Richland beacon., 1873-05-03
LudicrOuS and Humiliating.

THREE is something exceedingly ludi-
crous as well as humiliating in the story
of DR.. Bertram. the late Consul to Mon
tevideo, Buenos Ayres. The Doctor.
tired of dealing out pills and pOt.Ons in
the State of Missouri, and having
IA wild ambition for diplomatic fame,
brought all mis- personal and political in
fluence to bear on the Administration for
place in the ranks of the distinguished
corps that represent this great Yankee
nation beyond the seas. He painted to
sport himself in plumed hat and gold lace,
and to dangle saber at his side, accord
ing to the intellectual custom of foreign
courts and their imperial pOtentates. He
did not get the mission to England or
France. He could not arrange on salts
factory terms for first-class cOnsulship at
Paris or London, or, i'm fact, to any Euro
pean city. But is not royalty the same
the world over. and are not the South
American republics founded upon and
nearly allied to monarchy? The good
Doctor decided that rather than stay in
| the wilds of Missouri, he would HE him.
self TO the South Pole: he would change
the day into night and the night into day,
| and accept the cOnsulship of MOntevideo.
| He was appointed. commissioned, in
| Structed, sailed. arrived at his destination
after two months of anxious tossing on
/ the restless Atlantic, and prepared to
enter upon his important duties. But
alas for ambition. The great and mighty
nation does not pay muniticent wages to
J the Consul at MOntevideO. The work Is
rather hard, and the salary 8 600 a year.
10 rent such quarters as became the re-
preventative of the great republic would
cost alone from three to five times the
I nf ~
about treble. and family expenses mount
ed away up among the thousands. The
Doctor is not blessed with superabun-
dance Of worldly goods. He is rich as
| Dives i'm ambition, but a very Lazarus in
! dollars and cents. Therefore the Doctor
was placed in most embarrassing sltua.
ton. He cOuli Int rent a house, he
/ couldn't employ clerk, he couldn't pay
a servant. He h:d to carry the American
flag wrapped around his person like &
! winding sheet, not being able to afford {
! liberty-pole on which TO fling it TO the
Monteviieo breeze. Finally the Doctor
bethought himself Of plan. He bought
secondhand wall tent, and proudly
/ reared it on the outskirts of the city
! From this warlikc tabernacle he flung the
/ flag of his country 10 the winds, and re
| posed peacefully beneath its shelterins
! lOluS, Dil stid>. NiBioih"ti'
! corps of MOntevideO were shocked ut sucl
conduct; they held an Indignation meet
ing. and resolved to cut the Doctor so
! cially. and elevate their patrician noses a
him automatically and this they did, mucl
| to his modification and chagrin. FiEdins
/ himself the butt of ridicule. and his cOun
try the object of contempt, the Doctor OF
one fine morning struck his flag. packed
his medicine case "fOlded his tent like al
Arab. and silently stole away He ar
rived in Washington few days ago. will
empty pockets and expiring patriotism
and related the story of his sutferings t
the Secretary Of State.
Whether such disgraceful state o
things shall be allowed to continue, o
whether our representatives abroad shall
be paid respectable salary, is now one o
the questions that is seriously agitatin.
the State Chicago Inter
Ocean.