The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-16
EUROPEAN COMPLIMENTS
4 NERTH1

IT is such a rare occurrence for the Govern
ment of the United States to be gracefully
and efficiently represented at a European
Court that the exceptional cases deserve
special notice. The old definition of an am
bassador was man sent to foreign country
to lie for the benefit of the nation he repre-
sented, but generally the American people do
not have even this service performed, and
their foreign ministers are about equally
divided between those who go abroad to
make themselves rich by parsimoniously
boarding their salaries, and those who make
themselves ridiculous by nonsensical display.
By fortunate combination of accidents,
however, it occasionally happens that the
as we'll as at home. This seems TO be the
case now with the Austrian mission, if fair
criterion can be furnished by the proceedings
of the dinner given by Mr.. John Jay
at the American legation in Vienna, on the
22d day of February, as celebration
of Washington's birthday, to the Chancellor
of the Austrian Empire, Count de Beust, and
the Ministers of the various European nations
who are accredited to the Austrian Court.
The whole affair was managed with an amount
of tact unusual on such occasions, and in
response to graceful speeches and toasts
offered by Mr.. Jay, Washington, America,
and the American people received a host of
graceful compliments from Count de Beust
and the official representatives of France,
England, Prussia, Russia, and Spain. All
the speeches. except the two latter, were de-
ivered in English, and this circumstance,
while it heightened the interest of the occa-
sion, gave rise to several humorous illusions.
For instance, the Count de Beust said that he
should be totally unable to follow the diplo-
matte system of using language to conceal his
thoughts, because the utmost that he could
dare to aspire to was to express his feelings
He is evidently, however, no novice in the
use of the English tongue, as may be. seen by
his utterance of the following sentiment:-
81 trust that the motto OF the great Republic
across the ocean, unity AMI freedom, Will always be
and remain Ours-unty and freedom The first as
the only element Of strength the last as the great Prn-
ciple Ofprogress."
The French Minister paid a very graceful
personal compliment to Mr.. Jay as the de-
scendent of the John Jay of Revolutionary
memory, and he contended that the firm
friendship between France and the United
States was even better than formal alliance.
Mr.. Lytton, the Secretary of the British
Legation, in commenting upon the late war,
gave this emphatic and vigorous summary of
its management and results
"When we recall TO mind merely the magnitude OF
those colossal aTmes-all composed OF men who,
but q few months before, had been uRarmed, peace
loving cdzens; and who, the moment after they
had rescued from the sudden eclipse OF q most un-
provoked calamity those thrtyfour bright stars OF
the great Atlantic constellation again became, as
they had been before, unarmed, peace-ovinR citi-
zens; yet whose victorious operations had In the
meanwhile covered line OF territory actually yasteT
in extent than the whole distance from MOSCOW TO
Madrid say, when we remember how these ar
mics we're created, wha those armies achieved (nOt
for America only, but ,Or the cause OF universal
dissolved, must surely acknowledge that IN tht
hst0ru Of all the lOorld there other such eratpL
of how much may be effected even materially bN
sheer force OF conscience, when, indeed, the con
science OF great nation Is fairly concentrated upoI
the duties OF great cause"
Equally complimentary and scarcely les
striking speeches were made by the repre-
sentatives of Russia, Prussia, and Spain. Tn
latter lavished high praise upon Washington
and upon this nation as ''the model Of fre
E countries, which has known how to harmonic
the most extended liberty with the pre-
fOundest regard for law" He also eulogize
Grant "a q ''brave warrior and loyal magis