The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-06-18
SEATTLE. mosDA,, JUsr IS.
A FOREIGN AMBASSADOR SHOULD
BE A NAN OF AFFAIRS.

The late William Walter Phelps. who
died on Saturday, was prominently an
able and versatile man of affairs. and
therefore ne made the best foreign ambas-
sador TO Berlin we have ever had, except
John A. Kasson, of Iowa Mr. Phelps re-
sembled the late Hamilton Fish In this
respect. that although he was heir to q
large fortune he made the most OF his
time, his talents and his opportunities.
He could say OF his career as Ben Jonson
did IN his noble lines to Shakespeare con-
corning their hours OF companionship:
Eve spent them not in toys or lust or wine.
But search OF deep philosophy,
Wit, efoquence aud poesy,
Arts which loved,
For they, my friend. were thine"
Like the late Hamilton Fish, Mr.. Phelps
was "a man among men," not gilt
edged literary dude and snoo among
dudes and snobs He was an able lawyer.
an able man of business, a scholar, a stu
dent patriotic, able political debater.
utterly independent of petty partisanship,
and yet too statesmanlike to be mere
hypercriticai mugwump. He was loyal
friend and admirer OF the late James g.
Blaine, whom he resembled In many OF his
intellectual traits, especially his intense
Amerieanism.
Mr.. Phelps was a brilliant example of
the kind of men from whose ranks a
foreign ambassador ought always to be
taken. In the list Of our foreign represen-
tatives our best men have always been
men like Ar Phelps, men of affairs In
distinction from purely literary men.
franklin, Jay. Gouverneur Morris, Jeffer-
son. Monroe. John Quincy Adams, Van
Buren,. Buchanan. Dallas, Bayard. Caleb
Cushing, Charles Francis Adams, +. J.
Phelps. Reverdy Johnson. Kasson. Gen.
schenck, Whitelaw Reid. 4. Il. WASH
burne, William +. Dayton and Simon Cam
eron were all distinguished men of prac-
teal affairs aud made excellent foreign
ministers.
Oar mediocre foreign ambassadors have
been drawn from the purely literary class,
like Washington Irving. Motley, Bancroft.
Edward Everett Bayard Taylor, Lowell,
schurz; men Of intellect and scholarship,
but not successful and versatile men of
affairs. Bayard Taylor way popular at
the court of Berlin because he had trans
lated Goethe's .Faust," but he had moth
Ing 10 do and did ii well. He did not
compare with Kasson or William Walter
Phelps or Whitelaw Reid In all around
diplomatic ability. Motley. purely liter
airy man. came very near involving us In n
war with England over the Alabama
claims by his stupid theory that he was
responsible TO United States Senator
Charles sumner instead of 10 President
Grant and Secretary Fish for his official
conduct. Lowell. a man of genius. was
a born "mugwump" and treated his
mission TO England as merely an
excellent opportunity for a man of Int
erary genius to exchange photographs
with the literary and aristocrstic cele-
orities OF England. His residence of eight
years abroad shortened mis- life and dulled
the fire Of his productive poetic genius.
lie ate good many excellent dinners; he
made a number of graceful speeches, hut
he came hack home something Of Anglo
maniac and political pesslmiss II not an
N@71AAtA ASRAeA NAA0 T&bSts NJ af& events
after Lowell became foreign minister he
wrote nothing that was worthy Of his best
poetic fame. and like Hawthorne, a greater
genius. his diplomatic life abroad seemed
10 make him less OF an ardent American.
This seems 90 be the effect OF diplomatic,
life abroad on the purely literary Amer
can. while the American who is man OF
affairs seems 20 come home IS sound an
American and as full Of faith in her insls-
tutions IS when he started FOR Europe.
But your average literary American whb
does diplomatic weTk IN Europe seems
either to come back Sn Anglo-maniae or
lese his power Of literary productivity.
At al events, men OF affairs. like William
Walter Phelps. seem 60 make the most eff.
Gent foreign ambassadors and 10 return
unspoiled and unspostcd by contact with
the courts Of Europe.