The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-05-11

A dispatch from Washington City pre-
SCENTS formidable list Of diplomatic COM
plications that are simultaneously pressing
upon the attention Of Secretary Blaine,
none (which can very well brook postpone
ment. but all demanding an early solution.
The list certainly justiies the language Of
the dispatch, that Secretary Blaine will
be > very busy man throughout the
summer"
In this list are mentioned the italian
and Boring sea complications, Canadian
reciprocity, Newfoundland fisheries nego-
tiations, the Chilean troubles, the Spanish
agreement, the Venezuelan treaty, the
Haitian coaling station. China's snub Of
our newly appointed minister, Peruvian
reciprocity, and the schedule winds up
with "the trouble over the failure Of our
consul at Vancouver to toast Queen Vic
toria.'
The list il formidable one; enough to
tax and tire even the big and active brain
of the versatile and tireless head Of our
state department It were sufficiently 50
without including the final addendum,
tho boorish performance of Consul Jay
Ewing. But that, most likely, will not
present any embarrassing complications
to the mind Of our energetic and prompt
Secretary. Apparently the only compli-
cation in that case must relate to the
working condition Of the official guillo-
tine. ~ the worst there can only be
question Of short time for adjusting and
oiling that instrument for . neat, artistic
decapitation.
That such can be the only complication
in the case will be apparent If We reverse
the picture and suppose IN English Tory
present as the representative Of the British
government at an American oflcial BAN
quet, and that in response to toast to our
President he should sneer at the latter's
prerogative and question the legitimacy Of
our republican form of government. This
an English Tory, if sincere in his party
principles and expressing his personal
sentiments, might and would do. But the
like has never happened, though there
have been many such American banquets,
both on our own and British soil, at which
English Tories, ~ representatives of their
government, have always respectfully and
sometimes effusively responded to the
toasting of our Chief Magistrate.
There was no reason in the presence of
Consul Ewing at the Vancouver banquet
except as q representative Of our govern
ment. His presence as such representa-
tive, and his appointment as such, implied
relations of peace and amity between the
United States and Great Britain, and
recognition by ours of that governments
legitimacy and the prerogatives of the
Queen. These sentiments or none the
United States consul was entitled to ex-
press. If he entertained personal senti-
ments in conflict with these it was his
duty either to suppress them or to disavow
his representative capacity.
But Consul Jay Ewing evidently consid-
cred himself "a bigger man than Uncle
Sam" He considered it more important,
and of more consequence to the world that
he should express his individual senti-
ments than that he should reflect the re-
spectful and amicable feelings expressed
by his government in accrediting him to
las posW AAS uiauo thc ocutiIucutS Oh his
government subordinate to those of Jay
Ewing. But the world cares nothing
about the views or feelings Of Jay Ewing.
In the eyes of the world, whatever of ILL
manners and disgrace attach to his per-
Torrance are charged up against the coun-
try whose chosen representative he was.
He disgraced. not Jay Ewing--for Jay
n
and probably could not have been there
but his country. For such a case there
can be no complications. The gIillotine
is an exceedingly simple and effective
structure. 1t is the only correction for
ofienses like Mr.. Jay Ewing's. Secretary
Blaine will use it without much loss of
time from the other and really intricate
problems which are pressing upon him for
| solution.
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