part05+-第109章

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do　so　would　deprive　him　of　all　opportunity　to　exercise　that



friendly；　personal；　social　influence　which　is　so　important　an



element　in　his　success。







To　sum　up　my　suggestions　as　to　this　part　of　the　subject；　I　should



say：　First；　that；　as　a　rule；　there　should　be　provided　at　each



diplomatic　post　where　the　United　States　has　a　representative　a



spacious　and　suitable　house；　either　bought　by　our　government　or



taken　on　a　long　lease；　and　that　there　should　be　a　small



appropriation　each　year　for　maintaining　it　as　regards　furniture；



care；　etc。　Secondly；　that　American　representatives　of　the　highest



gradenamely；　ambassadorsshould　have　a　salary　of　at　least



25；000　a　year；　and　that　diplomatic　representatives　of　lower



grade　should　have　their　salaries　raised　in　the　same　proportion。



Thirdly；　that　an　additional　number　of　secretaries　and　attaches



should　be　provided　in　the　manner　and　for　the　reasons　above



recommended。







If　the　carrying　out　of　these　reforms　should　require　an



appropriation　to　the　diplomatic　service　fifty　per　cent。　higher



than　it　now　is；which　is　an　amount　greater　than　would　really　be



required　by　all　the　expenditures　I　propose；　including　interest



upon　the　purchase　money　of　appropriate　quarters　for　our



representatives　abroad；the　total　additional　cost　to　each



citizen　of　the　United　States　would　be　less　than　half　a　cent　each



year。







The　first　result　of　these　and　other　reforms　which　I　have



indicated；　beginning　with　what　is　of　the　very　first



importance；provision　for　a　proper　house　or　apartment　in　every



capital；would　certainly　be　increased　respect　for　the　United



States　and　increased　effectiveness　of　its　foreign



representatives。







As　to　the　other　reforms；　such　as　suitable　requirements　for



secretaryships；　and　proper　promotion　throughout　the　whole



service；　they　would　vastly　increase　its　attractiveness；　in　all



its　grades；　to　the　very　men　whom　the　country　most　needs。　They



would　open　to　young　men　in　our　universities　and　colleges　a　most



honorable　career；　leading　such　institutions　to　establish　courses



of　instruction　with　reference　to　such　a　servicecourses　which



were　established　long　since　in　Germany；　but　which　have　arrived



nearest　perfection　in　two　of　our　sister　republicsat　the



University　of　Zurich　in　Switzerland；　and　in　the　ecole　Libre　des



Sciences　Politiques　in　Paris。







It　seems　certain　that　a　diplomatic　service　established　and



maintained　in　the　manner　here　indicated　would　not　only　vastly



increase　the　prestige　and　influence　of　the　United　States　among



her　sister　nations；　but；　purely　from　a　commercial　point　of　view；



would　amply　repay　us。　To　have　in　diplomatic　positions　at　the



various　capitals　men　thoroughly　well　fitted　not　only　as　regards



character　and　intellect；　but　also　as　regards　experience　and



acquaintance；　and　to　have　them　so　provided　for　as　to　become　the



social　equals　of　their　colleagues；　would　be；　from　every　point　of



view；　of　the　greatest　advantage　to　our　country　materially　and



politically；　and　would　give　strength　to　our　policy　throughout　the



world。







And；　finally；　to　a　matter　worth　mentioning　only　because　it　has　at



sundry　times　and　in　divers　manners　been　comically　argued　and



curiously　misrepresentedthe　question　as　to　a　diplomatic



uniform。







As　regards　any　principle　involved；　I　have　never　been　able　to　see



any　reason；　a　priori；　why；　if　we　have　a　uniform　for　our　military



service　and　another　for　our　naval　service；　we　may　not　have　one



for　our　diplomatic　service。　It　has；　indeed；　been　asserted　by



sundry　orators　dear　to　the　galleries；　as　well　as　by　various



〃funny…column〃　men；　that　such　a　uniform　is　that　of　a　lackey；　but



this　assertion　loses　force　when　one　reflects　on　the　solemn　fact



that　〃plain　evening　dress；〃　which　these　partizans　of　Jeffersonian



simplicity　laud　and　magnify；　and　which　is　the　only　alternative　to



a　uniform；　is　worn　by　table…waiters　the　world　over。







Yet；　having　conceded　so　much；　truth　compels　me　to　add　that；



having　myself　never　worn　anything　save　〃plain　evening　dress〃　at



any　court　to　which　I　have　been　accredited；　or　at　any　function



which　I　have　attended；　I　have　never　been　able　to　discover　the



slightest　disadvantage　to　my　country　or　myself　from　that　fact。







Colleagues　of　mine；　clad　in　resplendent　uniforms；　have；　indeed；



on　more　than　one　occasion　congratulated　me　on　being　allowed　a



more　simple　and　comfortable　costume；　and　though　such　expressions



are；　of　course；　to　be　taken　with　some　grains　of　allowance；　I　have



congratulated　myself　with　the　deepest　sincerity　on　my　freedom



from　what　seems　to　me　a　most　tiresome　yoke。







The　discussion　of　a　question　of　such　vast　importanceto　the



censors　above　referred　towould　be　inadequate　were　mention　not



made　of　a　stumbling…block　which　does　not　seem　to　have　been



adequately　considered　by　those　who　propose　a　return　to　the



earlier　practice　of　our　Republic　and　this　is；　that　the　uniform



is；　at　any　European　court；　but　a　poor　thing　unless　it　bears　some



evidence　of　distinguished　service；　in　the　shape　of　stars；



crosses；　ribbons；　and　the　like。　A　British　ambassador；　or　minister



plenipotentiary；　in　official　uniform；　but　without　the　ribbon　or



star　of　the　Bath　or　other　honorable　order；　would　appear　to　little



advantage　indeed。　A　representative　of　the　French　Republic　would



certainly　prefer　to　wear　the　plainest　dress　rather　than　the　most



splendid　uniform　unadorned　by　the　insignia　of　the　Legion　of



Honor；　and；　in　a　general　way；　the　same　may　be　said　of　the



representatives　of　all　nations　which　approve　the　wearing　of　a



diplomatic　uniform。







But　our　own　Republic　bestows　no　such　〃decorations；〃　and　allows



none　of　its　representatives；　during　their　term　of　office；　to



receive　them；　so　that；　if　put　into　uniform；　these　representatives



must　appear　to　the　great　mass　of　beholders　as　really　of　inferior



quality；　undistinguished　by　any　adornments　which　indicate　good



service。







All　this　difficulty　our　present　practice　avoids。　The　American



ambassador；　or　minister；　is　known　at　once　by　the　fact　that　he



alone　wears　plain　evening　dress；　and　this　fact；　as　well　as　the



absence　of　decorations；　being　recognized　as　in　simple　conformity



with　the　ideas　and　customs　of　his　country；　rather　adds　to　his



prestige　than　diminishes　it；　as　far　as　I　have　been　able　to



discover。　Perhaps　the　well…known　case　of　Lord　Castlereagh　at　the



Congress　of　Vienna　is　in　point。　In　the　midst　of　the　throng　of　his



colleagues；　all　of　them　most　gorgeously　arrayed　in　uniforms；



stars；　and　decorations　of　every　sort；　he　appeared　in　the　simplest



evening　attire；　and　the　attention　of　Metternich　being　called　to



this　fact；　that　much　experienced；　infinitely　bespangled　statesman



answered；　〃Ma　foi！　il　est　bien　distingue。〃







Of　course　we　ought　to　give　due　weight　to　the　example　set　by



Benjamin　Franklin　when　presented　to　Louis　XVI；　and　the　fact　that



his　simple　shoe…strings　nearly　threw　the　court　chamberlains　into



fainting…fits；　and　that　his　plain　dress　had　an　enormous　influence



on　public　opinion；　but；　alas！　we　have　also　to　take　account　of　the



statement　by　an　eminent　critic　to　the　effect　that　Franklin；　at



his　previous　presentation　to　Louis　XV；　had　worn　court　dress；　and



that　he　wore　similar　gorgeous　attire　at　various　other　public



functions；　with　the　inference　that　he　was　prevented　from　doing



so；　when　received　by　Louis　XVI；　only　by　the　fact　that　somehow　his



court　dress　was　inaccessible。＇10＇











＇10＇　See　Sainte…Beuve；　〃Causeries　du　Lundi；〃　Vol。　VII；　Article　of



Nov