Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-05-31
MINISTER LOWELL.
The Controversy In the Newspapers
on the Subject OF His Recall.
Mem York Erenfnn Post

NeU YORK Ecentnq Post.
Whether President Arthur has deter
mined to recall Mr.. Lowell and the Her.
aid is preparing the way for an announce
ment of the fact, or the HeI aid has itself
determined that Mr.. Lowell ought to be
recalled, and is trying to bring the Presi.
dent over to the same way of thinking,
we do not know. Whatever be the rea.
son, the Herald is publishing a series of
articles urging the recall, on the single
ground that Mr.. Lowell, however fit for
the place he may be in other respects,
has the capital defect of not en-
joying the confidence of Ameri.
can Irish. There is apparently
no specific charge of neglect of duty
made against him. The list of Irish
American citizens whom he was some
time ago accused of having allowed to
languisn in British dungeons is somehow
not forthcoming. In other words, the
inmates of dungeons who claimed Ameri
can citizenship have mostly turned out
persons who had little or no title ta
American citizenship, and claimed it not
from love of liberty-for some of them
refused TO be released on condition that
they would quit Ireland-but in the hope
of making trouble between Great Britain
and the United States, or, as they would
themselves doubtless express it, fol
"divilmint."
Nor is it alleged-though some such
absurdity was preached in the beginning
that Mr.. Lowell is not American enough
for the Irish voters. This was probably
too wild acharge for even ODonovan
Rosa to stick to. If it were true that
MIR. Lowell, at the age of sixty, had for
gotten how an American should feel. and
had forgotten the sources of American
greatness and forgotten what American
honor and fame required in the inter
| course of the country with foreign ma
tons, it would give strong support to the
theory that no American could safely be
trusted with the foreign policy of the
government. and that the President
should select his diplomatic agents, from
the Secretary of State down, from among
recent corners at Castle Garden. So that
the sole objection to Mr. Lowell is that
portion of the foreign born population
of the country do not like him, and are
annoyed by the popularity which his high
character, his scholarly attachments, his
fame as an American author, and his at
tractive manners have created for him in
English society.
Even if it were conceded, however,
that Minister, in other respects unob-
jectionable, ought to be recalled because
the Irish or Germans, or any particular
section of the population, are dissatisfied
with him, we should still have to in
quire why they were dissatisfied with
him. In this, as in all other matters, it
Al, - h.. A l.
only whose wishes have to be obeyed
without explanation. 1t is the majority
only which is sovereign. 1t is to the
will of the majority well ascertained that
the President owes implicit heed. When
a minority, and especially a small
minority-the Irish number about 9, $780,
600 ell told, in population of so, 900. 900
asks to have thing done for its special
qualification, 1t is bound to explain why
it wants 1t, and is bound to show that
what will satisfy it will do no harm to
the rest of the community. In other
words, American Ministers should repre-
sent the American people, and not por
ton of the American people, and if the
President orders or permits Minister to
represent anything less than the Ameri-
can people he fails in his duty. The
reasOnableness of this becomes obvious
enough when we consider that all the
diplomatic representations, or remon-
strances, or requirements, have the use
of the national force, or, in other words,
war, behind them as a possible
contingency. But war has to be
waged by the whole people. Its
burdens and losses and sorrows
fall on the whole people. If we should
get into a war with England about dun
geons it is not the Irish who would carry
it on and suffer for it. 1t is every man,
woman and child in the United States.
So that it is the American people which
Mr. Lowell is bound to represent in Lon
don, and not the Irish portion of the
American people. 1t is American tradi-
tions. ideas and policy which he is
bound to uphold in his intercourse with
the British Government, and not Irish
traditions. ideas or policy.
AS a matter of fact, no American
Minister in London has ever satisfied the
Irish. They are as hostile to Mr. Charles
Francis Adams as they are to Mr. Lowell,
and we're as eager for his recall, and yet
Mr. Adams was probably the most use
full Minister we ever had at that post.
The Inference, therefore, that they can
not be satisfied is not unfair.