The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-04
A Beautiful Instance of selr-sacriflce


The letters OF Mr.. VAN ALIEN TO Mr..
GRESHAM and Mr.. CLEVELAND. resigning
the Office OF Ambassador to Italy. are in
every way creditable to the writer. The
tone Is modest, straightforward. and
manly. 1t Is self-respectful and sclf-sac-
riflcing at tho same time. Whatever
may DO thought OF Mr.. VAN ALIENS fitness
or unfltness for the post Of Ambassador.
there can be no doubt now that he Is i'm
bued with the true spirit OF Christian al
truism. IIe accepts disappointment and
humiliation for the sake of another.
That Mr.. VAN ALIENS motive Is altruistlo
and not selfish, appears clearly in the cor
respondenee between himself and the
President The idea that the appointment
was made In consideration for campaign
money paid. Is brushed aside by both
Mr.. VAN ALIEN and Mr.. CLEVELAND. The
President dismisses the stories to that
effect as malignant criticism that has
mo justification" He beEs Mr.. VAN
ALIEN to join him in refusing to yield
to the noise and clamor." and as
sures him positively that he was nomi-
mated for Ambassador on account OF his
entire fitness for the post Mr.. VAN ALIEN.
on his part, confesses that he has enter
tanned the proper and praiseworthy ambi-
ton to go to Rome and prove there, by his
actual performance OF the duties OF di-
plomacy. that Mr.. CLEvELAND's high opin-
ion Of his fitness was well founded.
That being the case. there was every
reason except one for persistence in the
original intention of defying the malignant
and clamorous critics Of this appointment.
Mr.. VAN ALIEN could have gone to his post
with double certificate from Mr.. CLEvE-
LAND OF his eminent fitness to be Ambassa-
dor to Italy. Fortified by his own conscious
innocence OF the charge that his money
purchased the Office, and by tho ilattering
testimonial contained In Mr.. CLEyE-
LANDS letter OF November %. he
could have performed his duties as
n public servant, calmly awaiting the ver-
dict OF history. The sole conceivable motive
that can have determined him to retire
while 30 fortified and under fire, is altruis-
tic consideration for the personal and polit-
ical comfort Of the President: and therein
lies the true beauty and nobility OF this
remarkable act Of self-sacrifice.
When we speak Of the personal and po-
ntlcal comfort of the President. we merely
REFER 10 tne notorious laCC tnat tne VAN
ALIEN appointment has deprived Mr.. CLEvE-
LAND OF the unquestioning support and ap-
proval OF many OF his former Mugwump
friends. and has dried up sources Of adula-
ton which he had naturally come to regard
as inexhaustible. When Mr.. VAN ALIEN
wrote his letter OF resignation. he had prob
ably read the resolutions recently adopted
by the Civil Service Reformers. who persist
In regarding the appointment as scandal
Gus. Cruelty unjust as it all Is" Mr.. VAN
ALIEN must have reasoned. " the President
shall be relieved from the embarrassment
in which his confidence in my ability as
diplomatist has involved him; mine shall
DO all the suffering"
Can Mr.. CLEVELAND honorably accept tho
sacrifice even now2 Not II the protesta-
tions OF Mr.. CLEVELAND. in his letter to Mr.
VAN ALIEN. are entirely sincere.