The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-02-08
sxcKETAxrKs or STATE.

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most important position i provided
for, ard provided for By the ssaeetion
Of the mar wbo Of al Americans -
heat equipped to fslI It with honor %
hfmsesI and bis connsry Il may BE
taken for granted thai no serseas rssas-
take viii be made ia the selection Of
gentlemen 10 GIL the either cabinet pos
sifsons, and, eTsn though mistake
should unfortunately b iasaey Is 81
feets would nes 5e 70 aasastF5sas - y
II were made Ia the selection 81 sec
resary u state. While the people are
not 30 fam liar with this working Of
the state department ~ tiey are sish
those Of the ether departments Of the
eoyesnfaent and while hgnnder made
b the secretary Of state may not be-
come apparent 70 quickly - II made
By another Official. il i nevertheless
true that the secretary Of state h IN ,
position 10 do more misch5ef than any
other Official except the president hina-
self. The work of she other executive
departments Il largely a matter ef
routine. No unusual step Is taken
without the kno~ledge and sanction
OF the president. and biunder, unless
IL we're Of a most extraordinary ma
ture. could he corrected before any
serious damage was done.
With the secretary of state, how
ever. II Is different. He must always
BE- on the alert. He must always an-
derstand In all Its bearings the aues-
zion with which he IL dealing. He
must consider with the greatest care
every official word which be utters.
An unguarled admission may be the
cause Of great injury to his country.
In the eyes Of foreign governments be
Il The representative and nsouthpiece
of the United States. and his utter
anees are regarded ~ the utterances
OF the American people. He must
protect the rights Of bis country
against foreign aggression, and restrain
the feelings a his countrynlen when
1T times OF extraordinary excitement
they threatsn to force the government
into war. He must be Il conservative
to American eyes and radical TO
foreign eyes. All the time he must be
ahrewd and cautious, lest he be over-
reached BY superior cunning and be-
trayed into an admission which. when
once made, could never be recalled.
The country has been extremely for
tunate In the men who have held the
position Of secretary OF state under
Republican administrations. With
out an exception they have been able
30 uphold the honor and dignity
Of their country, and without discredit
10 measure swords with the trained
siiplem stists OF Europe. William III.
Seward, who cared for ctr foreign
relations during the most critical pc
Rod OF our national history. win al
Ways be regarded as one OF the most
able Of those who have held the posi-
ton OF secretary Of state He was
digniaed and resoiate, and he held
tenaeionsly to esery right and privi-
lege 70 which be believed his country
10 he entitled. His fault, and II
Was great one. wss rashness,
though yashness was not by
any means ole Of his personal
characteristics. In his official COM
Teuniestion be vas liable 10 take en-
tresns positions. and on AZ least two
occasions. he came near insoiving the
country In q war which fseould scarce
III have maintained. President Lin
coin. than when 10 man could he
moFe pradsai. however. watched our
foreign relations closely. and exercised
. wholesome restraint upon Seward.
1t mss Impossible Tor the latter 10
isi usder seriously with 50 ssgacious a
statesman advising hlsn daily. ami he
aceorsiifgly. conducted his depart
meat successfully ana with credit.
Secretary seward was sl~o fortunate
~ ha.sng "a MINISTER to Great Brssain,
Mr. Charles Fraasis Adams. whose
skill as aiplosaAt was eluaiied only
by hts lore for his country and bis de,
vosion " Re interests.
M r. .. waAhhnrne. wAo succeed
ed NJ eemsss resigned after having
aufszs - sSsary 81 state for oniy a
few saays and was saeseessess BY Mr..
Hamilton Fish. ~ Aeu York. Mr
Fish was . mesiel secretary Of state.
and during the eight yesrs that be
bed tbs position the government Of
the United states was respected
abroad sEsl 81 hofne. lie CAME ~
near 10 making no mistakes As an or
binary mortal could come. II Was
sansasF his administration that tie Ala.
hama negotiations closed In . signal
YieioYy for American diplomacy. He
restrained the excitement which Was
esilcxa forth ia the unitesi States isv
the ksgsnsas massacre. aud bv his
business NO less than by bis srsuness
forced the Spanish government into a
position 80 hamiliating that il was
glad u reader full satisfaction for the
inIars which hal bern done 10 The
United SsascS ai,s vas always patient,
but be was always figsn. and be invari
ably masle good The POSITION which hs
assumed.
Tie term q Msliissn ii. Eyarts a
secretary Of state was an anesentfal
one. ~ Il happened. there wers
nc important questions presents! fo,
solution. He was. however, fara and
iigniAea IN al Of his attsrsnees and
he made no sersoas uaistake. Mr.
Blaine, whe seeceeaet him. possesses
broader views q Gar national destiny
than sny es ais predecessors. lie al
once took several steps ia advance
and ss*aaseei the pesitloa that il ga
the duty Of the United states govern
meat se do al wEshia is poker TO sc,
cure Teaee aaa prosperity % all the
peoYie oG the western hesxs5x;sAerxe He