Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-15
Literary Men as Diplomatists,


The best appointments Mr.. Bayard has
made have been the literary ones, and
whether America gets anything in diplo-
| macy from the sending of Sam Cox to Tur-
key or not, the world of literature will
probably have it's wealth increased by
some OF his pleasant descriptions of Turk
ish manners. The appointment of Prof
Rasmus b. Anderson, the noted student of
Morse mythology, as Minister to Dem
mark, will add to the English collection
of treatises on the Morse language and
literature, and the sending of Buck as
Minister to Peru may discover to us
dozen new bugs or a new family of in
sects.
Literary diplomatists have done much
for America. Some Of our most accom-
plished Ministers have been literary men,
and, as rule, such men have been the
most popular and efficient abroad. Bay-
ard Taylor got very close to the hearts of
the Germans, and his mission to Berlin
must have aided him in his German
studies. His translation of "Faust,"
made, however, before he was appointed
Minister, has acquired place among the
poetical classics, and it is beyond doubt
the best translation made. George Ban
croft was one of the most popular of our
German Ministers. and Washington
Irving did well in England as Secretary
of the American Legation, and as the re-
suit Of his residence in Spain in a diplo-
matte capacity we have the lives of
Columbus and other works. John Hay
was sent to Madrid as Secretary of the Le-
CATION, and his "Castilan Days'' gave
some of the most beautiful pictures of
Spanish life that have ever been pub
lished. W. ID. Howells was appointed by
Lincoln as Consul to Venice, and as a
result the world is richer in his "Italian
Journeys" Venetian Days" and 1.-The
Lady of the ArOostOOk." AS later
result "The FlOrentine MOsaic.0 now
appearing i'm the Century, might be attrib-
utable to the same appointment. Haw-
thOrne was given an appointment in Eng
land, and as result we have sore OF the
most beautiful sketches in his English
Notebooks" and from the trip which he
took from there to Italy came the "Mar-
bic Faun," the most beautiful story Of
Italian life in the English language.
Hawthorne's best novel, "Thp Scarlet
Letter." was written while he was in the
government Ofice-that of the head of the
custom house at Salem-and il you will
call there they will show you some of his
relics, including the old desk OH which he
wrote the story Of Chester Prynne."
The popularity Of. james Russell Lowell
in England is also an evidence Of the adj
visibility Of literary appointments, and
Mr.. Phelps, who follows him, seems TO be
stepping easily into his shoes. Nr. Lowell
is FAST becoming an old man, nd his hair
is beginning 70 silver. He viii, return 10
HIS beautiful home at Cambridge, near
Boston, and viii smoke and write under
the elms as be did years ago. Aluhonso
Taft will probably 20 into ret irement at
Cincinnati, where he has an ample for
tune, and 1t may be that he vi n give us
book OF "reminiscences OF his long public
career before he dies. Mr.. kasson Is
young yet, and he will probably return
70 bis practice OF the law in lO'Fa until he
aEain comes % Congress or urtil another
Republican administration c3llls for the
use of his 8plendd diplomatic alents, and
$. G.. w. Benjamin VIII cor back %
America and 80 to writing hooias and mag-
azine articles as be did before ne left 10 20
10 Persia. Bret Harte will probably De
relieved OF bis place at GlasgO W, and be
WILL too, como back and give us some
more of his poems ard sketchet. Eo has
been a most popular Consul an Il he IL us
we'll knOwu-and better known abroad
than any other man in American litergr
ture, except Mark TWAIN.