The New York herald., 1879-01-02
The Consular and Diplomatic Service.

to reform the consular and diplomatic SER
vice which have attracted less attention
than they deserved, and have only in part
succeeded, owing to the pertinacious way in
which the Senate insists on amendments
increasing the public expenses but owing
also, we must add, to the somewhat crude
and ill-digested system on which the re-
forms and economies proposed have been
based Nevertheless some improvement
has been made but there is room for still
more, and particularly at the present time,
when the country is awakened to tho neces-
sity both of wise economy in public expen-
ditures and of efforts to revive our foreign
commerce.
The place of ambassador or minister has
come for long time past to be regarded
among us, and by both political parties, as
the reward for politician out of place-a
payment out Of the public purse for what
are called in the slang Of our politicians
campaign services" The proposition,
therefore, to cut off useless offices OF this
kind meets, very naturally, with vigorous
opposition from the whole body of place
hunters, whether they are now in Office or
in Congress or not. They regard q foreign
mission as neat and handy thing to have
about the house nobody can foretell when
it may be convenient for him to go abroad
at the public expense. What we should
like to see, and what would please the Ameri-
can people, would be that these places, or
such of them as ought to be maintained at
all, should be filed not with politicians,
but with citizens of real eminence in science,
letters or the law; men who would do
honor to the place and be a credit and
honor to their country abroad. 1t is very
we'll understood that an American minister
at foreign court has but little to do. I'm
portant negotiations, when such become
necessary, are oftenest carried on by direct
communications between our own Secretary
of State and the Minister for Foreign Affairs
of the other country, or by specially ap-
pointed commissioners. A prudent Secre-
tary of State thinks twice before he commits
an important affair to one of his foreign rep
resentatives, and the curious fact that
President Hayes, on his accession, found
not single Senator willing to give up his
place to accept a foreign mission, even of
the first class, and no Representative, either,
whose prominence entitled him to be
thought of, shows how little Importance at
taches, in the minds Of the shrewdest Of
our public men, to these snowy posts.
If it is necessary to maintain ambassadors
ut the courts Of London, Paris. Berlin, st.
Petersburg, Vienna and Madrid the sala-
ries attached TO these places ought to be suf-
fcient to cover the necessary expenses of
residence there in public capacity and
then authors like Longfellow, Bancroft.
Whittier, Emerson, Holmes, or publicists
like O'Conor or Beach Lawrence, or emi-
nent soldiers like General Grant, or Gen
eral Sherman. or General Sheridan, should
be asked to accept such places, where they
would be an honor to the country, and
where their influence would be great, if
we need to exercise influence, and their
| experience would bear fruit in works
useful to their countrymen. Why
| should not foreign mission of
the first class be the retiring place
| Of an ex-President? General Grant would
make an admirable foreign ambassador.
! Why should not Mr.. Hayes even now offer
him his choice of London, Paris. Berlin
or any other OF the places we have named
| Why should he not make the same offer to
! Generals Sherman and Sheridan They
| need not give up their rank and place in
the army. A furlough during the term they
might spend abroad in the countrys service
| would be in regular order, and according
| to the most ime-honored practice of our
government, and these veterans are not alb
solutely needed to keep in order the little
army which composes our peace establish
ment We do not doubt that when Mr..
Hayes leaves the White House he would
gladly 60 abroad as ambassador to London
or Paris, and it would be not only
| gracious but sensible act if he were even
now to ask General Grant to accept one of
| these foreign missions.
| But the most necessary reform is that re-
| quired in the consular service. We do not
need regular embassies at European courts
| as the European governments do, who are
perpetually intriguing against each other.
| Our relations with foreign Powers are
| chiefly. almost altogether, those Of business
and commerce. What we require is body
of consuls, capable, industrious and we'll
paid, placed in all tho important centres
| and outposts Of commerce the world over,
awake to their duty to foster our trade, and
| to make our merchants and manufacturers
aware, by frequent and careful reports, of
the opportunities which lie unused and the
obstacles which exist to the increase of our
| foreign trade. Recent consular reports
show that Secretary Evarts has wisely en-
forced upon American consuls this duty,
but they also show that comparatively
few among them have the capacity
required for this most important
work. In spite of tho efforts of the
Secretary of State the consular reports are
/ AZ. 4.