Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-04-01
Il niOn aud 9ispatfh.
WEDNESDAY. APRIL /. Isos.
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THE GREAT CLOTHES oUEsTION.

AsetA EC1t VII luAAtAOu NllY anu Obaite
THE GREAT CLOTHES QUESTION.
Two or three years ago, in a spasm OF
republican simplicity" (which has not
attacked them since Congress passed a
law fOrbidding our representatives at
foreign courts TO put themselves ipto en-
broidered coats and knee-breeches-t
conventional diplomatic costume Of Eu-
rope on state occasions 1t had frequent
ly been predicted, in a spirit of facetious-
ness, that Radicalism would take at last
to regulating peoples clothes, but no.
body really believed it would come true
What had been only jocOse prophecy,
says the New York Journal of Conn
merce, was literally brought to pass,
however, by the edict to which we al
lude The American envoy was here
after to be known by his customary
suit Of solemn black asnong the gaily-
bedight coterie Of his brother Talley-
rands-like a crow at an Australian bird
show, or an undertaken at a wedding.
Princes, dukes, all the great people of
both sexes, were expected to look at the
sombre phenomenon, and be awe.struck
with the simple grandeur of republican
institutions" But they do nothing of
the kind. They languidly level their
glasses at the abashed gentleman who is
trying to sustain the dignity of his coun-
try under such depressing circumstances,
aud say, What Guy Very ill-bred
people, those Americans q or words to
that effect There is a tradition that
Franklin was admired in France because
of his Quaker garb But the lawful cos
tune of our foreign ministers at the
present day is that of waiter rather
than Quaker Besides, they are not,
as a rule, Franklins.
Such of these unfortunate exiles as
have served in the army or militia take
refuge in a military uniform. Mr.. Dix
appears as a Major General, as does Mr.
Clay Mr.. Sanford having been at some
period Of his life Colonel in our citizen
soldiery, gets himself up "as such. But
others not so entitled to attire them
selves, either face the frowning world of
fashion with all the brazen resources at
their command, or stay away from the
scenes where they look simply ridiculous.
Mr. Adams is one Of the absentees at full
dress levees and court ceremonials. At
the royal reception, March Sd, the United
States Minister at the Court of St James
and the members of his legation "were
prevented by unavoidable circumstances
from attending" So says the London
Times, with enigmatical delieacy. But
the Pal Mall Gazette, an outspoken, gos-
sipy little sheet, tells the true reason-the
unwillngness Of Mr. Adams to intrude
the gaHcheries of Congress into the at
mosphere of courtly refinement and good
breeding. The absence of the French
Minister and attaches, or of the Russian
Minister and his satellites, would have
Occasioned grave surmises among the
qHid nuncs, and consols would probably
have fallen the next day. But everybody
understands that Mr.. Adams could not
go because he had no proper clothes to
wear, and American boorishness is the
topic Mt the breakfast table. The same
unavoidable circumstance" kept him
from court on the 10Th inst, according
to the London Times
As for respecting the motives of the
United States government nobody does
that, for ever. one estimates those mos
tives at their real value Foreigners
who have travelled in this country, or
keep the run of our newspapers, are not
to be taken in by assumptions of repub-
hcan simplicity where none exist
uIt Mtll hNhLt llilb Tue same AOl--
gress which enforces the clawchammer
coat and white neektie upon or diplo~
matte representatives spends millions Of
dollars upon the gingerbread ornamen.
tation Of the Capitol, in order that j. may
vie with the palaces of the Old World.
They cannot have failed to notice that
the men at Washington who were most
clamorous for this law are those who
love lord with British devotion, and are
never so happy as when they can secure
the distinction OF pair of titled legs un-
der their mahogany There may he
people "a very few in this country who
are imposed upon by these pretenses of
republican simplicity which are con-
tradicted in weightier matters every day
and hour But we must not count too
confidently on the existence of such de-
4 1 II.