New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-23
past by the friends Of Mr.. s. ! learn there is no
objection to its publication, and therefore send it to

Sir: AS a new Minister, Mr.. Faulkner is about to
proceed 70 Paris deem this proper occasion to call
your attention TO letter from me to the Department
dated Paris January - 1854, resigning my position
at the United States Legation, TO the reply of Mr..
Marcy dated February Is, 1854, and TO my reoinder
dated 10Th March, 1854, and TO the Instructions OF the
Department of June l. 1853 referred 70 in the hrst
dispatch above mentioned, relating 70 the suo)ec' OIL
diplomatic uniform.
You will mott e that my course conformed strictly 10
the letter of the instructions and manifest "suee Vi
the then Administration expressed thereu' iI 'oh,
the late Minister, on his arrival 81 rams, atter
nresentino his credentials 20 the Emperor IN the
citizens dress indicated by the inetIuctions ana having
his audience of the Empress in the same simple cos
tune on both which occasions accompanied MN, quo
peoueutly concluded TO adopt coat euOroioeren with
iii tnsel a sword and cooked hat the invention Of
Dutch tailor in Paris borrowed chiefly from the livery
Of a subordinate attache of Legation of one of the
petty powers of the Coutlnent.
Mortified and indignant at this course declined at
tending with him the ball at which he first figured IN
This tegoerv and nsomuch this act presented me TO
the French Court las staed IN my first letter above
mentioned TO the Department. in the attitude OF not
being sustained by my Government in carrying out lis
own Instructions and embarre ssing the fulfment
of my public dnties, l at once resigned.
think il proper TO Ietera,e fact alluded 10 IN the
correspondence cited, that was assured positively
and auhoritstivey that iptimation by the French
Court nor any wish indicated by 1t 10 Mr.. Mason,
could have caused his reputation of my course, with
which the French Court was satisfied, and which,
sons which Isppeared at Court was regarded by 1t
final. ~
would also refer you TO the expression In Mr..
Marcys dispatch TO that your Imyl course OF o.
fetal conduct, particularly in the matter referred TO-
" s approved and commended" while ID the same
communication be also states it to he source OF re-
get that any Of our Ministers representing their
country abroad have found themselves 80 situated
hat tiey bave felt obliged, by considerations con-
rected with the public interest, 10 ADOPT someWhst
different course"
The new Minister going to Paris will, OF course be
free TO obey the instructions as dd, or he lees
obliged by cons der atoms OF pubc interest 70 40
AZ Mr. Mason did, " adopt somewhat different course
| Go Lot know that a letter which Mr.. Mason showed
me from Mr.. Marcy, and which Mr. Marcy referred
20 in a conversation with me, 10 10 be found IN the
archives Of the Department. as though ohcai IN lIs
form Iecollect il was marked Private" or Per
sona bu if on record it will be seen that the Secre-
taIy Of State severely anmadvered upon this repuaa
ton Of my course, which, he took occasion to say had
been almost universally commended by public OPINION
in the United Statos. OF the proprety and sound
policy Of American Ministers not assuming any
uniform in attendance upon the Courts to which
they are accredittd and which was obviously the IN
tebton OF the circular OF the Department OF june l,
1853 la previous instructions on the subject being
therein WITHDRAWN, and of the recommendation to
wear the simple dress of American citizen, pre-
sumo you Sir with your own long experience, enter
tam no question: and feel the more assured that this
be So as those instructions still given by the De-
paruent without modification. My seven years eXi
erence i'll diplomatic services abroad and conslderd-
bic subsequent reflection upon this subject, have con-
vuced me that II Is Of no slight importance, ana
has confirmed the Judgment formed when, in August,
1853, i, as Charge dAtiaires, first appeared al the
Tuleries in citizens clothes, in accordance with the
new instructions.
Tie true rule Internationally is that the Minister
representng his State or sovereign is properly appar
eled when he appears before the Court to which he Is
accre dted in the costume of gentlemen OF his country
having their respects their Chief Magistrate, unless
Al of
matte uniform. This costume OF UNIFORM, by most Oh
the monarchical powers OF Europe great and petty IA
regarded as the livery OF their own COURT lndlcauIg
their allegiance their State, the service they owe
az subjects 10 their MATTERS The confederacy OF the
United States ought not 10 have a. has not any ma
tonal livery for lie diplomatic agents, nor wouldl De-
come Us free citizens. Not only is the rule admitted
that the diplomatic uniform 10 the costume of the
bassadors own country, but the reason for such rule 10
that he dress 20 prescribed by his sovereign or gov
eminent indicates the independence OF that State Inc
doorrnc of exterritoraity as to foreign Ministers
siding near Court is the result OF the ZANE prlncl-
pie representative of vassa State would be bound
70 conform TO the usage of the Court which he attends
where he owes allegiance.
In illustration wond refer TO the fact that Prince
Calimaki, the able and accomplished Turkish Enbas-
sador, when I was in Paris in attendance upon the
Cour invariably appeared ia the IuTklsh costume,
distinctive feature of which the te- or red cap,
which he wore before the Sultan. Ordinarily he APP
reared in the costume of an European gent enan and
xays removed his hat according TO the rules OF Ell
qUette in pirate life; representing ana independent
sovereign bis head remained covered by his te= in the
presence OF the Emperor Himself a Christian Moida-
vian if ruler of that Principally, owing qualified al
lepiance TO Turkey, and appearing at the Court at
StaInbou would have been obliged TO conform to the
Turkish regulations TO costume, but solely because
Of his owing such allegiance. This rule obtains
with regard to ell ciottt=ed nations. How absurd
and insulting it would be for our Government to at
tempt TO prescribe particular costumes to foreign DIP
lomatie agents at Washington, either TO color or
fashion or decoration On the contrary, the practice
is thai all such agents appear at the White House on
official occasions In the costume Of their opR courts
This ~ tie universally undenled rule, All that can be
REQUIRED IT, that they observe in such particular the
same respect TO the Chief Magistrate Of the country as
they pay 10 their own. The recent course OF Mr.
Ward, in accordance with the precedent set BY LORD
Amherst and other British funconares sent 10 Chlna
in refusing 10 perform the KOI0p before the Emperor
at pekin, IL an instance In point.
But why oilate upon point as 10 which no one VINO
knows any thing Of the subject has ever made any dig
pnte viii only add that il becomes, most Of all, an
American representative To ind Vidualze hs country
ard himself by not initiating when nobody expects
him 10 do so the gaudy and ridiculous fashions adopted
bv ipoparchca Courts rs TO costumes more becoming
pIay.acters than Republican functOnaries, who are
sent abroad not for parade show, but for public
business and who would appear better and more re-
spec.abe in the simple gaTb OF an American citizen.
Some Of our Ministers abroad conform TO the nstre-
tions of June l. 1853 Some of them consult their
individual notions the kind of dress most becon
ing themselves personally. One, 10 my knowledge,
has the constellation of Confederacy embroidered
in thrty-odd embemsc stars the collar of his coat
another adopted the uniform of the United States
Army; another, that Of q Municipal Councillor OF
Paris viz: black velvet dress, with rich silk en-
brodeTy; funconary had all his buttons fashoned
after the national shield with spread-eagle attach
meuts and hear Of another proposing TO have gor-
oeCus sr manufactured out of the sar-spanged ban
fer Now Sir, imagine the spectacle of these Ameri-
can representatives Of divers fancies and tastes assem-
bled together Nothing, cave fancy ball az Musard's,
or burlesque lst-ofAil parade OF eccentric latter
1emaI;cns would equal il. IL it lust to this country