The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-09-21

they are very apt to displease their own
people 1t is next to an impossibility fora
person to act much with the English people
without absorbing a great many of their
characteristics and habits. 1t is so easy to
be what our rushing people would call in
dolent, and so delightful to enjoy the high
type OF social life which is open to those
holding official positions, that one is very
ready to forget to arise before nine or ten
O'Clock and reach business about eleven.
No one is in hurry here. the business of
to-day is readily put off until tomorrow to
make way for some social enjoyment that
comes on in the evening.
Perhaps it would not be fair to say that
these people are negligent, but they will
readily put off to next week what might be
done to-day, simply because their caprices
dictate delay. | can imagine that it is very
ease for an American dipiomat to fall into
these easy ways of transacting business
without hurry and then enjoy the social
life of the evening which always lasts until
late hour
No foreign ambassador faces the exac-
tions that an American official does. He is
expected to be democratic with his country
men and to meet the conditions of English
life fully half way. Ii is exceedingly diff
cult for man to do both, without falling
between the two. Therefore, there has al
ways been more or less of growl by Amer
lean travellers ABOUT
THE AIRS OF THE AMERICAN DIPLOMAT
uttered without stopping to think of the
changed conditions under which they are
living here, and the more than double de-
mandS that are made upon them
Few American ministers have ever been
popular in London and at home at the same
time. Mr.. Motley, who was here for so
many years, had a strong hold with the
high class literary elements of Great Brit
ain, but he was too sedate and studious
to meet the require ments of that wonder
full social life which begins at dark and
lasts for many hours, nearly every day in
the year. He was very unpopular with his
own countrymen, because his thoughts
were too much occupied with his historical
works. No American minister has stood
as high as he in intellectual circles and
when he quarrelled with General Grant
and was recalled, there was great deal of
talk, but he was not missed much from the
dinners and clubs which form so important
a part of the diplomacy of this country.
The other evening at private dinner
party [ engaged in conversation with an
elderly gentleman, who appears to have
Known every foreign diplomat to this court
for the past thirty years. | asked him
about the different American ministers and
judge of my surprise when he said:
''Reverdy johnson, so far as meeting the
English idea of diplomat, WAS by common
consent in this country the leader He was
a very able and astute man. AS diner
out and an enjoyer of all the social graces
no man from the United States ever APP
preached him. For an after dinner CONVEX
satlon among strong men where
THE REAL DIPLOMACY OF NATIONS is DONE,
Mr. johnson surpassed any man your gov
eminent ever sent TO this country. [ do
not know how he met the detail requirement
of his position, but he was an ideal minister
from our standpoint. His name is more
frequently mentioned today in important
circles than any one of the old American
representatives.
''Was he more popular than General
Schenck?n asked
''Mr. Schenck was an entirely different
character His habits Of mind and desire
turned him in different direction. With
a certain class he was quite popular, but he
occupied no such position as Reverdy John
son. He was recognized as a very able
man, but not regarded as exactly the kind
of person to be popular in country where
so much depends upon the high class social
inclinations of an official. We all recog-
nized him as a typical American, rude, but
full of intellectual resources. Without
knowing anything about it [ can imagine
that he would be very popular with his
own countrymen."
''James Russell Lowell, l should have
thought would have been very strong here"
| suggested
"In many respects, yes. He was recog-
nized as a man OF very superior Intellectual
attainments and he had some social gifts of
a high order. But he would hardly be re-
garded as far-seeing diplomat. He was
entirely too sentimental. Poets always are.
Yet, Mr.. Lowell was a credit to the United
States, although | believe that many of his
people were not pleased with his official
conduct. | can quite understand how tnat
can be true with man of Mr. Lowell's in
tellectual and quiet tendencies.
THE AVERAGE AMERICAN
seems to look upon his minister as sort of
high class messenger boy to cater to what
ever desires he may have, or to attend to
whatever business he may have to transact.
This is unjust to the diplomat in asdouble
sense. In the old world we have very diff
ferent idea of his duties. People look to
him for broader things than looking after
details or spending their time about com
mon place matters. A minister who does
that to the neglect of the higher duties Of
his Office soon loses caste with the govern
ment to which he is accredited and is apt
not to help his reputation at home. There
fore, the position of an American diplomat
is more difficult than that of any other Of
fetal of like grade from any other country
in the world. 1t takes very strong man
to meet its requirements.
1.-The minister sent to this country by Mr.
Cleveland is strong man, but have heard
good deal of complaint about him from
America, but the truth Is l have heard more
or less Of this about all of them. Even MIR.
Pierrepont, who was the very soul of at
tention to the duties of his office, was not
free from fault finding, Mr.. Phelps was a
high class man, but could hardly be called
diplomat. In fact, it strikes me that you
do not train men in your country for this
position. Here we give them years of edu-
cation with that end in view. How is it
possible for man who has spent his life in
a limited circle in the practice of the law,