Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-05-12
WENDELL PHlLLIrS on POLITE
SOCIETY
Some Comment Called Forth by tho
Concord Celebration.

4 WENDELL ON PnEITv
| SOCIETY.
some Comment Called Forth by Tn
Concord Celebration.
| To the Editor of the Boston Daily Advertiser.
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe has been lee
turing ON the conundrum, "Is polite 80
ciety pol,tc?. Rumor says she nigh
iliu .lrate her theme by an item of per
sonai experience quite hundred years
old. But Judge Hoar says, THE sover
eign people Of America are ntlemen ,
Putting this claim beside . line I find
In the Springfield Republican, rcmindl
me of one or two Incidents In onr locaI
history which may illustrate, bu, hard.
ly confirm, the Judges statement
When tho Prince Of Wales, with his
suite, visited Harvard College, Charles
Sumner went to Cambridge with the
party. BY.and.by the company were
to be seated. After the Englishmen
had taken their places on the platform,
President FELTON, bnsies himself ia
summoning ex presidents and profes-
sors, governors and ex-goyernors to
seats near them. Sumner and ex. Pres.
ident Quincy were standing together,
chatting, on the door. FELTON, and Sum.
ner had been crenies OF old. You may
read OF them IN Macresdy's book, eat
ing oysters with the actor at midnight
after the play. They were the frat
members Of the II. A. Society. After
Sumner Joined the anti.slavery party,
FELTON, never spoke to him for years,
On this occasion President FELTON,,
approaching Quincy, invites and con.
ducts him % the platform without no.
ticing Sumner, who stood at that mo-
ment talking with the venerable ex.
president. Etiquette prescribes that
on al formal occasions In Z State the
first person IN dignity is the Governor,
next to him come the Federsl Senators
Of the State. Governors and ex-roy.
ernors, ex.presidents and professors,
clergymen and lawyers,-alI tho hon.
orables are seated. Our Senator re-
mains standing conspicuQusly alone,
Gen. Bruce q think) notices the mis-
take, and stepping down says:
"Sumner, are you not going to be
Il have not been. offered seat, /. was
the reply.
Confused, Bruce stammered out:
"Well,-now-but there's q vacant
seat next to me, come to that"
Waving ceremony, Sumner makes
two or three steps towards the plat
form, when ex-senator -- drops
into that chair. and the second digni-
tary Of the State q left standing alone
among the seated thousands! People
said Felton's spite made him forget his
manners. That 10 possible-if he had
any to forget. Perhaps we should do
him more exact justice IL We excused
him largely on the ground of total IL.
norance as TO the duties of his Office.
About the same time Boston culture
that is Beacon street and the Histor-
ical society-eet itself to receive some
other prince-Prince de Joinville, /
think. The committee invited Gov
ernor and Mrs. Banks (who were not
born in Beacon street, nor members of
the Historical society to krace the 90
casion. Surely. next to Harvard Coll
lege, our Historical society ought to be
supposed trained in good manners.
On such an occasion, Of course, the
Prince should have led Mrs. Banks to
supper, and the Governor followed
with the next distinguished lady.
But when the supper room was
opened our historical snobs rushed
pell-mell, with counts and attaches, to
the tables, leaving the Governor and
his lady standiDg alone at the head Of
an empty hall. Tsa. minutes after
they missed their distinguished guests
and sent . deputy back to fetch them
in! But 'the sovereign people of
America are gentlemen" Possibly, in
somo cascs, sOme Of them.
In each State the officeholder who
stands fret 40 representing the ma
llonal government, 10 the collector of
customs. Whenever the President of
the United StAtes enters State on q
formal occasion, etiquette attaches
the collector to his suite. Lexing-
ton men pour ont their thanks to
Collector Simmons in hearty and gen.
erous terms for the special efforts to
get them their statues Of Hancock and
Adams In season for the celebration.
Concord contended fiercely with Lex
ington for share Of the Presidents
day. The rivalry was so keen a. to
be almost angry. But II we can be.
liove The Springfield Republican q
allow that as to most Of its columns
this must be large ", zone of Col
lect0r Simmons bondsmen made a
futile attempt to get the Boston caucus
packer invited to Concord but nobody
wanted him and neither he nor Post.
master Burt nor any of the Butler
crowd, except Marshal Usher, were
there-Bntler himself, though invited,
did not come
That 10, Concord deliberately insul-
ted the President by voting that one
of his suite--the gentleman he had ap-
pointed to represent the national gov
ernmeDt In Massachusetts, ts--should not
be invited ON an occasion when the
presence of the President had been
begged for on bended knee! Mr..
Simmons crime could not have been
sympathy with Gen. Butler since in
that case should not have been hon.
ored with an invitation, NOR the gen.
efal himself. Possibly the act. % in
Felton's case, was one of pure ignor.
apce, and had nothing to do with the
Worcester convention. For Judge
Hoar assures us that "the sovereign
people Of America are gentlemen"
Before the next centennial comes
round hope the judges will be also.
.S WENDELL PHILLIPS.
Dldn's Know the Pslits Name
Two strapping country girls came
into Z store Saturday. and sliding up