The Portland daily press., 1892-07-09

In America there has been little in,
cenave to the practice of such profess
sion. Our diplomatic agents are select
ed for political reasons, and, expecting
to be displaced with the first change Of
administration, take their missions as a
sort Of holiday. They have, as rule,
had but little training for the work, and
after getting into it are more concerned
about having good time than for mas
terry of the trade or for fitting them
selves for higher and more important
duties in the same line. Not SO with
Mr.. Foster. Having at the outset a
natural aptitude for diplomacy, in tact,
manner and temperament, at the first
opportunity, which was when General
Grant sent him as minister to Mexico,
he took up the work as if he expected to
remain in it all his days. And he has
remained in it from that hour to this,
and has become so proficient in it that
he is easily the first of American diplo-
mats whose services will always be in
demand, no matter whether Republicans
or Democrats control the administra.
ton.
The rise of man like this, through
studiousness, application, evelopment
of usefulness and genuine ,ility to the
highest place in the American cabinet
is an event noteworthy and encouraging.
If the time is coming when a man may
win such promotion through merit and
not through political favor, possibly we
shall have in this country some day
what they have long had in Europe, a
distinct and growing school of diplo-
macy. In the Old World diplomatic
representatives are trained as men are
here trained to the law. They must first
go out as under secretaries, and as
rule promotion is an hing but rapid,
and comes only after ng service, per-
haps in half a dozen reign capitals.
When the secretary becomes charge
d'affaires, and finally minister, the
chances are he knows his business-is
familiar with every trick of the trade
and has become such thorough master
of the forms and usages of international
intercourse, as we'll as of the written and
unwritten law which underlies it, that
he may be considered a master of his
profession.
The thirty first secretary Of state was
born in Pike county, Ind, that county
which has long been the butt of the
rude wit of the west as a region that
can produce nothing but hooppoles and
malaria. Colonel Foster comes of Eng
lish and American stock, his father hay
ing come to this country from England
just after the beginning of the century.
Foster, ST., settled in Pike county and
married an Indiana girl. He was a
farmer, and a very successful one. He
was able to send his sons away to col
lege, and thus John Watson Foster went
first to Bloomington, Ills., and after
ward to Harvard law school. 1t was at
the first college, when he was but a lad
of sixteen, that he met little lass of
ten who was destined to have an inn
portant influence upon his life.
Between the lad and the girl an affec-
ton sprang up, and after the former had
gone away to Harvard, studied law for
a time at Cincinnati and begun its prac-
tice at Evansville, whittier his father
had removed from Pike county, he
made Miss Mcpherson, now grown
woman, his bride.
Shortly after the marriage of Mr.. and
Mrs. Foster the war broke out. Foster
was then twenty -four, pale and delicate,
a student who was just beginning to
practice law. His young wife made
him promise he would not go to war,
because he was not strong enough to
walk in the infantry, and there seemed
to be no chance to get an officers COM
mission and horse to ride upon. But
while Mrs. Foster was away visiting her
father in law. sturdy old IEdge Foster,