Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1880-01-30
OUR NATIONAL CAPITAL.
From our Regular Correspondent.

EA0A- UAA AASH AaeAA NGAAGsENLAAGAl
Our foreign relations are at last re-es-
tablished, and We may now congratulate
ourselves that we have renewed our diplo-
maiic rapport with the old world. The
poet ambassador, who has been represent
ing Us at the bull fights and nuptisl eere-
monies, in Madrid, viii be transferred to
the long vacant post in that country from
which we derive our language. literature
and laws. Mr.. Foster leaps from Mexico
to Russia, and Mr.. Morgan. of Louisiana,
who has been praeticing law in Egypt, will
be assigned 10 the pest vacated by Mr.. Fos-
ter. True, the embassies at Paris, Vienna
and Constantinople are vacant, but the
ministers appointed TO represent us at
capitals have not resigned; they are max
ing the very best use of their time in see
ing Europe and Asia, or visiting their
friends in this country. The delay in
filling these vacancies has brought out the
fact that an Administration, which is at
all desirOus Of filling diplomatic positions
carefully, finds increasing difficulty In do
ing so.
The use made Of many Of these Offices of
late years has made them much less of a
distinction than they used to be, and
Americans of the right kind feel more
Of life in a foreign capital, without a
knowledge of the language or more than
official access to its best society, and with
ont a recognition by the diplomatic corps,
as professional brethren. In fact, consid-
ering the changes the telegraph has
wrought in the mode of conducting ne
gotistions with foreign powers, aud the
impossibilIty of making diplomacy regu-
lar calling, it is a question whether the
work of all the existing missions would
not be best done by a single Minister, hav-
ing his headquarters in Paris, free to travel
about, and with consuls-general under
him in the various capitals. Cable tele-
graphic connection with all the world is
every year becoming more complete.
Rates from Europe to America will this
year be reduced 90 per cent. The average
time of passage between Europe and Amer
lea is being rapidly reduced. Since the
abbreviation of time by steam and cleo
tricity, we are closer to England, to France
and to all countries with which we have
important commercial relations, than was
Baltimore to New York, or Boston to Phil
adelphis, fourty years ago.
AprOpos Of this subject intelligence has
been received from Panama that work has
been formally commenced on the Isthmus
canal, the little seven year old daughter of
Nj. D'Lesseps having touched off the fuse
that blew few hundred tons of rock from
the top of the greatest obstacle in the
route Of the canal on the Cerra Calebra
range. NJ. D'Lesseps is expected to ar
rive in New York next week. 1t, perhaps,
makes little difference whether he or Ad-
mirsl Ammen selects the route Of the canal,
whenever we want it We can take it.
There is already afOot plan for 1000
mile railroad for establishing closer COM
mereial relations between the United
States and South America. This road
will tap the canal at some point and ena-
bic US to throw a hundred thousand men
upon Mr.. Lesseps' water route. if its man
agement shall be in any way be unfavorable
to our interests, before the combined Eu
ropean powers can embark half that num-
Der from their ports. Of course this rail-
road is hypothetical, but so is the canal
in spite of the big explosion, and Lesseps'
boasts that he can get twice the amount re-
quired for its construction in France
alone. 1t is just possible that the canal
will intersect the railroad in its attempt to
interseet the Isthmus, and prudent
gamblers will not stake much. money on
the question which will first reach the in
tersecting point.
Washington, D. c., Jan. "a 1880.