The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-10-21
QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE FOREIGN
SERVICE

Several prominent Eastern journals in
sist that no man should be appointed to
place in the foreign service who can not
speak the language of the country to which
he i accredited. The enforcement of such
a regulation would admit to the service any
one of the countless society dudes of the
Eastern cities, while such men as President
Cleveland, Vice President Hendricks Sena-
tor Voorhees,, Senator Harrison, Hon. Joseph
Z. Mcdonald, Hon. w. IL. English, and, in
a word, majority of the ablest and best
men OF the country would be excluded. To
show how strong this absurd rule is insisted
upon in the East, we quote from prominent
journal:
The first and great pre-requiste-the s;He
q1tG non OF fitness in an ambassador or consul
is that he should have thorough and in
innate acquaintance, either with the Ian
guase OF the country in which he is to rep
resent US and our interests, or the language
OF diplomacy, the French"
The men who are most thoroughly and in
timately acquainted with foreign languages
are of three classes. a. Men who were
born and bred in foreign countries where
those languages are spoken, and who, from
instinct, habits, associations, and often from
interest. are thoroughly unAmeri-
can. u, American snobs whose
vulgar wealth has enabled them to travel
abroad, and whose stock in trade is an af-
fected contempt for everything American.
(5) Americans born and bred in afiiuence,
who have acquired the foreign languages
simply as elegant accomplishments, and
who, relieved by fortune from the necessity
of work, are destitute OF all practical knowl-
edge OF business affairs. OF this class no bet.
ter illustration can be found than the help
less generation OF elegant gentlemen be-
queathed to the South by the institution of
slavery and sent adrift by its overthrow.
Now, it is obvious that policy requiring
an intimate acquaintance with a foreign
language as the principal qualification for a
foreign appointment would fill our .diplo-
matte and consular service mainly with men
from the classes described; in other words
with foreigners, snobs and ornamental non
entities. A result like this must be the
furthest thing possible from the purpose Of
the administration.
If the rule in question were to be enforced
as broadly as is urged, changes, except on a
very limited scale, would be prohibited, for
the great body of our present foreign agents
have been 80 long in service that they them
selves are far more expert in the languages
OF the countries to which they are accredited
than any new set of men can be- But
nothing better shows the fallacy of the rule
than the patent fact that large
portion OF these men, though expert
linguists are worthless officers. And the
converse fact is equally true, that many who
| were at first, and some who are even yet, en-
tirely ignorant OF the local languages, are
among the best and most useful Of our for
eign servants.
The best possible forecast of the foreign
system the new administration may be ex-
pected to inaugurate is afforded by the char
acter OF the men who are to shape and con
troll it, The President and his Cabinet are
not only able men, but in every feature of
character they are broadly, thoroughly and
emphatically American We may there
fore safely anticipate that the first positive
requisite in the character of every one of our
foreign agents will be an absolute and intel
ligent devotion to American principles and
American interests.
Again, both in character and achieve
ments, the President and his Cabinet pre-
sent the highest exempliiication of the prac-
! teal, restless, aggressive energy which is the
impelling force of American progress. We
may therefore predict that our new diplo-
matte and consular force will be composed
OF energetic, intelligent business men, ac-