New-York tribune., 1878-12-25
AMERICANS ABROAD.
NOTED MEN IN VARIOUS FIELDS.


LONDON, Dec. 1l.--hr Welsh, am sorry to hear,
is ill., not seriously but i'll enough TO have to send
word yesterday afternoon to excuse himself from
a dinner engagement of three weeks standing
a long time for this period of the year. Tie Is so
much favori;e IN London that his failure to ap-
pear at dinner-party caused something more than
a conventional regret.
The cable BRING word that the House has voted
to cut down the salary of the American Minister
IN London. Ii would he udicrous, II it Were not
something worse. 1t is true that IN American MIN
lister can live here SO 900 well as he can on
Sl7 500 for one simple reason, that he cannot 1--we
on either. Ii you add them together he might nan
age. Why not face the music squarelyf Why not
say, the United States cannot afford to pay the eA-
penses of Its envoy TO Great Britain and abolish the
salary altogether, thus throwing open the place TO
the exclusive competition of the richf Or. il the
Housr doesn't care to dc that-and suppose even
Democratic majority might finch from such con-
fession-either let the present salary alone, ordonble
IL. No Miuister of recent times has lived on MS
salary. II cannot be done, if Minister accepts IN
the bnmblcst way the obligations OF the life IN
which he Is compelled to take part. Or II, may
add, he responds 10 the calls continually made ny
his own rymen both on his purse and on WHAT
is expected from his hospitality. In The days oi
General Schcnck Of unhappy memory, were we not
perpctually told of the nSutceucy of his salary a.
an excuse for his embarking In those deplorable
Emma Mine operations7 | need hardly say that
to our present Minister the matter has no import
ance one way or the other; nor should speak IN
his interest, or IN anybody's interest, IL 1t had.
What concerns me, rs it concerns every Amencan'
is the interest we all have in seeing tho country
credi,ably represented. And it is an odd develop
ment of the Democratic idea to cut down salaries to
a poinf which makes it impossible for poor man, or
a man OF moderate means, to sorve his country
abroad.
Mr. EuQcne SCHUYLER has been in London this
week on roate from Paris to his new parish of Biz
mngham. where no is % be American Consul
until such time ne is superseded by the doctrine
Of rotation in office, until II pleases n cheese
pairing Democratic majority 10 improve the bir-
ming ham Consulate of the face of tne earth Mr.
Schuyler had taken possession OF bls ONCE some
two months aGo more or les. He nov brings his
wife from Paris 10 take possession Of his house IN
Edgbaston q suburb of Birmingham, in which from
time to time a resident may got something besides
SCOT and smoke and chemical exhalatons TO breathe
Mr. Schuyler, should say, is much too accomplished
a dplomatlst to he turned into provincial Consul.
But be N entitled TO suit himself, and If we can't
afford to pay living salaries to Ministers aud Secre-
tares Of Legation, we must expect TO see the best
of them accept posts i'm which they can exist, and
IN which their experience and capacity arc thrown
away MIR. Schuyler has, suppose. an unriyaled
knowledge of Russian and Turkish politics lie Is
a Russian scholar speaks three or four other Euro
pcan languages. knows AIa, has written the BEST
book on that central part of just now most in dis
pute and has wIthal n European reputation M a
dIpumatist. Hence we send him 90 midland manu-
featuring town in England to certify invoices
The memoir of John LothrOp Motley. by Oliver
.al.. In, lnn lac
Messrs. Tribnor & Co. Ii is an English copyright
edition. suppose. therefore, that Dr. Holmes took
a Journey TO Canada on the day of publication
As this day was presumably the same in both coun-
tries the English edition il procurable here before
any copic. OF the American edition have been seen
Mr. MotIoy's English friends we're so humorous
that il il right they should have oppnrtu nifty OF
reading this life. To bo dependent on an importa-
tion uf American copies Is che same thing as doing
without the book. Over and over again 1t happens
that an American book reviewed or noticed
IN an English periodical, with an lntimation
that IL is published by Messrs. So and 30. On
application through your bookseller to Nessrs. 30
and So Won are told oomplacently that the book
may be had by order. This means that If you like
to wait two months and pay double the price you
NAV have il fetched for YOU from America. Ii means
also that you are likely to find the title OF your
copy when it arrives dsiigured by stencil stamp
~
of the English agents who have done yoa the favor
To import it, have known this outrage 10 be per-
petrated on gift copies which the author, not sus
pectlug the dehlemcnt that was TO beiali his work
had transmitted through Anglo-American houses TO
friends In England.
I have read wha, DR.. Holmes has to say respecting
tho recall Of Mr. Motley from England. In the
main lt il well said with the reserve aud decorum
proper Ia "A book which is meant to hold lasting
place in literature. ! shall venture, however, 10
remark that il would have been more complete had
il been more plain-spoken. IL might not have been
more effective. Nobody can read II a. it is without
seeIngthat Mr.. Motley was the victim Of official
arrogance and anger. To this day. General Grant
does not seem to understand the nature OF the act
of which he WAS guilty. His sensibility on the
moral side il defective, ami his knowledge OF un-
written social codes Is singularly limited. There
nover were two opinions on the matter in England
The friends of hr. Ruskn and Mr. Whistler have
started two separate subscriptions for the payment
Of their costs In the late trial. Mr.. Ruskin's
first IN the field with an advertisement and gen.
eral appeal to the admirers Of the great art critic
Mr.. Wbistler's have contented themselves with ma.
obinery of a more private kind. A committee IL
forming and circular is TO be sont out Even in
these days Of general pinchng thore can hardly be-
much trouble In raising money Tor such purposes.
The public has had its amusement out OF their quar-
rel and ought to he willing to pay for IT. Feeling
has run pretty high on both sides. You hoar
the trial discussed wherever you 60. Ii has
kent dinner-tables Supplied with animated con-
yersation for fortnight Perhaps the general
opinion may be summed up in this way That Mr..
Ruskin's language was indefensible, but that Mr..
Whistler was ill-advised in bringing his action.
lie had Just cause for complaint. but could not
A., fI,o, L..
methods which the law offers. Mr.. Whistler is
i..I,, 20 cort trihuta a manor IN art and ort ,,;,;