New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-09
AMBASSADORS.
I.
SOME OF THE REASONS WHY AMBASSADORS
ARE MORE USEFUL THAN MINISTER'S


unanimous is limited. and IT Is no cause 'o'
surprise il modification OF diplomatic custom,
long in force should not be one Of them
don't know that even here public opinion IS uni.
versally favorable TO the change by virtue VI
which the British Minister AZ Washington ne
comes British Ambassador. 1t elects some co'''
mcnt but the comment is rot general
The change is IN truth. lar more important
10 us than 10 Great Britain more Ii'p"'""''
that is. il looked at practic'liv ana not semi,
mentally The genius of the LnGIish people a"
of the American people imp"ls cach 10 "cA','
that with reference to matters affecting the
relation of great States an" the conduct OF
public business. it takes practical views BOT"
are in fact often swaycd by other aud very
different considerations Gusts o; passion sweep
oyer both this seagir. isle and the Continent
which ,nterposes between the Atlantic ana IN"
Pacific Continent emotion. prejudice cve"' ana
sympathy have at times played. ana VIII Gun.
tjnuc TO PLAY. Girat part IN III" hH'"iN V.
both nations Eat let - take the ira'"c'i
view and take 1t with the help oil the m'~'
experienced and skilled d'plomati>t OF mo"c'"
times Thorc ia a passage on the subject 10 a
epeech by Prince Bismarck, delivered IN ''e
ReichetaC moro than twenty years ago. 'o'"
which the following Is an extract:
"Whv il is asked, confer tn" title OF AhoaSN'
dor answer because OF thr eNis'cnc" Oh dlpio-
matio and political hierarchy. Their" EXISTS VI Il
made u distinction between members OF the "ii''o
matte body. II may he an unjust dls'ihc'io''' "''
il IL general and generally admitted FOR 'N"iP'o'
il q Foreign Minister is IN cohfcrenc" w''h tue
Minister Of another Power. and an Amoa'sao'I
no announced tine Foreign Minister thinks hEnsei'
Obliged TO break of the conference ana receive
the Ambassador at once VT, AGAIN 'i'''''''
p,erinotcnti,rv NAV have been waiting for an
d. nl,oro f fis
An Ambassador arrives inst as In" other Is ABOUT
IN cnter: the Ambassador. according TO the usage
which nrevails in most courts Is received az once
tho Minister Plenipotentlary must wait tli ITO
Ambassador has done his business; he NAV ro'
be received at all that day. There Is mot''hc''
tion and there are collisions which might w
avoided by change OF title
Then follows a curious passage in Which ffihce
Hsmarck declares that Minister with proper
sense of his own dignity will not submit 70 sue"
treatment. For my part SAID the great Nii"i'
ter II found il possible to resent IL success'"H'
but not without giving rise to GOODNESS ana
strained situation out OF all proportion u the i'i
importance of the question one WISHES ~
had given the facts and explained what he an
He admits that the effect of his resistance was 10
Mace him in a position which ahnos' reached tne
extreme limit of what is permitted To inc o''-
cial representative of great nation. lha' l. al,
very we'll for Prince Bismarck, the most mds'er'u'
as we'll as the most expert OF diporat's's. \
lesser man, or a Minister of more even temper
cannot be expected to assert his dignity IN 'ni'
way. or to claim for himself privilege when MS
ofSciaI rank gives him no title to claim. There
IL an easier and a better way OF ATTAINING ''e
came end and it is the way we have now chosen:
.Th. object can I've ACCOMPLISHED by
comforting on the diplomatic agent the title oil
Ambassador" =
That is Prince Bismarcks way ont oil the III
,emma Unless some OF the discontented IN
America have some higher diplomatic a'2hori'N
than Prince Bismarck 10 set up against him. 'his
testimony must be accepted as decisive on 'hc
merits of the question, when considered prdc-
tically. Other testimony is at hand, II IL We're
needed There is. among other things. the long
experience of American Ministers at the 'o'''
Of St James II has sometimes taken curious
shane So marked is the good will TO America
that the British Secretary OF State for Foreign
Affairs has il is believed, done his best on one
mr. two snccial occasions to abolish or 10 abridse
in his favor the strict and accepted distinction
in favor of the Ambassador lie could not 40 IL
otherwise than with the consent, express or
implied, of the Ambassador whose pferoeative'
were impaired. But the Ambassadors themselves
have at times shown certain readiness 10 rcco3
MIC the true as distinguished from the technical.
|
They have. not often, bat on perhaps one or
two occasions. waived their rights of precedence
in the transaction OF business. though never that
7 ever heard Of their social or cereinonlai
precedence. The American Minister, VINO mao
been waiting has been civilly asked pN an
Ambassador who had arrived later TO 20 IN
before him. 1t has been a matter OF 2ood ieilow'
shin and the Minister has accepted the cNiiitE
But what position for the rcprcSeh'alNe U,
L.. t,nul1 no
N The kindness Of the Ambassador Of Turkey, OF
81 Snain for permission to transact at once the
nost urgent business of his Government. feac'
n, war might hang on the question Of precedence
or rather of priority.
There arc lesser questions than peace or wal
which still require attertion ana there Is AWAY
the question of dignity. Do those who dlslii''
the rank OF Ambassador think it for the dig
nity Of an American representative or OF h'
country that he should dance attendance IN an ante
chamber while the ENJOYS Of Nicaragua and Of
Siam mass in before him? For il may well b'
that theee ENJOYS and many Others hav" dlplo
matte seniority over the American Minister We
change our envoy every four Years. Other Statc
think their PURPOSES can la served by less Ire
ouent substitution Of new Minister for an ol'
There is no other DISTINCTION. as between MIN
listers, than that of diplomatic arc. The amy
ing American has always necessarily taken III
place at the bottom of the list. Inc Ah'r"a'
Ambassador. will, Of cou,se have pfeceueho'
over all Ministers.
II has been long struggle TO induce Congress
20 assent 70 the appointment Of Ambassadors
The question has been raised at intervals durih'
the last twenty years, and the opposition has oeei
peculiarly fierce. The proposal always seemed u
rouse angry passions. AMI the passions to b' NOR
vehement than might have been expected ]
ma man ia IN have the credit of !
must be Senator Hear, Of Massachusetts, III
has for many years pressed the question npo'
the attention Of Congress and of the country !
was a Republican Administration which wl'ne'sr'
the fulflment Of these long cfcrts, and a Rcpubli
can President who approved the bill which CAV
authority TO his successor 10 appoint the frs
Ambassadors 1t devovcs upon Democratic