The New York herald., 1879-10-22
DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.

DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALp:-
Relying ON the we'll known independence and i'm
partality Of the HERALD ask of your courtesy the
insertion of few dispassionate remarks recent
occurrences of great national interest in which, as
usual your journal has been the pioneer in con-
veyng accurate information to the public. Fair
play is such jewel that neither you nor the Amer-
can people can afford to forget it. especially
when q foreigner. and justly famous one. is
cerned, and character well interests attacked
shall preface the few comments herewith SUBJ
mitted with the statement, which can be verified
that personally the writer Of this mmunication
has not. directly indirectly. the slightest personal
or pecuniary interest in the matter of which it
treats; but American citizen he does feel most
deeply interested in character for national fair
the great national interests involved in
a work which should not be made the sport OF
stockholders spectators. foreign ma
tive. The great enterprise Of cutting
canal across the American sthmus. though
not new one. has recently absorbed public
attention, from the Congress held at Paris under
the auspices Of NJ de Lesseps. and the yet more
cent revelations to General Grants connection with
q rival plan to that adopted by the Congress. the
paternity OF which has been assumed by NJ dc
Lesseps. whose first child-the Suez Canals now
such lusty bantliug to make such adoption i'm
portant.
AS American. Of course desire and would
prefer that such canal should be in American
bands and under American control; but il there
cannot be coalition and must be rivalry between
two such national champions do Lesseps
and Grant. with engineers and admirals bottle
holders, in heavens let have
fair fight, and no hitting under the belt or cutting
the ropes. as we complained Of in the famous tight
for the belt between Heenan aud Sayers, especially
since in this it has to be fought out our own
ground. Thus far must frankly say that the
has rot had fair play .: the hands of his
adversaries, and will briefly state my Tor
thinking which are drawn from the correspond
ence published IN your own columns and patent to
every one. Even III the comments of the press gen.
orally we have allowed our prejudices or our pat
riotism to run away with our judgments. and have
by no means held the scale even in which We
have weighed the two contestants.
The Congress held ut Paris to consider the impor-
tant subject Of the best and cheapest means OF cut
ting a canal through the isthmus was certainly
representative body OF engineers OF different nation
alites supposed to have assembled, not tor the pur
but tor the discussion aud decision Of the most
practicable aud useful route. It's members
diced. representing their country, each Of
them, and not with cut-and-dried schemes
Of stock companies in their breeches' pockets.
Yet sooner had that Congress convened than it
was made evident that there were such conflicting
personal interests there. and no sooner had it de-
cided on route than our representatives there re-
turning home, charged their French brethren with
bad faith. declaring the Congress had been packed
tor the sole purpose Of reaching foregone conclu
sion i'll the adoption Of the Wyse-de Lesseps plan.
in violation of the proposed purpose Of the call,
which was to weigh all plans impartially without
favoring any. Yet month had scarcely elapsed
before these same virtuously indignant engin-
eers of ours let their own cat out Of the bag.
and q gigantic specimen OF the feline species
he proves to be. An equally double.headed
mouser. styled Ammen- Grant. instead OF Wyse-de-
long IN advance, but which failed in getting con-
cealed in that meal tub; whence those mewing
and caterwaulings which have made tho air vocal
since the adjournment. What, then. has b<en our
astonishment at Admiral Amlnen 8 revelations
in relation to his and General Grants plans and pur
poses in this regard before and since the departure
of exPresldent. with the details thereof All of
which conclusIvely show that the playing with
marked cards inthe Paris Congress certainly
confined to one side even by the showing Of the
complainants themselves and that. admitting the
correctness of the charge against the French clique
1t certainly untered the heather Chinee in the
persons Of our American representatives.
Hence all that virtuous Indignation expended by
them since their return-the force of which even
caused the editor of the North american Recieto to
deviate from his published programme of neutral
been but the noise Of tinkng cimbals. under the
calcium light of Admiral Ammen's later revela-
personal Of NJ dc Lesseps which are
boldness. frankness and fearless utterance of his
purpose. do not comport with intrigue and trckery
his personal vindication concerns himself, and
he is ever fully competent for such task
He Is entitled to be heard in his defence before
such charges are considered established against
him personally. whatever juggling may have taken
place in the Congress. No doubt he will be heard
from on this point as he was when Lord Palmerston
made somewhat similar accusations against him in
the British Parliament in the infancy Of the Suez
Canal project.
That is q matter which concerns neither the
American people nor the present writer. Yet it
does concern all fair minded people that the
measure given to one party should also be mcted
out to the other until 1t can be heard and tina.
should weigh impartialy the interested statements
of both the high contracting parties with millions
at stake. especially since the methods of both
declared to have been marvellousy alike accord
ing to the testimony not only of an admiral and
engineer, but also of our most "pyrotechnical"
fnancier, Mr.. Cyrus Field. whose cunning hand has
been in 1t from the beginning now learn.
Whether he made Mr.. Tilden also his "copartner"
IL not stated.
II General Grant has been half busy in this
matter his friends alege must transfer the
palm OF diplomacy and back stairs dealing from the
Frenchman to the American. since the former
counted on the latter's cooperation in his own
scheme and rendered him prominent position in it.
Whether the isthmus DO cut under the auspices
of Grant de Lesseps is a matter OF minor conse-
quence SO long American interests and control
over IL be paramount. We care not who does the
Job long IL is fairly and efficiently done. Yet,
II tho heavens fall. let us do JUSTICE.
NHxn N,nU llat0