The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-05-04

these accounts have been standing for year
and more, and it is absolutely necessary now
that they should be paid.
=. DIPLOMATIC REFORM.
At time when there is not only great diplo-
matte activity in EuroPe-when the gathering
of starred and gartersd ambassadors gives
promise Of elaborate dispatches and equally
elaborate dinners, but when the diplomatic I'M
plortance Of the model republic is rising even
in the exclusive capital Of vienn!a-when q
messenger from an American legation is stumb-
ling in haste, over the. cactus thorns of Mexi-
can chapparal tasave the life of an Austrian
Archduks-whsn Mr., :,SswAnD proposes Con-
eress: in Washington of South American repub-
| lies, and when even the superciGousness of the
English foreign officer thinks that war with
Spain mightlsad to unpleasant complications ;!
in the West Indies with the United States, it is
not surprising shat the diplomatic service
should receiv6, attention at the hands Of
atatesmen, who, in the recent Congress, have
ahown spirit of. such broad and energetic
national reformation,
|, Gen. B1Nks;; Of Massachusetts, who knows
what an ssuniform" is, and who has had also,
We believe, especial. opportunity Of learning
the quality Of American breadcloth, inaugu-
Iated the necessary reform and commenced an
attack upon 1.-The eminent deadly" breeches of
the United States diplomatic corps. We are
not exactly sure Of the result, whether or not
the Senate perfected the legislation which was
introduced into the House, but we see that the
English papers are giving due attention to the
Every important debate which occupied the time as
Rdf Saf Imperial Congress-, =. .:si.,s-.:..:..
There has bean We admit, considerable va
rietg incur diplomatic costumes, especially Of
tseyearss since Mr.: CAhLYIE's Sartor Rssartus'
impressed upon the American mind mind the philOs7;
Eophy Of. clothes, -MrrSouLE, ave recollect
Alright piassatsda "a very lovely velvet coat; one
Of oif Consul Generals. at Alexandria, dis
played great originality ihthe design Of aome
goldembroidery that was orientally gorgeous;
and one daring minister carried his inventive
fhenlty 50 far,as to aappear upon tbs balcony of.
a hotelin Berlin. .innothipg buta shirt, whether
|sembroidered .iorsnot wes never iearned; md
some Of those familiar with the diplomatic gos::,
sip Of our legation, will ,recollect the tender
concern with which Sir ED. CREST had once to
inform, minister that his yaisteoat was--aw--
not. quite clean enough for presentation.
Hs.is,-,thereRore;. only fitting that General
Banks should insist upon our diplomatic cloth
being cut according to rule; but it seems that
there was great difficulty in getting: :therule-!
The naked simplicity Of truth would, we think,
naturally have suggested itself to Mr.: CovoDE,
|:apd the earnest wish of General ScHENcK must
b ave been, that our ambassadors should be
clothed, as the Scriptures say, with righteous
ness; and, certainly. every one who remember
ted General FIrzPATRIcK's s. diplomatic perform
aaces:in Chill, would have been satisfied with
any legislation that madeit sure that our For
,eign Ministers should be "clothed (never mind
|how) and in their right minds.
f But Gen. BANKs who is, we believe, IN i'm
prosement ON BURKE patented in Boston, felt
that this country had a mission Gn Gen. BUT
Ikn' 5 case il would have been q commission) to
Impress upon the world the meaning of clothes.
|:As the Saturday Repieu says: .sMr. BANKS ap-
parently believes in an original and peculiar
modification Of the famous saying Of FLETCHER,
|.pf Saltoun. Let who will make laws for .Eu-
rope, provided America may furnish the pat
tern for its coat and breeches." So he demon
sttated that the Declaration of Independence
required our ministers to dress as 'tordinary
American citizens" Now, in one point of view,
Gen. BAkks is clearly right. Most of our for
eign representatives are very ordinary Ameri-
oanu citizens, and any diplomatic disguise
which is to obscure this characteristic Of the
Foggs, the Pixies, and the Harveys from the
eyes of wondering masters of ceremonies ought
to be abolished.
We confess; however, that the phrase is some
what obscure for law. Who and what is an
ordinary American citizen Does Gen. BANKS
admit that he himself would fill the descrip-
tion? Would HORACE GnEELY Would Mr..
CoLEs LYONS, of. Lyonsdale, who, some years
ago, ''streamed like meteor through the
troubled air. of .all the American legations in
Europe? Would Mr.. JEFFERSON BRICK, or
"MosE," meet the requirements Of thismis-
sionary character? And how would the Hon.
and gallant NJ. c.. check the varieties Of cos
tune, from sthe white hat Of the philoso-
pher of the Tribune to the red shirt of tho
s.b-h-o-y who runs with the machine.
However; Congress is to meet again If the
Reconstruction Act has not worked out the
proper result, the wisdom of the country will
correct it, and 30 we may hope it will do with
the Diplomatic Dress Act. There are great
many thousands in the South who would be
very glad to be ''ordinary American citizens,
and when we are re-admitted, perhaps we will
understand the term better.
At any rate, it must be great encourage
ment to General BANKS that his reform seems
to have touched many sympathies even abroad,
and we conclude with criticism from an Eng
lish paper, which must encourage the benevo-
lent republicanism of the diplomatic reformcr:
"Yet, we are not sure that from the aesthetic
side they are not right in their new resolution.
Take the court dress of St. James, for exam
IL Ubo, oon hc more uplv unreasonable and