Year: 1869




Rumors reach us that the Spanish Cortes
can find no better employment than to sift the
dirty transactions of our Minister (Hale) and
his secretary perry. 1t is reported that the
Foreign Office Of Spain will prefer charges to
the effect that the former individual has
smuggled into the country sufficient carpeting
to cover the floors Of the Alhambra, the Royal
Palace and the Escurial-perhaps two hun
dred thousand yards In all. Also that both
representatives have carried on an extensive
silk trade by the bale-that since the arrival
OF Mr.. Hale both he and Mr.. Perry have de-
frauded the government of large sums of
money by smuggling operations. We cannot
see what there is in all this that should induce
the Spaniards to make such fuss. We did
not send Minister Hale abroad for diplomatic
purposes. We rarely commission minister
or consul to foreign country for any other
reason than to get rid of him. Having done
our dirty work, he becomes bore to us, and
especially to the Senators and Representatives
who have made use of him. As for Mr..
Perry, he has been in Spain so long that he
cannot be blamed for anything that sticks to
his fingers, much less for any double dealing
that proceeds from his brain.


1t is a pity that man who knows more
about gun contracts and fine laces in Belgium
should be allowed to spoil this well established
diplomatic carpet and silk trade at Madrid.
But then the Senate must be represented, and
whether it be by Mr.. Hale or Mr.. Sanford
makes but little difference. Able men abroad
might get 80 far in advance of our illi-
terate Congress as to seriously disturb our
foreign relations and place them beyond the
ken Of American legislation. s'Have no man
This was Mr.. Stewards motto, and how well he
clung to it let the wrecked condition of our
foreign relations show. During his adminis-
tration United States ministers and consuls
were frequently carried through the public
streets drunk to their residences. Few
American gentlemen travelling abroad sought
their society, and only tolerated their con-
tact because they deemed the United States
flag great enough to cover diplomatic igno-
rance and ill-breedng In IT'S folds. With the
new government just in power we hoped that
this condition of things would be changed.
There are indications, however, of retro
grade instead of progressive movement. The
nominations for various foreign positions have
shown perfect carelessness about our method
Of commercial and political contact with other
nations. How dead, indeed, the Senate is to
this subject is best shown by our Washington
correspondence of yesterday. Speaking of
the Brazil mission it says :-''Mr. Sumner is
anxious to report favorably upon Pile, not
that he thinks him at all fit for the place, but
just to oblige his friend, Senator Schurz, of
Missouri by whom Pile is pressed" We have
heretofore held the apparently erroneous i'm
preston that Senators were elected to legsIate
for the good of the country, not for the purpose
Of accommodating their colleagues. 1t will be
a matter of interest to know how Brazil will
look upon this appointment. There is but one
reason for her not to murmur at it, and that
is the sense of relief she will feel when the
present traderin old ships is removed from her
court. While we are looking southward we
may mention the appointment of Il. @. Kirk
TO the Argentine Republic. We apologize to
that people for sending him. The last time he
was there it is reported that he did very
driving trade. Perhaps, however, even he is
preferable to deceased appointee of Mr..
Seward, who was Obliged to employ a resident
English clergyman TO write his dispatches for
him to our State Department.


We are q nation-.hat is, we pretend to be
of broad views. We boast of the splendid
geographical position which we occupy, of
facing Europe, Asia and South America and
yet nations Of les, pretensions, but better
sense, pass our doors, and, by well managed
diplomatic system, bind other countries to
them, open close comm ,rcill relations and
absorb their trade. We are like Mexican
who sits lazily in the sunshine and boasts Of the
wealth Of his silver mines while be shapes
laws TO keep their riches undov oveloped. But
the evil runs from BAD to worse; tho indica-
tions now are that We are to go through another
four years which shall be q. sequel TO the
last eight All over the world our diplomatic
and consular corps may continue TO do driv-
ing business In delrauding the revenues of the
countries to which they may be accredited
They may represent MS as ignorantly even as
many Of our Con sressmen would represent us
were they occupying foreign positions. The
nation can bear 1t with all humility


Europe, Asia and South America may take
us at our own estimate Of ourselves. We can
not complain. What we may complain Of,
however, is that we have Senate which



entirely to personal, not to national, inte-
rests; Senate whose members alone think
Of perpctuating the lease Of power which they
have absorbed from Executive and Judiciary
n Senate whose stanjtrd is ignorance and
egotsm; Senate whose members boldly
gharo in thu vaat acbatnox of ,,Iundor ,ybich