New-York tribune., 1869-03-11
DIPLOMACY ABROAD.
OUR MINISTER TO SPAIN HOW AMERICA Is
SERVED.

erican Legation at Madrid Before went to MadridI
had heard suppose every American in Europe has
heard of the deporable disputes between Mr.. Hale,
our Minister, and Mr. Perry Secretary of Legation.
During my stay, heard full statement of his case
| from the Minister. had never known Mr.. Hale per-
sonally in America but Of course knew his honora-
BILE history as an early and distinguished leader
among that small band of men who undertook to
carry a war against Slavery by the ordinary poit-
ica methods. l had seen him in the United States
Court in Boston, as counsel for Theodore Parker sue
cessfully resisting the desperate effort of Franklin
Perces officials to convict his client of the crime OF
free speech in Faneuil Hall. on the night of the
Anthony Burns riot. For this aud for other brilliant
| services honor John p. Hale. and speak of them
to show with what prepossesson in his favor first
met Mr.. Hale in Madrid. Imust add TO that the fact
| that am indebted to him for cordial reception,
and for many more offers of hospitality that was
able to accept. These prepossessions and personal
relations subsequently growing up at his home,
make it almost unpleasant task to to cricise his
public conduct as Minister of the United States, His
relations with Mr, Perry are so entanged with public
affairs that it will not be possible to speak of the one
and be wholly silent about the other; but shall say
as little as possible of the personal dsageements be-
| tween them. had pever known Mr.. Perry in any
way before went to Madrid, and have nothing to
say of him except as Secretary of Legation.
| The event which compels me, in these crcum-
stances to state what know, is the publication in
America of Mr.. Hales letter to a New-Iampshire
Congressman, making certain charges against Mr..
Perry and demanding that Gen. Grant shall continue
him (Mr. Hale in his present place. The attack
Mr. Perry would not of itself have produced reply.
But think it right to say that, far Mr. Hae's
charges affect the public character Of Mr. Perry they
| had been previously communicated by Mr.. Hale to
| w. -
Perrys reply to them was accepted o conclusive
refutaton. SO far as they affect Mr. PerTys private
| character perhaps the best answer to them is Mr.
Perrys known reputation and social position in
Madrid.
But Mr. Halesdesire TO remain in Madrid AZ United
States Minister is a much more serious matter than
his disputes with Mr. Perry; and this it is which
makes it duty for me to say that ho is not now
| competent representative. l wish TO say 1t with
every consideration for man eminent IN public life;
but il is no real kindness TO him to disguise the
| truth that his faculties are much impaired. Their
decay is largely owing have been told to severe
illness and the same may have affected equally
his activity Of body and of intellect His knowledge
Of and interest in Spanish politics seemed to mo
equally limited and was told again and again that
| he had little influence either with the old Govern
ment or with the present The real work Of tho
Legation has been done by the Secretary whose long
| residence in Spain and perfect knowledge of tho
] language as well as his wide acquaintance with
! leading men Of every party, have enabled him to
render very important services TO his own country.
These defects unfit Mr.. Hale for official duties, as his
inability TO establish aud maintain personal relations
with the best society Of Madnd disqualify him from
exercising the indirect, but in Europe always inn
| porant influence springing from personal inter
/ course.
! lam even more sorry TO have to add that Mr. Hale
has no sympathy with the revolution, and is openly
hostile 10 the Republican movement. Few Ameri-
cans fear can have visited the Legation at Madrid
without hearing wishes for the return of the Queen
ardently expressed. know not how to describe the
feeling thus manifested in an American Embassy to-
ward that royal prostitute except as an infatuation
II il be said that begin here TO touch on matters
which must have learned from private converse
| ton answer that thev are the common talk OF
! Madrid and that not only Americans, but Spanlards
and even Englishmen express their amazement that
the cause of Spanish freedom should find some OF ITS
worst enemies in the circle that surrounds the Amer
| lean Minister, while his own words in respect to
movement with which every true American must
sympathize are uniformly those of dlscouragement
and depreciation.
II Is upon such grounds as these that an impartial
and even friendly observer comes to the painful
/
American Minister IS a detTiment 70 the public SER
vice If ii has been in the past, much more is 1t
now, when the sympathies between the two coun-
tries become so much closer and more will 1t be in
| the near future when il is probable that difficult
and delicate negotiations are 20 DO entered upon.
During the war, relations between Spain and the
| United States were often strained to the utmost,
| There was at least one period when the Spanish
Government was on the point of striking hands with
Napoleon in a conspiracy for the recognition OF the
! Southern Confederacy. There was another when
spain was SO irritated by fauced insults TO her dag
by our blockadng forces that she was near declaring
war for herself, certain Of tho support Of France
whenever collision should come, In those
! critical moments we wero without Minister
Carl Schurz had resigned and gone homo
70 fight, leaving his Secretary OF Legation to be
Charge dAifaires ad interim and all our negotiations
continued TO be carried by this Secretary for three
| veors-wbether we'll or i'll may be judged by the re-
| snlt and bv the records OF tho State Department.
Singnarv enough this Secretary is tho same person
whom Mr. Hale now assails If both to be judged
Inv their record, by the amount OF good they have
dome or of harm they have averted Mr. Hales at
tocl, wos 10 say the least injudicious But the
question 10 be settled by the new Administration Is
| moro serious than any mere personal controversy
Men must 70 for nothing. The interest OF the couh
trv s the one thing which 1 hope President Grant
and his Secretary of State whoever he may be, mean
to consider and the interest Of the countryis thing
inconsistent with the retention oi MI hae as Mlh-
;a.o, 80 snoin G.w.s,
THE INDIANS.
TIM INDIANS STILL TRoUBLEsoME IN ARIZONA.
lO--Ar1ZDnA