The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-17
OUR REPUBLICAN SIMPLICITY
Ambassadors Extraordinary and Minis
ters PIenipotentiary All in Rev.
WHO is THE COURT FOOL /?
The Struggles for Place, Power, Precedence and
Poppycock Position in the Diploma
tic World Of Washington.

corps, BO-caed, came 10 pay their respects" TO |
the President OF the United States and to con
Gratulaten him on his accession to second term |
o. office as Chief Executive OF the United states.
This particular AFFAIR was strictly formal, cere-
monious and customary, in which respects 1t
offered FROM partly similar AFFAIR last November,
when the diplomats called in body, but in plain
clothes, to congratulate General Grant upon, re-
election, which still lacked the formal ratification
Of the Electoral College, and so raised breeze in
the independent press.n Yet the whole proceed
ing Of Monday had an incongruous and to some
extent ridiculous look, under form Of govern
ment wherein the subjects Of government are self
ruled and assent further to personal sovereignty
than set up one Of themselves every fourth year
OF detail In administration.
THE HIGH OFFICIAL VISIT.
The dipomatists began arriving at the Executive
Mansion at about eleven O'clocI in the morning,
and came in carriages or on foot, as distance,
economy or other considerations determined. The
event partaking Of strictly official characters
even the speeches being arrangea with ether pre-
liminaries at conference" held at the State De-
pertinent between the Secretary of State and
Blacque Bey, the Turkish Minister. "doyen' OF
the corps-all the members were in court dress or
ia military or naval costume, which is the equiva-
lent OF a court SUIT in countries whence diplo-
matte forms borrowed and where the blood
Sheddng professions are held in higher esteem than
the useful arts. The one exception was JugOi
Mori, OF Japan, who swung around between por-
tico and vestbule in an American overcoat and
stove-pipe hat, seemingly uncertain as to what he
was TO do and dubious as to his exact relations
towards 'Ihe government OF the United States.
THE COURT DRESS WORN AT WASHINGTON,
where there Is no Court at which to display it,
consists OF pair of dark-colored trousers, with a
q q
coat" ornamented with glitterng buttons lace
and hnllion at wills military chapeau, and q
small straight sword, such as was habituslg worn
by men Of the upper ranks a century ago. II there
IL anything noticeable about such dress 1t is it's
inferiority to an army or navy uniform in looks,
and its failure to suggest anything better than that
diplomacy and diplomatsts are, to use the express
tive language OF the present day. 'payed out" and
ought, in all proprety, to be consigned to the OBJ
ltvion that has come upon so many other institu-
lions Of the before steam, electricity and the
press. That there is. any ease or dignity in the
costume the uncomfortable and awkward looks
and movements Of the cute class OF Wash
ington society disprove when encased within
It. TO gentlemen whose business il supposed to
be the suppression OF the sword in matters Of State,
the compelled wearing OF such a weapon on the
few ofncal occasions OF their lives must steal upon
their consciousness as a bit Of irony. To make
many OF the diplomats arrived the other day with
ordinary topcoats and hats caps on revealing
lower bits of their dress-swords and gold-banded
trousers and having their chapeaus tied up in
paper, to be carried Ia the left hand when coming
into the presence Of the President the Cabinet and
the Onicial ladies.
THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS,
including the ladies belonging to it, numbers about
one hundred persons, most OF wnom took part IN
the proceedings Of Monday Among them are
fourteen ENJOYS Extraordinary and Ministers
Plenipotentiary in rank and title, not one of whom
Is, in fact, charged with an extraordinary
mission or invested with plenary powers Even the
titles and dignities Of diplomacy, like its functions
are now imaginary aud fictitious. Russia has an
envoy extraordinary who is, in point of fact, her
ordinary representstiye at washington; out as
by name imply that any IN his doninions possess
pienary powers, Baron Gutenberg is shorn OF one
England, France, Germany, Portugal Peru and
Guatamela, and other OF the great Powers OF the
but thirteen Z. E's and NJ. Prs in all but then we
are not discriminating. for we keep diplsmat OF
Of Kansas, in Chile, accepting mere charge
d'anaires at Washington in return, while
Argentine he Coniederation and ''' the ''I United
States Of Colombia, to say nothing of Turkey, who
SUPPORT ysmhn.pT ~ ne MN
sOn-at the republican court OF w ashington Then
We keep resident ministers in Bolivia, Costa Mca,
Greece, Honduras, Nicarauga, Paraguay and other
countries, who fail to reciprocate, and wherein
commercial interests are guarded by our consus.
WHAT DO WE WANT THEM FoRY
this country should receive at home and maintain
abroad permanent diplomatic representatives:
They are properly the appendages OF royalty, and
especially OF absolute monarchies or at least arts
Sscome under The spe
stituent Parliaments and public opinion as
By sns here as
and cautious constitution makers conferred dis
cretionary power upon the Executive to appoint
and receive Ambassadors and other public minis
ters; but we were then as a nation yeung, mex
perienced and weak, net free from foreign compi-
snce. There were treaties to be coaxed from
sulky monarsns, not too Wen disposed towards the
tsmptuously turn upon all the forms as well as the
substance Of kingy governments.
courteously notwithstanding, as they did, either
ON business OF the State or as an act OF recogn,-
sparing Of their discretionary power in sending
miniatsrs Of our own ABROAD, and permanent
a. curing aie . al Time
when the smallest excuse for them mad gone or
was going.
though there was . decided dash OF aristocracy In
the personnel Of the government, there was NO AZ
tempt to give anything more than usefui char
scter to those sent to foreign parts the business
OF the United States, and they came home a. soon
advice and instruction from President " ashineten
was all the credentials that Couverneur Morris pro-
duced Ct London when he went, In 1889, TO see II
tnc BRUSH government could not be induced 70
evacuate the Western posts under the treaty OF
peace and whether q commercial treaty could mel
De concluded between the mother country and her
Onsprng. The first appointments under the
constitution were simple charges dafaires
20 France and Spain, and these were made
upon the spur Of urgent business with
those countries. Washington, Jefferson and
Adams were Indifferent to the names they gave
TO the agents sent abroad but they were never
guilty OF the verbal exAggeraton Of calling their
ENJOYS extraordinary n they were not sent on
special matters, nor their ministers plenpotentiary
unless invested with full powers nor did they or
any successor ever appoint an ambassador, Al
though none but agents OF that rank are held In