Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-12
A QUEER HEAD FOR THE STATR DR.
PARTMENT.


the Republican party in its appoint
ments to the Office of secretary OF state.
1t will be remembered that Mr.. Blaine
had not long filled this existed post un-
der Garfield when there were grave alle-
cations that he was mixed up in certain
Peruvian guano claims, of malodorous
memory. With his usual dexterity, the
Plumed knight managed to divert pub
lie attention from this little matter, and
he was assisted in 60 doing by the assas-
sination of Garfield and his own imme-
diate retirement from the state depart
ment, at the polite but firm request OF
President Arthur. The scandals of our
diplomatic department under General
Grant were something quite out OF the
common. Hamilton Fish was Grants
secretary of state, and Mr.. Sidney Web
ster was Mr.. Fish's son-in-law. And he
was more than that. At the same time
he was the resident consul of the
Spanish government at New York, at a
salary OF $4,000 year. For an admin
istration like that of Grant there was
nothing out of the way in little cir
cumstance like that. His close relation
ship to Secretary Fish doubtless ex-
planned the calm way in which the gov
ernment of the United States regarded
the infamous Burriel episode.
One would think that, on the eve of
presidential election, Mr.. Harrison
would have exercised some little care as
to his own appointments, at least when
it came to the department of state. But
not so. In Foster he seems to have
been at special pains to resurrect the
principal jobber in our diplomatic his
tory. There is something absolutely
without precedent in this mans dispo-
sition to spoliate upon his own country.
making use, in doing so, OF the informa-
tion he had obtained while in the diplo-
matte service Of his country. What
followed his appointment as minister to
Mexico and retirement from that post
is told by Washington correspondent
of the New York World as follows:
Mr.. Foster was appointed to his first
diplomatic mission Of Importance in
1873, when he was sent as minister to
Mexico. He remained there till 1880,
and Immediately after his return he be-
came the attorney for the Mexican gov
ernment in an attempt to prevent the
distribution of the We'll pAbra awards.
These awards had been paid by Mexico
to the government of the United States
in satisfaction of damages sustained by
American citizens during the Mexican
war. A commission had listened to the
evidence on both sides, and had given
judgment against Mexico. The money
had been paid, and no one expected to
see the case reopened.
Suddenly, however, Mr.. Foster claimed
to have discovered that fraud had been
perpetrated in securing the award. AS
the attorney for the Mexican govern
ment, he filed a protest against the dis
tribution of the award, and to this day
the money has been withheld from the
claimants. That Fosters attorneyship
has been continuous there is no doubt,
and it is matter of record that during
the present session of congress he ap-
peared before the house committee on
foreign affairs and argued against the
rights of the American claimants, greatly
to the astonishment of the attorneys
who appeared in their behalf.
Thus for period of twelve years,
during which time he has held numer-
ous important poste, General Foster has
been the representative of an interest
distinctly hostile to the United States.
He has also served the Mexican govern
ment and particularly the Mexican lega.
ton here in various other capacities.
In connection with the We'll pAbra
claims. Secretary Evarts took occasion to
express his surprise and Indignation at
the course of Foster in obstructing the
payment of claims which had been ad-
judicated by regularly appointed com
mission. Mr.. Evarts took the ground
that it was unprecedented to 60 behind
the findings of a commission, especially
after the Judgment had been acknow-
lodged and paid.
This eccentric diplomat got himself
appointed minister to Spain at a time
when he was the agent of Spanish claim
ants against the United States. True to
his standard style of performance, when
he got through with his Spanish mig
sion he turned up in the United States
as the counsel of certain Cuban claim
ants against his own government; and
he prevented the payment of heavy
claim which this government had
against Spain until his own Cuban
claims had been paid.
There may be something clever, of its
kind. in such public man, but we
opine that the American people would
like less clevernees and more punctilio
in their secretary of state. If he is
allowed time to thoroughly ransack the
archives of the United States he will
doubtless appear, after his exit from
Office, as the representative of all the
governments of the world that have
claims against this country. His latest
appearance against us was in the
Chilean embroglio, in which he carried
out his customary role with his usual
aploinb. We now have a secretary of
state who is always against his country.