The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1871-12-23
Alexis and his Welcome.

Alexis in New York Hmper's Weekl
of December 9th says:
One of the accounts of the reception
J Of the Russian Prince in New Yorl
stated that Alexis certainly received
such an ovation as no man on eartl
ever received before from New York
ers between the Battery and Uniol
Square" That is strong language, fol
New Workers have heretofore Offered
a similar g ovation y to the japanese
Tommy and the prince of Wales, an(
it seemed we had exhausted ali the
resources of parading all the soldiers
and packing the windows and house.
tops and street lanterns with specta.
tors, and shouting until we could
shout no more In honor of the hero OF
the hour. Certainly nobody grudges
the handsome young Russian his en-
thuslastlc welcome, under the stress
OF which, according to the report. he
bore himself with good humored dig
nifty. There was, of course, in itself
something very comical in the eager
interest OF great city and country in
youth OF whom nothing whatever
can be said but that he is an emper-
or's son aud it was very natural to
say that Yankees love a lord. But
| the truth is, that such an excitement
for such a cause is not so insignificant
as it appears to those whom it affects
with Impotence and contempt.
IT any body, for instance, were dis
posed to sneer at the affair as illustra-
ting the essential snobbery ola vulgar
society, the ludicrous climax of the
reception, namely, the introduction of
MI. Jim Fisk to the Prince, should
have restored entire good humor.
That, OF course, turned the idea of
social exclusiveness into utter ridicule.
1t may have vaguely occurred to the
more solemn gentlemen of the COM
mlttee that there was something mex
pressibly absurd in elaborate prepar-
atlons, and a long procession under
Ginning bells and waving flags, and
amidst shouting and rejoicing throngs,
to end in presentation of Mr.. Jim
Fisk. But fate kindly provides those
reliefs. The best families" of which
the reporters respectfully spoke, the
select society admitted by cards to
certain front seats in the proceedings,
were thus drolly brought to grief by
the anticlimaX. Certainly nobody
should be troubled by the social as
pect OF the reception, which with its
elimination, nobody can think of
without inextinguishable laughter.
Nor is the interest in the arrival of
the Prince to be explained as q tri-
butte to an ancient ally and friend.
Russia was friendly to US during the
war, but it was not the kind of friend
ship that inspires popular enthusiasm
and our relations with the country are
too remote to give Russia any more
hold of the popular heart. than Japan.
The affair is very simple, and has
very little to do with the. Prince,
Nobody need draw conclusions from
1T ulfavorable to our national char
acter OF manners. If it had been a
Grim Tartar, or king of the Canni-
bal Islands, Or a white elephant, the
excitement would have been precisely
the same. It was the chance of a
holiday spectacle that gathered the
people-a spectacle of which they
themselves were the chief part, The
event had been so carefully written
up" the preparations had been so
elaborate, and the mere delay of the
fleet had SO excited public attention,
that the rest was inevitable. 1t was
not snobbery, nor honor to our allv.
nor interest in the Prince: it was the |
opportunity of a holiday that filed
the streets; and as enthusiasm is con-
tagious, the Princes welcome was |
what Grants, or Sherman's, or some |
other real hero's might have been,
after great war or a great debate, in
which a country had been saved and
advanced,
And now that the public reception
las passed, however foolish private
society may be, it can not be more
oollsh than that to which the young
nan is accustomed. Let nobody he
rouhled. He will find among us ladies
IS lovely and as we'll bred as he ever
'aw, partners in the dance as graceful
IS ne ever knew. At dinners he will
rink Wine as delicate, and eat food
IS eSquisitely cooked, as in any coun-
~ where the host did not begin life
IS boy sweeping out an office. nor
ne hostess her housekeeping by being
Ter own maid-of-all- work. The feel
ng which is fiattered to be near him
because he is prince, is precisely the
eellng which speaks of tour best
antilles" 1t is the dear old soul of
he snob which is universal, and
Fhich, when there is no prince, is
appy. with rich and fashionable