The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-07-03
WEARsoME WORK.

WEARSOME WORK.
One can hardly imagine anything
less desirable in the public service than
! the post of ambassador to Great Brit
ain. We observe that Mr. Bayard has
been making more speeches, and has
confined himself to the only possible
topic that can be touched upon with
safety, and without wounding the ser
sibilities Of the people whom he ad-
| dresses or the people whose representa-
tive he is. He returns to the safe and
time-worn theme of the common origin
of our people, the economic relations
| that ought to exist between US, the
strength of the ties of kinship and the
certainty of good feeling which prevails
among the mass Of each nation toward
the other. For four mortal years
the man who holds the place of
ambassador at the court of St James
must dwell upon this topic and elabor-
ate all its aspects, unless he is to find
himself an unwelcome visitor or to re-
ceive a formal rebuke by his people
at nome. Let him diverge ever so 1T
tie from this safe topic and a thou
SAND hostile eyes are watching him
ana thousand critical tongues are
ready to censure his excursion into q
forbidden field.
A man who has qualifications for So
high a post as this may be expected TO
hold views of value upon large topics
related to public life, and vastly de-
sire an opportunity to express them.
he does so at the peril of his reputa-
tlon and his very political life We
have already noted the fact that ON
appointment as ambassador to Great
Britain Is equivalent to a politicaI
death warrant to an ambitious mar.
He cannot declaim in England against
the English people, as the iingoes do
in congress, or he would have to be re-
called speedily as persona non grata.
He cannot cultivate the least little
spirit of friendliness without Iavins
himself open to bitter denunciation at
nome. We saw what happer.e when
Mr.. Bayard made his powerful address
at Edinburgh. Because he ventured to
state political and economic truth
ne drew down upon. himself the
empty, but nevertheless unpleasant
thunderbolts of congressional denim
citation. Although Mr.. Bayard Ia not
open to the suspicion of fearing any,
thing that the American congress can
do. 1t Is undoubtedly unpleasant for
any representative of the country to
start such teapot tempest at home
home.
lie prefers in the future to keen off
debatable ground. And so he is to oc-
cupy himself, on the exceedingly nm
merous occasions when the proprieties
of diplomatic intercourse require his
presence and call for some remarks on
MS part, as a representative of his ma
ton, with everlasting platitudes about
the family ties that bind us and the
brotherly feeling that he is sure must
exist, although it finds uncommonIv in
frequent expression in our political
gatherings or announcements, Ore
VINO holds this exalted post obtains. of
course, secure social standing in most
desirable circles of Great Britain.
whatever that may amount ia
and may count on four years of digni
fed leisure and honorable ease. Yet
this is a poor compensation to a man
like Bayard, or man like Lowell. for
the narrow and straight-laced walk
and conversation that he must adopt
and still more for the practical sacrf-
fee of the hearty goodwill of his fell
low citizens at home, which seems to
be the price paid for the position of
ambassador to England. Either one
must play the boor and insult the ma
ton to which he Is accredited, or he
must confine his words to the ancient
formula that we have mentioned, or
he must meet the bitter outcry of enc
mics at home, who demand the sacri-
flee Of both truth and courtesy as an
earnest of the right to represent this
country abroad. If this is the bitter
penalty to suffer for an honor so
doubtful, 1t is no more distressing to
the individual upon whom it is inf1ict-
ed than it is discreditable to the ma
ton that demands 1t.