speech on the Cuban question, in which he
not only reiterated his former sentiments
but earnestly assailed the Cuban policy
adopted by the administration. For this last
offense he has been very properly suspended,
and successor has been appointed who, it is
hoped, is gifted with higher sense of official
propriety. While the action of the Presi-
dent and Secretary of State in reference to
the ''ever faithful isle" is a proper subject
for the criticism of Congress, the press, and
the private citizens who constitute the sove-
reigns of the nation, the oratorical official
had no right to publicly attack the
authorities whom he represented. 1t
would be almost impossible for
any consul diplomatic agent, or minister of
any other country to commit such gross
breach of decorum; and the most charitable
construction that can be placed upon the
conduct of the offender is that he was igno-
rant of the real nature of his position and
duties, as well as reckless and wantonly dis
respectful. This is the only civilized nation
rich powerful, and important enough to
maintain an extensive diplomatic and con-
sular system, which does not require special
training in those chosen to fill its important
diplomatic and semi-diplomatic positions.
The rulers of other countries would as soon
think of pacing raw civilian in command
of a great army on the eve of an important
engagement, or of appointing landsman to
command ship-of-war, as of sending abroad
minister who had not been thoroughly
schooled in all the minutie as well as the
leading principles connected with the official
intercourse of governments. Diplomats
must not only rise step by step from
attaches to secretaries of legation, and
prove their ability in small things before
they are entrusted with the manage
ment of large ones, but they are expected to
be familiar with the history as we'll as the
language of the court or capital to which they
are accredited In departing from this Gus
tom, America has been especially fortunate,
in some instances in securing the services of
ministers of great native talent and force of
character, but nearly all of these had enjoyed
excellent indirect, if not direct, diplomatic
training, and the bulk of ministers and charges
d'affaires who have received missions as q re-
ward for partisan services have been so noto-
riously incompetent that they have done the
nation infinitely more harm than good 1t is
better to tolerate pretentious and ignorant
imbeciles at home, than to permit them to
disgrace us in the eyes of the foreign world,
and to lower the American name at places
where, in certain contingencies, it is essential
that it should command respect. Half of our
ministers are either laughing stock, or, what
is still worse, guilty of disgraceful if not dis
honest conduct; and it is no slight evil to be
represented in the family of nations by knaves
and fools. We begin by appointing men
who, though they may be the most
grandiloquent of spread-eagle orators or the
most unscrupulous of partisan managers, have
never learned the rudiments of diplomacy;
we intensity this evil by turning them out of
Office as soon as they acquire a faint idea of
their duties; and we suffer meanwhile, con-
stantly, from the follies and vices which in.
evitably spring from such an absurd method
of selection and uncertainty of official tenure
Experience has demonstrated that we cannot
wisely and safely depart from the course pur
sued by other nations. skilful and we'll
trained corps of diplomatists and consuls
could render inestimable services to the
country. Ever mindful of its interests, they
could watch and promote them at every
point, as well as send home thousand sug-
gestions useful to commerce, agriculture, and
manufactures. The men who from time to
time do discharge these duties conscientieusly
and intelligently are so few that their credit
able services only bring into stronger relief
the incapacity of their idle and incompetent
associates.
THE SUEZ CANAL. r-
The ceremonies connected with the compile