The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-19
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
Editorial Opinions OF the Leading Journals
upon Current opics-Compiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
THE MISSION TO ENGLAND.


From the NJ Y World
1t is stated that Mr. Frelinghuysen, after
long hesitation and delay, refuses the Eng
lish mission, and that the place has been
offered to Senator Trumbull, who also de-
clines. The coquetting of Mr. Frelinghuysen
with an Office of such dignity, and SO much
above his reasonable expectations has an air
of feebleness and vacillation which will not
raise that gentleman in public estimation.
Had he pronptly declined, the country would
have recognized re his modesty and good sense;
If he had signifed his early acceptance, it
would have pardoned his self confidence in
the hope that it proceeded from a conscious
ness of talents which had not yet found
fitting field. But his dilatory trifing with
that important post shows that he possesses
neither very exact sense of propriety nor
much decision of character. Mr.. Trumbun
if the position has been offered him and de-
clined, has acted with a promptitude which
is both respectful to the appointingpower and
creditable to his own strength and manli-
ness.
General Grant has most singular aptitude
for lowering the tone of the public service,
and cheapening its highest offices in general
estimation. There ought to be a sort of
chastity in such matters, resembling the
reserve which adds SO much to the dignity
and estimation of the gentler sex. A high
Office, like virtuous woman, loses something
of its lustre if exposed to the modification OF
being Tilted or rejected. General Grant has
subjected almost every great office in the
Government to this degradation. His method
of making appointments is marked by none
of the wise foresight and prudent reserve
practised by his predecessors. In this case
of Mr.. Frelinghuysen, any other person
would have sounded him conidentialy before
hand, and have ascertained whether he would
consent to take the Office before sending his
name to the Senate. The mission to Eng
land is too important to go publicly begging
for an incumbent, and the Senate should
have been spared the trouble of discussing
the merits and deciding on the fitness of
man who might not accept.
Most of our great offices have been de-
graded in similar way, until self-respecting
statesmen are unwilling to hold them. The
Secretaryship of State was tumbled about and
rolled in the mire of Presidential favoritism
until Mr. Fish felt sincere reluctance to
take it when it was pressed upon him, and
only consented to do so temporarily by the
urgency of the President Mr.. Wilson, of
Iowa, was the first person selected, but he
scorned the Office and peremptorily declined
it, when General Grant wished to prostitute
it for the convenience of his friend Wash
burne. Mr. Fish was asked to take the office
after it had been thus refused by Mr.. Wilson
and prostituted to Elihu Washburne 1t is
easy to understand how unwilling gentle
man of Mr.. Fishs standing must have been
to be Washburnes successor. And after
Mr.. Fish from motives of personal friend
ship to the President, had complied with
his wishes, even then Washburne was
permitted to remain and dictate some of
the most important foreign appointments. 1t
was due to Mr.. Fish, who was to have charge
of our foreign relations, and due to the dig
nifty and efficiency of that great branch of the
public service, that he should have been con-
suited and his wishes deferred to in selecting
the foreign agents who were to act under his
instructions. But in point of fact he had no
more influence in filling the great foreign
missions than mechanic in the streets. We
had great controversy with England, which
he would naturally wish to settle; but he had
so little confidence in Mr.. Motley that ne
would not permit him to open negotiations,
and desired to have them transferred to
Washington. Our relations with Spain were
also important, but the Secretary of State had
no confidence in such minister as Sickles. II
is not surprising that Mr.. Fish is impatient tc
be relieved of an Office whose dignity is sc
title respected by the President
General Grant is treating Mr.. Fish's sue
cessor with as little consideration as he has
shown to Mr. Fish. He has known for some
time that Mr.. Fish has determined to resign
change the minister to England until after
he had made choice of the new Secretary o.
State. Mr. Motley is competent for the
routine duties of his position, and fully equa
to it's social requirements AS the Alabami
negotiations will not be renewed under Secre
tary Fish, who will soon retire, there was NJ
reason for displacing Mr. Motley until afte
the new Secretary of State is installed. L
the new Secretary is expected to settle thu
nta 30 fol IN h
Minister to England should be a person il
whom he could have confidence. The Secre
tary ought to have been appointed first, ant
the minister selected afterwards in deferenc
to.his wishes. 1t is no wonder that Mr.. Trum
bull promptly and peremptorily declines tn
mission when he knews nothing of the habits
and temper of the Secretary to whose direc
tions he would be subject. And it will no
be surprising if General Grant finds it equal
hard to secure the acceptance of competen
Secretary of State when he pays so little re
gard to the dignity and just sensibilities @
that officer.
SYMPTOMS OF FINANCIAL EMBARRASs
MENT IN FRANCE.
From the NJ Y. Herald.
The news came by telegraph few day
ago that the Bank of France had suspende
specie payments, and now we learn that theI
is to be an immediate issue of paper money
of twenty-five franc notes, it is said. III
reason given for this is the difficulty of pr,
curing change for notes of higher demon
nation and the necessity of affording relie
The hundred franc notes are useless for ord
nary purposes, and change cannot be easi
obtained for even fifty franc notes. Th
step of issuing paper money is the first on
we think, leading to food of such promis,
to pay. The enormous expenditure