REFORMS IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE 357 



utterly unfit, men who not only spoke no other language 

 used in diplomatic intercourse, but could not even speak 

 with fairly grammatical decency their own. As to the 

 early days of Mr. Lincoln s administration, there is a 

 well-authenticated story that, a gentleman having expos 

 tulated with the Secretary of State, Mr. Seward, for send 

 ing to a very important diplomatic post a man whose 

 conduct was the reverse of exemplary, Mr. Seward re 

 plied, &quot;Sir, some persons are sent abroad because they 

 are needed abroad, and some are sent because they are 

 not wanted at home.&quot; 



It is a great pleasure to note that since the war both 

 of the political parties have greatly improved in this re 

 spect, and that the standard of diplomatic appointments 

 has become much higher. It is a duty as well as a plea 

 sure to acknowledge here that no President of the United 

 States has ever taken more pains to make the diplomatic 

 and consular services what they should be than a repre 

 sentative of the party to which I have always been op 

 posedPresident Cleveland. Especially encouraging is 

 the fact that public opinion has become sensitive on this 

 subject, and that the only recent case of gross misconduct 

 by an American minister in foreign parts was immedi 

 ately followed by his recall. 



And it ought also to be said, even regarding our diplo 

 matic system in the past, that sundry sneers of the pes 

 simists do our country wrong. It is certain that no other 

 country has been steadily represented in Great Britain 

 by a series of more distinguished citizens than has our 

 own, beginning with John Adams, and including the 

 gentleman who at present holds the position of am 

 bassador to the Court of St. James. Much may also 

 be said to the credit of our embassies and legations 

 generally at the leading capitals of Europe. As to 

 unfortunate exceptions, those who are acquainted with 

 diplomatists in different parts of the world know 

 that, whatever may have been the failings of the United 

 States in this respect, she has not been the only 



