New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-14
SOME DIPLOMATS, AND OTHERS.

The De LONE incident has passed from news
| 10 history Some nine days gossip may sue
coed H. but little more concrete diplomatic IN
tercourse between the two countries is contin-
ued and friendly relations are maintained just
rs though the Minister had never committed
his amazing indiscretion. Prolonged discus
sion of the affair can serve no helpful purpose
Yet II cannot be dismissed without the question
rising. rs IL has already risen In innumerabe
minds What f an American diplomat had done
such n thing? 1t Is not difficult to answer.
There would have been a furious Outburst OF
wrath at American ill-hreeding" and shirt
sleeves diplomacy" The least censorious would
bove elevated their eyebrows and shrugged their
shoulders. as II 10 say, What else could be ex-
pected? And some very superior personages in
this country would have reminded us in ac-
cents of weary despair that we are Nation or
DOORS and that it is inefrable condescension for
the gentlemany Powers Of Europe to deal with
us as equals and to overlook patiently our
&C Instant offences against good breeding.
Now. It is no palliaton of an offence TO say
that some one else committed It before But
when one Is told that he is so much worse than
any one else it is legitimate in self-deferce to
pont out that he is at least no worse than
those with whom he Is contrasted TO his dis
advantage. There is no more punciious ma
ton on the globe THAI Spain. Yet here is one
of her experienced diplomats. one Of the very
men so often held up as examples of what we
DOOR inferior Yankees ought TO he. but are not,
caught guilty of il-conduct such as has never
been laid 10 the charge Of an American diplo-
mat 1t would be grossly unjust 10 say that
the incident proves the Spanish people 10 be
unmannerly But is il not equally unjust 10
condemn all American diplomacy and the Amer
lean people because on some rare occasion one
American diplomat speaks with more dircctness
than discretion? The De LONE incident is not
unique. 1t differs in degree only. and not in
kind from others in the history of this Re
public. British French snd Russian Ministers
have been dismissed from Washington il dis
grace for breaches of diplomatic ethics. In
nearly every case the justice of the action has
been undisputed even by the Power concerned
There is no record Of an equal number of
American Ministers having been sent home for
such causes
1t would be a great mistake for this Nation
70 vaunt itself as better than all others. II Is
equally wrong TO say or 10 insinuatc. as many
have done. that 1t is inferior 10 all others
American dealings with other Powers have not
always been above reproach. But neither have
the dealings Of other Powers, or their repre-
scntatives with this country. as the present in
Cident demonstrates. The lesson Of Senior De
I6mc's downfall is direct and forciblc TO every
individual diplomat. 1t is no less direct TO the
Powers and all their people 1t should pro
mote a spirit of mutual forbearancc and rec
ignition of the fact that no nation is either al
together evil or altogethe: Superior To evil. 1t
should serve 10 remind The monarchieS Of Eu-
rope that they are after all just rs human as
this younger Republic which they too often
regard as crude and unpublished. There is rea-
son 10 suspect that that very estimate Of
America has on more than one occasion led for
eigners to assume an offensive attitude toward
this Nation and its Government. Let It be
hoped that this unhappy incident will conduce
10 a correction Of that estimate, and thus 10
more uniformly just and courteous conduct.