The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-19
Our Diplomatic and Consular system.

passed. the House oil representatives Is u
jumbo Of ahsurditics and ignorance, with
out system. consistency. or common sense
to redeem 1t. The committee that reported
IL desired to econumizc. but they either
lacked the courage TO attack the existing
abuses. or they wore incompetent for the
task they undertook Instead Of bringing
in a measure founded upon an intelligent
principle Of real reform. and intended to Ice
uniform i'm it, operation they took the old
law for a basis in detail. manglcd it out Of
shape, and presented hotch-putch as the
result of their labors.
With the change brought about by steam
and the ocean telegraph in the last few
years. the functions OF diplomacy as once
understood may hc said t. have ceased. In
the Old World whore nations are linked to-
Rcthcr by ties of blood and interest. or are
watchful of each other from jealousy. and
where diplomacy is an established profess
Sion like the army and navy. upon which the
younger SONS Of the nobility are billctcd. it
Is easy to understand why the traditional
system should be maintained. though divest-
oil Ot its former importance. Diplomacy In
Europe to-day Is nothing more than an in
tcrchangc II conventional cuurtcsios be.
cause every negotiation Of consequence il
conducted directly through the Foreign Of
fees, and the Minister is only messenger
Of high degree. with a bare shadow of re-
sponsihility. In fact, responsibility is the
thing II all others ne socks To- avoid.
This j. still more true c. the United States.
which has none of the cntangling alliances
Of Europe. and has no reason for keeping NJ
q diplomatic representation abroad, except
the feeble one of an old custom. From the
Ashburton treaty down 10 the Virginius
affair, every important question in our for
eign relations has been settled at Washing
ton, or 10y n special commission. And just
now two Commissioners are going to Europe
10 readiust postal arrangements. while
a dozen Ministers are drawing largo sala-
rics there. dawdling at the different capitals
and pref nd.ng to represent TIA" United
States. Whoever has read the drcary vol
umcs of papers relating TO the Foreign
Affairs must know how worthless that
correspondence Is. and how poorly it CON-
Tarcs with the intelligence ON the same sub
iects, long before communicated through all
the leading newspapers.
our diplomatic organization Is chiefly
based on that of England. which, like the
rest Of Europe. was rcidjustcd upon forms
prescribed by the treaty OF Vienna. We
have no diplomatic career, and yet ape the
rule Of nations whore each grade has n sig
niiicancc that does not apply TO us at all, be-
ginning with an unpaid attach6 and rising
t. an ambassador, a rank unknown To our
service Until the era of extravaganza.
the pay Of our missions was rcasona-
Bile and regulated by a correct principle
which provided an outfit for the new Minis
ter to set him up, and afterward fair sal
airy. The two first missions We're London
and Paris, but st. Petersburg and Berlin
We're added Of late years, aud then Mr..
FISH, in imitation Of the foreign system
must have first and second Secretaries OF
Legation, and clerks and other costly
APPENDICES 10 swell the expenditures. Yet
there is not mission in Europe to-day with
ordinary work enough for any secretary to
do even If he should give to it two hours of
attention in the twenty-four
The whole thing is an expensive sham,
md ought 10 be cut up root and branch. As
It is. this bill covers four diplomatic
grades, VIZ, minister plenpotentiary.
minister resident, minister resident and
consul general, and charge da0dires Now
Should hold the rank that gives him the
most opportunity to serve his country. To
regulate the rank by the measure of pay is
ridiculous Pay is supposed to be spent for
representation, and it ought to be graduated
by the importance Of the mission for which
1t is granted. A full Minister by the Euro
pean standard, accredited to the sovereign,
has facilities Of official intercourse which
d IA. a
only to the Minister OF Foreign Affairs.
Hence, If missions ara to be- kept up, NJ we
do not think they ought to be, then they
should all stand on the same footing Of
equality.
The bill Of the committee reduces the pay
az the missions TO London Paris, st. Pc
tcrshurg, and Berlin, from sl75O0 to sl5,000.
Mr.. EvALrs T. shocked at this rotrcnchment
and he assumes what is not true, that the
Ministers at these courts, or some Of them,
eXpcnd twice as much as their salary. Mr..
ADAMS il a man of fortune, and hc is gen
orally believed 10 have represented the
country with honor III England. He GER
tanly did not squnnder his pay, and he
lived within II, ne an American Minister
Should do bccOmingly and hospitality but
with no ambition 10 excel AZ a shuddy en-
tcrtaincr and be ridiculcd for his pains Mr.
WAsHBURNE IS said to have saved money
during his eight years Of experience at
Paris. Gov CURTIN did not complain of
tine pay at 81 Petersburg, and MIR BANCRorT
never wasted his private means at Berlin
where society is not given TO prodigality at
all and German thrift still prevails.
Spain. Austria, Italy, Brazil, Mexico,
Japan, and China are dockcd from twelve
e. ten thousand each. Austria and Italy
are mere pension places with nothing to do,
aud with Secretaries 10 help the Ministers in
thoir cetenonious visits. Ministers resident
ore Kept at Sweden and Norway, Turkey,
Nomznola, Hawaiian Islands, while Bel
FNm III" Netherlands, Denmark Swtzcr-
itiL Paraguay, and Groeco are dropped
'1' ana Portugal j. to have n chargt faf-
!""S' No Intelligent reason can be- given
q io' Manufacturing the first tour and emitting