Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1860-06-22
RICHMOND WHIG
THE PRESENTATION OF AMERICANS TO QUEEN
VICTORIA
From tie London Telegraph, June 4.

sented the Court of her Majesty Queen Vctorag The
question, for all its apparent simplicity is in reality as
dicult the oft repeated Interrogation
"What is gentlemany' An Irish authority it is true,
gayely stated that for dueug purposes he cou-
sidered every man gentleman who wore clean shirt
week; aud late learned judge defined gentle
men "a person who had no cstensble means OF earn
ing honest livelihood Society, however, requires u
somewhat more definite SgHdieeH not only to those
who entitled to be called gentlemen but those who
may put in tangible claim be allowed make their
bow the levees and drawing rooms over which their
sovereign pesdes In common, with hundreds OF other
English institutions, presentations at Court have hitL-
ertO been governed by mysterious aud unWritten law
Palace etiquette is something like prCemutirs, or
the license of the bar, or the privileges OF the
Peers. Nobody knows what it is or what it isn't, how
far its powers and attributes extend or where its limits
actually fixed There certain old families whose
descendants claim the queer est Of privileges n their deal
ngs With royalty. The representatives Of one ancient
assert the liberty Of entering The royal presence with
heir hats Another putrican family have right TO
the first dish from the Queens table; another 10 the gOb-
let from which the moLarch drinks State banquet
and have heard, although do not place entire ere
deuce iu the legend that the present holder Of old
barouetcy who had fallen somehow under the cold shade
of the paaceccracy threatened put in action the
privilege conferred bis ancestors by Henry V for
his bravery during war with FrauCc-tha Of coming 10
Count without any pantO0n on the founder Of tie iam
" having through haste, done valuable service TO the
withOu. those necessary garments az tue battle OF
AgucOprt. Inere pOpuaG notion among suD
aarns of the army and navy that every officer III her Ma
esy service has right to 20 10 Court; but would be
productive afraid, Of no slight rcOnveueuce ii
every ensign in marching regiment and every lieutenant
mau-oi-sar who would get leave tcm bis corps or
ship were 10 present himself every evcs day ST.
James Palace We question even tie Lord Great Cham
beraiu could draw out exact schedule defining who
had aud who had not the 1esLimd6e right OF being pre-
5uted at Court In theory believe that radespcoplc
are not CO.. s.dsred eligible for the ceremOnOus hOpita
ueS of the Presence Chamber; yet your cheesemougtr
your vi olesae grocer may make his appearance Court
arraved in all the vi oIary 6gEily OF deputy leuten-
ant or NAV even, going up with a municipal address,
,eive the welcome occoia!e and return Bulge.
Little Britain as Sir Thomas OF Sir John. "a po rei,
would seem that people who have been IL IS 10 At
some period OF their lives 10 be presented .' '' .ht
70 prcsen. ether pc, pe-a delicate censOrS. Gag tx
ercssd over nd.Scrninate presentations By ,Jusuiug
the personal wishes OF the sovereign prior to tie cere
mouia taking Hhce TEus, person who wishes TO pre-
sent another has to forward card to tie Lord Chain
beaiu Office cOuiu the style and titles OF the Ia
ly or gentleman whom he she wishes to present. and
II any otjcctoUs entertained IN high quarters TO
wards tha candidate, notification 10 that effect i or
ought TO be made TO the pToposer The Queen cant say
not LOuc, when al the world knows that she =
| holding her Court in OF the upper rooms OF ST.
James palace but she drop significant hint TO one
o her grantees that she does not wish such OF such
| person 10 call on her.
How il nav be with those uefflbe personages who,
the cant Cgciar tells US have the privilege OF the
tree, ge dcat pietCud to determine; but it Is presuma
be that considerable latitude ~ the way oil presentations
accorded 20 the members OF the corps dpiOmGtgus.
distinguished foreigner who wishes TO be presented al
the English Court necessarily has recourse TO his ambIs
sadoy to perform the reedul iOrmalites his behalf;
and great responsibility attaches 10 the diploma
ic agent who thus passes his word Tor the repecAlit
aud eligibility Of The persons he introduces 10 The pre-
nee There have been ambassadors, indeed, OF whom
It might amost be asked gIS cSt0dici 5pS0S cHtOdeSf
Who for the parties no auswerablef
We can, expect her majrslys Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs TO know all aJou, the anecedens OF tie
foreign gentlemen in gay uniiorm> covered With gay
decorations who approach tue foot OF tue throne That
oOG-aatugeG black, Baron D4mier the diplomai sent
from H.y,i during the r,igu Of SJuouque, might have
Oecu prior his elevation 70 am0assICoia dignity
tavern waiter a. POrt-au-Priuce or an Ethiopian
/ nader. There have beeu European republics aye, and
European empires that have sent the oldest aud most
questionable foreign gentry TO represent them at ~
me and these aGveuturcS have, in return, presented
ole regiments Of f-llowcounrymen whose sOcalstatu
uadt the prOpriely OF ching through COyeuuy win
| them least doubtful. little nervousness, too, might
now ana then be pardona5e concerning the diplomatic
rpvoy itOm The free and Independent Republic OF the
United States We confess that we should not wish the
American Minister to be either New orb lodfrr boz
der rllilu from Kansas, eXlrish bOguOcr, West
ern btI-k5epe;, militia general who has coudcscend
cd 70 embark his capital aud energies in tie niger
trade We should grdvey deprecate such appointments,
|
great republic have always manifested great tenderness
| for the arisiOcraic prjudices of "Brtishers' They
have made it point 10 send Us aS ministers penpOten
ary their very best men; aud the foremost gentlemen,
and scholars aud statesmen OF the UuIOu-Such men,
indeed as Rush Lawrence aud Buchanan--have been
accredited to the Court London aud have conferred
lustre their appointment aud the Court they hon
ored by their presence.
lu au respect, We believe. does the present United
States Minister Mr. Dallas, unfavouby contrast with his
Il
distinguished predecessors We auced at the time that
there must have been some misake-even TO the extent
Of the affair being egregous boaX-backers and bet
ers Of ,he prize ring-hiving recently undergone the
solemn ceremonial tf pres anaton her ety. When,
nOweyer the truth OF the story became uudeuiible
were co teut to that these American gentlemen
of The fancy" were, apart from their prediction for
pugii,m dis uguished aud well known citizens of the
United ates, aud that the cultivated and high-mnded
Mr. Dallas had incurred the grave responsibility OF pre-
sentiug them, no; PdrctgUc, but YWOgH-not because,
but in despite OF their connection with the prize ring
This however from the tone OF the remarks in article
from the New York Herald, which we on Thursday pub
| lShed, would not to have been the case. The
American newspaper deliberately classes individuals
! lately presented 10 the Queen of England among the
"pugists and shoulder hitterSN with whom the more re-
fined clisses in he United States would consider it
degradation to associate. We had special knowledge
OF the position heldby these persons in their
~ had but the guarantee OF their Minister for their
thorough respecsbity, and We have now but the word
OF the New Ork Herald, which, must be confessed
| disparaces the morale of the recent presentations
! in no measured terms. The English aristocracv
are twitted with desire to make much only Of
these American "ancy men" but Of all the bules and
olackegs of the marlborough fight and Queen Victoria
is reminded not very gracefully that her royal prede-
cessors have always been determined supporters of the
prize ung 1t is that Broughton a servant OF
! the butcher" Duke of Cumberland and that Jackson
ociated OF the royal pages at the coronation of
George w. but it is the less humiiating to find
foreign journalist in position derde the etiquette Of
the most brilliant aud most bameeSs court in Europe
aud the rendezvous OF the hackers of prize fights Many
years the tory press were exceedingly virulent
against Lord Melbourne for permitting the presentation
of poor Robert Owen at court and il but the ether
| day that some ultra squeamShness manifested in
caneelng the presentation OF lady who had somehow
cOntrved 10 bask in the halo of royalty and whose
presence stated in special Gazsfte have taken
place through "nadvertence." In the strict eqlet
| but easy morality of continental court the Scarlet
Lady herself might have been presented if her husband
hal been the right side in politics; and we are
Af aid that than CousteSse de Crucassehee has
made her courtesy under diD matte wing at her Ma
je,tys drawing rooms; but admit bewider-
at the error fallen into by Mr. Dallas in the extra
ordinary guests he thought proper introduce the
highest parsonage in Engand-unless indeed, the re-
marks of the New York Herald are TO be taken
misehiey squib and these American "fancy mem are
after all Presidents Governors of States in embryo
OF possible Ambassadors az future to this country.
DRESS GOODS