New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-07
be well pleased. An excuse is urgently desired
for military intervention.
DIPLOMATIC CENSORSHIP.

Diplomatic functions under the present "rc-
form Administration include censorship over
American periodical literature. MIR. Phelps Is
reported TO have refused to present Mr.. Alien
Thorndikc Rice at Court on the ground that n
critical article on Secretary Bayards pollucM
career had been published in The Norm
american Reuieir. The article IN qncsloh
appeared under the nom de plume. " arthur
Richmond" and was virtually anonymous !;
but the American Minister has considered IL
his duty to vindicatc the character OF inc
Secretary of State by holding the owner and
conductor of the magazine personally rspoh-
sible for il. lie has accordingly declined 10
use his good Offices in introducing Mr.. kIcc 10
the Queen. although Mr.. &c had already
received many Inequalities from the Prince
of Wales nj Marlborough House, and is prob
ably rs widely known even yet in London as
Mr. Pheps-was certainly far more widely
known than Mr. Phelps was months after nc
received his appointment.
The ErtninQ POST we observe, approves OF
the stand taken by Mr.. Phelps in Withholding
from Mr. Rice the official courtcsics OF the
American Embassy 1t characterizcs the satire
on Mr. Bavard as "a thoroughly blackguard and
pcrsonal articlc-one which would have rem
dcrcd all social Intercourse between the writer
and either Mr.. Bayard or any other member
Of the Cabinet or the President impossible
Mr.. Phelps. in its Judgment. had no right TO
discriminate between the anonymous " black
guard" and the responsible conductor oil the
magazine who had hired the author to write
the article. Neither author nor publisher,
therefore. was good company for gentlemen,
and consequently Mr.. Phelps was Justified IN
declining to present either Of them at Court.
The publisher was thus the vicallous viclm
of the authors satire.
This exercise of critical functions on the part
of an American diplOmatist threatens to cur
tail the social rccrcations of authors and pun
fishers who hereafter visit England ana inc
Continent. The Editor of The Erenlng foSt,
for example, would Inc certain to find his own
name in Mr. Phclpss Index EXpurgatonus. and
vould be denied the privilege of being nitro
duccd at Court That journal published IN
the course Of the campaign of 1854 several
articles in reference to MI. Clcycand's private
life These were not samples of severe pot
i,ica criticism" but thoroughly blackguard
and personal articles" These articles assumed
the truth Of various foul and scandalOus charges
LIuitcd in Buffalo against Mr. Cleveland
rcputation. ManifcS'ly social intercourse be-
tween the writer of those articles and the
President and his Cabinet would now he M
possible and consequently MIR. Phelps would
he forced if application were made, to decline
10 introduce the author at Court. Anonymous
journalism would also entail vicanous sacn-
fee. AS the articles were not signed, the
owners and conductors OF The frcn'ng FoSt
would have TO lie held responsible for them
They could no. be considered good company for
gentlemen for as that journal arntcly remarks
"thc true rule in editing newspapers as IN
other things is that what you hire ruilmn to
do YOU do yourself