New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-20
PERILS OF A DIPLOMAT.
HE IS FORTUNATE TO ESCAPE FROM
THE PITFALLS WITH WHICH
HE is BESET.
MANY INSTANCES OF AMBASSADORS WHO HAVE
RECEIVED THEIR PASSPORTS FOR
GREAT VARIETY OF CAUSES
THE SUBJECT OF PRI-
vATE LIE TIERS.

That the path of diplomat possesses con-
siderable analogy to that of a cat picking her
wav along the summit Of a wall surmounted
with broken glass is brought home to the mind
On a particularly striking manner by the unfort-
unate blundor of the Spanish Envoy, VINO mas
been forced TO leave Washington In conse-
0uence of his having ceased to be persona
grata to the Government and people OF the
United States. In fact, the path OF the Foreign
envoy is literally lined with pitfalls. and IL ne
Is able to escape from them entirely he must
necessarily ascribe it more TO good fortune
than to skill or discretion. The rules and reg
ulations that govern the conduct of the private
citizen. and even that of the ordinary Govern
mcnt official, are altogether inadequate in his
case He is forced to bear in mind all the
time not only in his official intercourse but
also in his private life, the very important fact
that he represents his country and his Gov
eminent. and that every word spoken by him.
his every action. or even gesture, are held by
the people around him to commit the rover
by which he is accredited.
Without wishing in any way to defend NJ
Dupuy de LONE. whom ! have known since
his attach days as one Of those men disposed
to sneer, gibe and snarl at everybody and
everything, and to whom nothing was sacred
It may not be amiss to point out that the Of
fence Of which he has rendered himself guilty
is one which any diplomat no matter how
highly trained old in the business may con-
nit While il is impossible to do otherwise
than to condemn in the strongest fashion the
opinions expressed in his letter to Senior Canale
INSCRIPTIONS which demonstrated how thor
oughly untitled he was to fulfil in loyal and
straightforward manner the duties Of keeping
his Government informed of the true condition
OF affairs in this country with regard to Spain
and Cuba-it may be pointed out that the ut
terances in question Of confidential
character contained in a private note adj
dressed to a personal friend and that the Min
lister had reason whatsoever to suppose
that its contents would be revealed to any one
else than the person to whom ii wac directed
The letter might just as we'll have been ad-
dressed to some official parsonage in Spain as TO
the private friend.
ENJOYS USE OF PRIVATE LETTERS
For there is no envoy, either at Washington
or anywhere else, who does not supplement
his official dispatches, destined as a rule for
publication. with private and confidential let
tiers, sent sometimes to the Minister for For
eign Affairs and sometimes to the Premier
under whose directions he is serving. In these
private letters he Is accustomed to give all
kinds of details. which are sometimes the re-
verse of pleasant to the persons referred to
therein
Thus there some capitals in Europe where
the affares de cnur of the sovereign. OF the
royal personages and Of the dignitaries OF the
Court play a considerable role in the political
affairs OF the nation 1t therefore becomes in
cumbent upon the Ministers accredited to the
country In question to describe freely and fully
these various intrigues, for the purpose OF
ne
to appreciate the why and the wherefore OF the
situation created by these so-called platonic
friendships Were one Of these letters TO he
stolen by some dishonest servant, or obtained by
any other kind Of fraud, and published in the
newspapers of the country in which the writer
Is stationed as Ambassador, its reading would
create a still greater uproar than has been
caused by the printing OF Senior Dupuy de
Lomes letter to his friend Canalejas.
The Spanish Government is certain TO take
this fact into consideration. and if Senior Dupuy
de LONE is punished by dismissal from the
diplomatic service, which is extremely mproba-
BILE it will be on account If his being proteg6
Of the most advanced section of the COnserva-
tive faction, appointee of the late Premier
Canovas and an intimate friend both Of Don
Romero RobeGo and of General Weyler. else
on the charge that he has not kept his Govern
ment thoroughly posted about the state Of af-
tsirs and of public opinion in this country. But
will certainly not be for anything in connec-
don with the Canalejas letter. Not even a
Liberal Foreign Minister or Premier would
dream of calling him to account for that, Just
rs little as Lord Salisbury declined to recall or
In any way discipline Lord Sackve for
having permitted himself to be entrapped into
writing the celebrated Murchison letter
private communication addressed by the Minis
ter to one of his countrymen. he be-
neved II De LONE is, therefore, appointed very