The Foreign Service Journal, November 2014

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2014 69 … But while no harm can come to him personally by any act of his, he can commit no act, whether noble or infamous, which does not directly affect the honor of the nation which he represents. Hence his guiding rule of action must neces- sarily be to subordinate all personal and private interest to the national honor; and his immunity from prosecution is the very reason why he should refrain from engaging in any operations by which others may sustain loss while he is protected from personal responsibility.” Hewitt was also critical of Secretary of State Fish. He was particularly concerned about “the injurious consequences to the fair name of the United States arising out of the failure of the government to deal promptly and firmly with its minister, when, by becoming a director and by his letter of resignation, he made the grave and irreparable mistake of endorsing and re-endorsing the enterprise and the men who have caused this great disaster and this greater reproach.” Although the evidence against Schenck was damning, in an attempt to secure bipartisan support, Democrats on the com- mittee did not press Republicans to support any specific pun- ishment for Schenck for his actions, or for Fish for his inaction. The committee instead unanimously approved a resolution condemning Schenck for taking actions that were “ill-advised, unfortunate and incompatible with the duties of his official position.” Hewitt added: “There are … circumstances in which igno- rance is as mischievous as crime; and I feel constrained and grieved to say that the connection of the American minister at the Court of St. James’s with the Emma Mine belongs to that category. We may pity, we may sympathize, but we must condemn.” Schenck returned to Washington to practice law. Thor- oughly discredited, he never again held public office, and died in 1890. Today, few people remember Robert Schenck or the Emma Mine affair. But, after 150 years, we still struggle as a nation to make sure that only the most capable and upright individuals represent the United States as ambassadors. n