The sun., 1893-03-26

labelled "Gibralter," but here again the
spelling IL Of no great consequence. Much
moro important is the fact that either
through transformation or malicious hin
drance on the part OF those who should
have acted as his friends, Minister PIERcE
was deferred from leaving the ship at
Gibraltar. whence he could have reached his
post OF duty at Lisbon in seventy hours or
less. His false friends persuaded hinp that
| 1t would be better to disembark at Mar
seilles. take q steamer thence to Barce-
Iona. and proceed by rail across Spain
and Portugal to Lisbon. He accepted
their misstatements. and resolved to land
at Marsellles. Even by that arrangement
he would have been able to reach Lisbon by
Feb. 20. leaving him about twelve days in
which to present his credentials to the
Portuguese Government, TO safeguard our
relations with that Power. and to write and
Sign his letter OF resignation to President
CLEVELAND before sundown on March 4.
But the Fates were against the Minister:
ave set very little news here lat Gibraltar OF the
outside world some not very gratifying For instance.
we hear that violent epidemic has broken out at Mar
ssines resembling the cholera. and quarantine has
been declared ssans, that port. A. We intended Elm.
barking there for Barcelona may be seriously de-
lAyed and possibly compelled TO seek come other rou;s
30 the Minister remained on board Of the
Fuerst Bismarck. along with his Mlnne-
| apolis friends and admirers. and went
ashore at Genoa. point about one thou
sand and fifty miles east Of his post OF duty.
| Even then his chance Of reaching Lisbon be-
| fore the natural end Of his term OF diplo-
matte service was not absolutely hopeless.
| He landed on Feb. l5. BY travelling night
and day. taking only the fastest trains.
he might still have got his creden-
tials In before 1t was time to address
to tho new Democratic Administration
his letter OF resignation rs u Republican
odlceholder. 1t is at this point that the
statements Of tho Editor Abroad con-
corning the movements OF the United
| States Minister to Portugal become very
| vague and unsatisfactory. He Is In whirl
! Of novel experiences. Ho cannot speak in
| telligibly any language but English. and
| he ID at the mercy Of the ignorant or the
vicious to whom he applies for information.
There seems to be conspiracy on the part
| OF his pretended friends to prevent him
from reaching Lisbon at all. At all events.
certain 1t Is. from the statements Of the Hon.
| GILBERT ALLARoUND PmncR. as printed
over his name in the Minncapolis Tribune,
that by sophistry or deliberate downright
lying on the part Of his fellow travellers. he
| was somehow persuaded that the direct
route from Genoa to his post OF duty led
through Rome. Naples. .Capua, Florence, and
Verona. He has visited and tarried In all
OF these cities during his heroic but una
| vailing efforts to reach Lisbon in time to
present his credentials from the HARRISON
Administration. When last heard from. our
Minister to Portugal was In Milan. writing
to his newspaper in this strain Of lofty. but
rather gloomy. philosophy:
-cA.lrL. once defined . man - . 'forksd strad.
ding animal with handy legs He could not well have
more foreiby expressed his contempt for the claim
of tho species to superiority suppose there are
trnes when every feels his own tlsness aud the
insignineAnce OF his race. The Romans built the
Colissuml Well It marked nAught but cruel pur.
pose and has tumbled down. They erected the Forum
and the Capitol bpt the original Of the istter has
trsly disappeared and the former IL only marked by
the sesntiest ruina They swsated and fumsd perss.
euted and were psrsscuted gained fame and wealth
and lost it and now they aeep and have slept the
average 1860 out Of the 1000 none the swsstsr
for all their pains and trouble and ambition
II write the wing and Il - difncult. owing to the
rapidity Of movemsntA - ind time even for tbs
brief ietters am sending We have reached Milan.
amer visiting Naples Florence Capua and Verona but
can add mors to this vs leave in the morning
for Nice and Aents Carlo. and thence to Madrid"
The date Of that letter from Milan Is
March 2. He was to leave that city for his
post Of duty on March 8. He had still the
perils and pitfalls OF Monte Carlo to en-
counter: the place where the modern
CALYPso lives. We have consulted Brad
shaw and Livret-Chai and Henschel to
see II by any possible good fortune in the
matter Of railway connections. by any re-
flnement OF grande vitesse. the Hon.
GILBERT ALLARoUND can have reached
Lisbon In season to present his credentials
and attend to our relations with Portugal
before March 4. the day on which his letter
OF resignation should have been penned and
signed. 1t was not in tho cards. He could
not get there. He presents the extraor-
dinary spectacle Of diplomatic representa-
tive whose term OF office. except in the mat
ter Of salary and travelling expenses ended
before it began.
Will ne ever reach Lisbonf Heaven only
knows! And yet the Hon. GILBERT ALL
AROUND PIERCE Of Minnesota was not ap-
pointed in vain as United States Minister to
Portugal. He has afforded the country q
noble example Of patriotic enterprise and
persistency in the face OF adverse circum-
stances and q most diabolical conspiracy
Of misinformation: and he has incidentally
contributed some remarkable chapters to
4 h, ot,,ra 80 A,.., t..