The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-16
FOREIGN MINISTER'S.

The appointment of q new minister to
Mexico revives the question: "What 10 .
foreign minister for?" The poet, Lowell,
when minister to England, confessed that
his Official career was principally devoted
to the petty duties that are usually compre-
hended within the capacity of European
courier or commonplace American con-
gresham; that is, . foreign minister tells
tourists where the local sights" are {;
where and when tho local ''lions" roar,
feed, saunter or fuddle, and how they
can be seen; he is asked for introduce
tions for oil kinds Of information that is
calculated to illuminate the mind of an
inexperienced, ignorant Ut ranger recently
arrived in great European capital from
America.
1t looks very much, from the confession
Of Mr.. Lowell and tho record of the doings
Of our foreign ministers, that they have
ceased to represent any crying public ne
cessity at the leading courts of Europe.
Before the days Of cable dispatches and
swift steamers foreign minister needed
to be something better than q mere An
gelo Cyrus Bantam, posturing as a post
prandia! speaker at public banquets,
where he rises to tender the compliments
Of his country to England and tickle the
ear Of the average Englishman with his
urbane eloquence.
Fifty years ago foreign minister was .
live figure; he conducted in person most
important negotiations that are now set
tied either by cable communications or
correspondence between our secretary Of
state and the English foreign secretary.
Franklin, Jefferson, John Jay, John Ad-
ans. Monroe. Gouverneur Morris, John
Quincy Adams, Van Buren,. Edward Ever
EFT, Dallas, Buchanan and Charles Francis
Adams were trusted when foreign minis
tiers to conduct affairs of state of great
consequence to the nation: but today a
foreign minister is . cross between the
chairman Of the floor committee at q
metropolitan ball and the president of q
public dinner; he needs to be up in the
theory and practice Of social etiquette,
and he needs to DO quick in well-timed
compliment and fluent in Aattery. In
other words, q well-dressed and we'll
hammered toady, with superficial "fresh
water" college education enough not to
blunder badly either in history or good
grammatical usage when he writes or talks,
would make a first-class foreign minister.
OF course the late Mr.. Lowell was q great
deal moro than this. but by force
of having little to do but attend
public dinners and feed international
"flap doodle" to the British lion
even q man of genius, like Mr.. Lowell
sensibly deteriorated, for more than one of
his public utterances in England showed
that he was foreign minister long enough
to acquire as habit the toady relish for
both giving and receiving gross compli-
ments, which seems to be orthodox diplo-
matte practice abroad. The mutual ad.
miration business was worked for all it
was worth with the English people both
by Minister Lowell and his facile and tact.
full successor, Minister Phelps. Minister
Lincoln has made no tiattering impression
upon the English public because he has
failed in the functions of a courtier and
claquer at British public banquets. Min.
lister Lincoln only needed Ward McAllister.
author of New York's Four Hundred. !"
ss secretary Of legation to have succeeded
where he failed.