The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-11
Mr.. Evarts Above the Law.

Every effort at rctrcuchnont no matter
how small il may bc, or how obvious its
necessity. Is const family circumVcntcd bv tho
Fraudulent Administration on resisted I'M
der some prctcxt by the Republicans In Con-
grcs- 81 the last session. both Houses
agreed la the Consular and Diplomatic bill
to drop the mission To- Greece and the scc-
ond Secretaries Of Legation to London.
Paris, and Berlin, aud to forbid any Socrc-
tary Of Legation, when acting ~ ch0,g'
ddgGirCs in the absence of Il Minister, from
receiving increased pay for that temporary
service.
On the first day Of the present meeting of
Congress, Mr. EvARrs addressed formal
communication to Mr.. SWAMI, Chairman of
the Foreign Affairs. lecturing the House, in
which these reforms originated, for its per-
verse legislation, and intimating, IN no
cquivocal way either, that such changes
should not have been made without first
consulting his depnrtmcnt-tha Is to say,
himself The correspondence shows that in
defiance Of the law he advised these dropped
officials to remain In the places they had
held, with the assurance that provision 10
pay them might hereafter he expected, and
certainly would be urged on Congress.
Mr.. EvARTs has thus assumed, like Nc
CRAZY, DEyENs, and the rest Of them In
their spheres to run the Department Of
State without any regard to Congress, and
TO insist upon his own methods, as if he
were entirely independent Of all law. Hear
him on the subject Of second secretaries:
The failure to provide compensation Tor second sec.
rcaics In the current APPROXIMATION act not In con
tlu aftI
and had the proposal make such change been init.
mated t. IT, ann satisfied that the r,oY he d,-u'u,ni
and the need, Of the public service would have prevailed
To prevent thc omission
The Ministers at London, Paris, and Bcr-
lin join in a chorus Of complaint against
Congress for cutting OIL this cXcrescencc
from our diplomatic service, and laud 10 the
echo the incumhents, who are useful to
them rs private CLERKS and in other capnci-
ties. Now, these second secretaries are a
part of the diplomatic snobbcry which Mr.
FISH recently introduced in imitation Of the
European system, which is wholly different
from ours.
When tn, business Of the legations was
actually dono By the Ministers, and they
! hnd large responsibility to carry, in con-
| Quoting important affairs, and IN nogotin-
! lng treaties, inc ONCE OF second secretary
was wholly unknown. Now, when they orc
| little more than head clerks Of the depart
mont on foreign stations, who deliver mes
sagcs from Washington and receive answers
thereto from the Foreign Onlce, sometimes
to be transmitted by cable and sometimes
| by the despatch bag; who carry official let
tcrs and leave copies, and who nre intrustoC
with no serious business, these Ministers
must hay" % long tail II secretaries to mag
Nifty thor consequence and to contend viii
thor colleagues Mt court in personal display
Again i'm regard ~ the mission a. Greece
! Mr. ENAlrs writes 90 MI. SWAMI:
"Tnc renewal ol tle appropriation formerly made. O
fiunfnr DO. salary ot q o,uF FIRiDe, to Grcccc. IL r.
sH'cuul hut earuc.iiy requested . Indeed IN
umHteF Was ht department convinced ol TIA, ue,,. -it
TINT b. ,egn'tt h' ia"ad~f OF tie MISSION eorEno.
irInt and d.srt1r, ms diplomatic tuncuun. under M
appointments nnu such time ~ CHgiss igli ,.rts 10 m
n"''sir falling to make au appropriation Tor his salary
In the years which Mr.. READ has ofiicintc
in Greece, he never rendered tho least scr
vice, and the pay he received has been atso