New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-12
MR.. PHELPS IN LONDON.
WHAT Is SAID OF HIM, AND WHAT HIS
PROSPECTS ARE.


The nomination of Mr.. Phelps American
Minister to England was received by the English
press civily, with one exception, The PdH Mdt
Gazette. That paper met it with an elaborate snee
"A Vermont lawyer, name lmmaterial, no one here
ever heard it. though no doubt he is most COM
petent and respectable person. who will serve as
foil to Mr.. Lowell An odd sort of welcome. truly,
to a new envoy. Not more odd. perhaps, than the
address of the same journal "To our Believing
Brethren" or its apostrophe to The Times. How
stupid You are growing" or its new nickname ior
The Daily Neps, {" the old woman of Bouverie-st.
These are matters of taste, and you see what the
taste of The PaH Mall is.
Mr.. Lowell however, with generous impulse
which will be appreciated, thought it worth While
to correct this "mischlevous msapprehension
about Mr. Phelps The present Minister introduces
the new Minister to his English friends in ilattcrng
terms as a man of high character, of marked
inlepenlence, and Of the most agreeable social
qualities. certificate for President Cleveland is
added; he would be the last man to make an
inconsiderate appointment, and "a change OF
Ministers was unavOidablc." The testimony of the
New-York correspondents, at first slightly con
Trajectory has at last settled down into strain of
harmonious eulDgy. Even THE tribune"
remarks he of Tie OGily Ners, (which pcrsistently
refuses to see any merit in Mr.. Clevelands Admins
tration. says Mr.. Phelps is an able and accom-
plished gentleman" And lie knows that Mr.
Phelps was the personal choice of Mr.. Bayard, who
thought an able lawyer needed IN view of the Irish
and fishery questions. fresher curiosity. and n
very keen one here is satisfied by the declaration of
The Standard correspondent that next to Mr. Phelps
his wife, in the view of his acgnantances, would
make the best possible Minister.
No doubt Mr.. Lowell has made the post Of Amer
lean Minister difficult one for any possible
successor. Nobody could conquer all at once the
esteem which has grown mp ont Of long acquaint-
ancc with one whom all Engshmcn speak Of as a
sort of personal friend. whether they know him or
not But Mr.. Phclps's friends in America need not
suppose he will have to encounter either prejudice
or GOODNESS in London. 1t matters little that his
name was unknown in England till this week. III 1t
hal been ever well known nc would have been
udgsl anew on bis merits as Minister, aud wonld
have had to Justify his reputation. Probably his
reception will be all tho cordial for the slight
pause of surprise which new name could not but
OCCASION He will neither expect nor desire to make
England forget his predecessor. but neither will
English admiration for the departing Minister chill
their welcome to the Minister who is to arrive.
IL one looks back the list of American
Envoys during the last fifteen or twenty years. it
cannot but seem very various In character. The
interval between the best and the least good is so
wide that Engllshmcn | fear, have ceased to take
for granted that an American Minister Is q worthy
representative of his country because he is Minis
ter. There certain memories which do not die
out: scandals of moro than one kind which this
generation will not forget. There have boen Minis
ters who contributed to the amusement of the
society to which they had access and it is almost
as fatal to be laughed at as to be censnred. A
review of this period woud be exceedingly instruct
i've but there are living persons to whom it might
give needless pain.
All that needs now TO be said is that Mr.. Phelps
has the question of success in his own hands.
MANY kin Is of success possible to man who
holds this brilliant and difcult position. If he
wins respect and confidence at tho Foreign Office
the opinion of the Foreign Office will soon filter
through the social strata which the Young and old
men of what is commonly called the f. o. adorn
II he is liked personally few people will care about
his credentials as q iiplomatist II lie hits the
taste OF the town speaker, his writins-table
will he Uttered with invitations to public dinners
COUPLED with hint that few words will be ex-
pected from him in response to a toast The
LAWYERS will be eager to take the of their
American brother, and their American brother will
soon ind that among bis English brethren are somo
of the keenes wits and cleverest takers in London
He will meet "snart" set who will make upon
him no other demand than that he shall be anus
ing and will not care one straw for him II he Is not
In Society WHICH wants To Nlnulcatc It's cldlln 10
equality with its betters. lie will be valued, per
hips because he is Minister, but the first symptom
OF such feeling ought TO put him on his guard.
In iii slerent and better sense. mono the less, Mr.
Phelps will find hc is greeted cordially for the sake
of his country well rs for his own sake. III tie
people who would conrt him because he is pleni-
potentary may safely be left to themselves. the
people who delight to receive him because he IL the
representative of the United States will be aInsng
the best with whom he comes in contact.
In Mr.. Phelpss case. as in that OF those who have
gone before him. the old question of the style in which
an American Minister in London ought to live Is sure
to be raised We seem TO have made up or minds
or our respected representative in Congress have
made them up for uS-that it Is not desirable 10
maintain an American Legation in London on the
scale adopted by tue other great Powers of the
world In the early days OF Garfields brief Admin
istration, it was understood that he meant to
recommend to Congress the raising OF the Legation
to the rank OF Embassy. Had he lived. we should
perhaps have seen. for the first time In history, an
American Ambassador Mt the Court of st. James
Much would have been gained by the change had It
been complete. An American Minister who had
been waiting an hour in Lord Granvilles ante-rvom
woud not then lavo bad TO wait another hour
while the Ambassador who arrived after him walked
in before him and transacted his crraDd. That is
but one Of many practical advantages to be gained
by such promotion: it wonld facilitate business
Yet unless the pay OF the Ambassador were to be
raised il is question whether lie had better not
remain Minister. The fcrocious economist who
wants to cut down the present salary. $1,000 no
this money lives like Prince on third of II, saves
the rest and retires with IA competence. He will
not understand that Minister on TINS stipend mas
the greatest difficulty In making both ends meet.
II he has private fortune. well and good. If he
has none, he will hardly know which way to turn.
Report has it that President Cleveland is TO SET
an example of plain living in Washington. He may
expect his Enjoys in Europe to initiate him. IL Is
more difficult, but it can be done. The one thing
which ought never to be done Is to maintain the
Legation here on q shabby-genteel footing. SpIen-
dor If you like: republican simplicity if you like /;
but avoid of all things the horrible attempt which
so many of the English middle class make that of
Keeping up appearances on an inadequate income.
An American Minister will do very well in London
without entertaining company; though some Of his
different view aud to consider that the Legation
exists TO provide them with meat and dcink ami
a friendly evening with the Prince of Wales. The
transient American with these expectations ought
hriuatinr tho Cnininiiten of WaYs aud