The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-27
DEMOCRACY AND COURrDREsS.

From ne Saturday ReUieU.
An extremely curious debate is reported to
have recently taken place in the House of Repre-
sentatives at Washington, on the subject of
clothes. distinguished writer in our own
country has taught us the emblematic signih-
Cance Of clothes, and has, in manner, based an
entire philosophy of life and human nature upon
them. Nobody who has studied the close con-
nection which exists between each element of
conduct and feeling, and every other element,
can be in the least surprised to ind that demo-
cratic policy seems TO lead to democratic man.
neTs and costume. All ones ideas move together,
with varying degrees of intensity, but at the
bidding of common impulse. Emancipation
from imaginary slavery to one of those typical
tyrants whom excited poets accuse of devourlng
the earth, leads TO a vast number of results
whichahave no Immediately political connection.
In State founded on the conception that all
men are equal, all sorts of social consequences
How from what at first seems an exclusively
political idea. You must not have different
classes of railway carriages for different orders
in country where, theoretically at least, there
are no orders. You may expectorate at your
own sweet will in free country. You may go
to dinners and 10 balls in a frock.coat or a
shooting-iacket or anything else you like,
among people where one mans idea OF what is
becoming is quite as respectable and author-
tative as another's. The debate, however, TO
which we have referred, and the resolution
which was carried in consequence, implies an
extension OF these free social principles for
which one was hardly prepared. For the future
no representative OF the great Republic at a
foreign Court is to wear the coUrt-dress OF the
country TO which he is accredited.
This curious piece of legislation is due to Mr..
Sumner, who introduced the resolution into the
Senate. In the lower chamber it gave rise TO
unbounded jocosity. One honorable member,
1t appears, moved an amendment, not only for
bidding diplomatic from wearing court.dress,
but also prescribing the kind of dress which he
shall wear on great occasions. Among other
items in this proposed costume, there was to be
"a cocked-hat looped up with an American
eagle" and "a swallow-tailed coat with stars
and stripes on the tails, butternut pantaoons,
close-itting stockings with CATERS, and buck
skin vest with one side black and the other side
white" But this elegant humor was far ex-
ceeded by another gentleman, who moved
THAT diplomatic agents shall not be permitted
to wear any court-dress except such as shall be
prescribed, and the patterns Drawn, by the chief
toaor Of ne nation, toito IS nooC presiding oUer its
This graceful reference to the fact that Mr..
johnson had once been tailor was at once
seen to be 80 STEPPED in wit and fancy that
the House was convulsed with laughter.
Some English people are very angry at this,
and insist that it is only in a democratic
country that a man could be taunted
is q mistaken view of the matter. The speaker
did not mean what he said as taunt, but as a
Joke and bit of humor. Even from this point
OF view 1t is bad and rude enough. The joke
1s a specimen of that sort OF fun which con-
sists in throwing yourself ironically and for
the moment among set of ideas which are not
your own, and measuring an object by an alien
standard.
To our notions, of course, the humor is
shade too grim TO be decent. But American
irony sticks at nothing. Some of the most char
acteristic OF American jests, though they do not
often get into print, turn upon a peculiarly
daring treatment of things OF which sober per-
sons usually speak with bated breath. Such
gibe as this against the chief tailor presiding
over the national destinies is not the product of
the political ideas of the United States, bat
mark OF the stage OF manners at which they
have arrived. 1t would be impossible in our
House OF Commons; not because the House
represents olgarchic ideas in politics, but be-
cause we have a very long civilization at the
back of us, while the Americans have only
very short civilization. One wishes very much
that the Americans would advance rather more
rapidly in the pursuit of the amenities; only let
us not father on democracy the offenses against
good taste and fastIdiousness which are really
due TO the social state, and which after all are
not bit more repugnant to modern pollteness
than the manners OF our own senators genera
tion or two back-and they were aristocratic
enough, III all conscience. -
The question whether the American Ambas
sadors should wear spotted waistcoats, shoe
buckles, swords, and SO FORTH was no joke to
them. Somehow, in some eyes, it involves
the supremacy of the United States By an in
scrutable mental process the shoe buckles and
swallow-tails recalled to the mind of Mr. Banks
States would prove to be the Carthage OF the
modern world. Mr.. Banks put a truly remarka-
BILE and original Interpretation upon this. For
it is usually supposed that in the ancient world
Carthage was on the whole, something like
failure. At all events nobody thinks that the
Carthaginians impressed their ideas very deeply
or permanently on the surrounding world. But
people like Mr.. Banks choose to have new
theories OF history. just as they choose to have
everything else new
So he supposes that the Carthagnan func-
tion which the United States are destined to
fulfil in the great State.system of the modern
world, is to impress new notions upon the mind
of Europe. For the future, the grand storehouse
of fertihzing ideas for Europe will no longer be
the mystical East, but the more fresh aud
glorious West. We are to begin simply, and to
advance gradually from things small to the
very greatest. Breeches will be the form in
which American missionary effort will first
touch the heart and understanding OF Europe.
Her initial junction is to teach Europe how 10
dress. IL an Englishman goes to the Court
dotf his own habitual raiment aud don fig
leaf, q string of beads, and a hat? Why
then should an American citizen at st.
James or at the Tuileries array himself in
lowered satin waistcoat, snufcolored
coat, and sword, simply because the bar
barous etiquette OF those courts prescribes
such absurd and incongruous apparel? Euro
peans ought to be taught better, and the only
way to instruct them Is to refuse cOmDliance
with preposterous usage. LOng,ml est tier per
prGceptd, 6T6Ue CT eDiodG per eTenapid. Mr.. Banks
apparently believes in an original and peculiar
modiAcation OF the famous saying of Fletcher of
baltoun Let who will make laws for Europe,
provided America may furnish the pattern Tor
It's coat and breeches. Mr.. Sumner is much too
sensible man to sympathiZe with this extra
ordinary and most exalted notion of the busi-
ness OF American representatives in Europe. 1t
Is SAID, indeed, that he brought the motion for