New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-07-05
GEN. GRANT IN LONDON.
ROYAL RANK ACCORDED HIM.

GRANT At CONVENT GARDEN.
lFROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRTBUNE.I
LONDON, June 23.-I don't remember to have seen
on any former occasion paragraph so curiousy
framed as that which describes yesterday morning
the dinner given the evening before by the Minister
OF the United States in honor of Gen. Grant and Mrs.
Grant. No doubt you have already published some
account Of this festival. Did 1t include plan of the
table; And if it did, you, you not led 10
inquire whether it is usual to state in the newspaper
the order in which the guests at banquet take their
placesf Did you remark that only two ladies, MIS-
Grant and Mrs. PierrepOnt. PRESENT. Did you
take in the full significance of the fact that the hos
sat on the left of the Prince Of Wales General
Grant sitting his rightf Did you make out why
Mrs Grant sat opposite the Prince at the other end
with the Duke OF Richmond on her right and Mr..
Peuepont-I beg his pardon. the Minister of the
United States-on her left These conundrums
to which do not pretend to give an answer but
should suppose that the offer of a suitable prize would
bring in solutions of tho various problems involved
But et us postpone these details for moment in
favor Of the great fact that the of etiquette
settled at Marlborough House we're unsettled last
night in Cayendish Square. ! mentioned IN my last
the melancholy fact that when Gen. Grant dined
with the Prince OF Wales, he put in the rear of
all the titled people who formed the solemn pro-
cession from the drawing-rOom to the dinng-room.
! The order was reversed last night; tho General
yielded precedence to nobody but the Prince
himself. There were present no less than six En-
bassadors. There were four Dukes There
three Marquises. There were five Ears. There was
the Lord Chancellor, and there other persons
whose rank entitled them technically to go before
Gen. Grant. But they one and all had to give way.
The ambassadors, az a rule, give way to no.
BODY but the Royal family. Mr. Pierrcpont's crown
ing triumph is that he induced them recognize the
ex-Prcsident of the United States az equal to an
ex-emperOr or ex-king. Ii was in his own house.
but 1t is not t. be supposed that man is master of
his own house in such matters as those. Mr. Pierre
pont would not have been guilty of the discourtesy
OF asking to dine with him and treating them
with ru1eness. The great question was, in fact,
settled beforehand. For this once, the great func-
tIonaries who pride themselves being the personal
representatives of their soyeregis recognized the
sovereignty of the American citizen rather, they
recognized the distinction of the individual Ameri-
can citizen whom they TO meet. Mr.. Pierre
pont had made his views clearly known that
they had not, suspect, much choice in tho matter,
except the option Of staying away. Diplomatic
triumphs more important 10 the welfare OF States
have perhaps been achieved, but, nothing precisely
like this mas been done within tho memory of man.
Lord Derby reported to have said that Mr. Pierre
pont had done what he himself could not do. 1t il
only the enyIous who declare that be said would
not do"
IS FOR the Dukes, Marquises, Ears and other
English magnaos they are great sticklcrs for rank
aud proceed, &C az between themselves, but they
seem 10 have dcquiesced from the beginning readily
euoul in llr Pieueponts wishes with respect to
Gen. Grant When AIr. Pierrcpont let it be known
that he would allow Gen. Grant TO accept no invita-
ton where he was not to rank everybody else, there
remained to the people who wanted to lionze him
only the choice between h wing him on Mr. Pierre
points terms and not haviIp him at all They are
4 good-nstured race these English. They laughed,
perhaps in cases, ana sL agc~ their shoulders
and wondered that plain Americans should So nch
value on the Observance5 peculiar 60 lri-tocra &c
countries But they acq1Iesccd andl presume none
of the great men who last night had opportunity
OF taking q near view Of Con. Grant his way TO
dlnner made any WY faces over IT.
Perhaps y0u now guess why the arrangements of
Mr. PierrcponPs dinner-table are advertised in this
mornings papers. The same papers published list
Of iLe Prince OF Walcss guests, with Gen. Grants
name in a position which Indicated The low place he
toos in that ceremony lie is now restored to tho
dignity which Mr. Perrepont wishes him to maintain
before the English public or, shall say, before
those titled and ari5tocratic classes who constitute,
for social p,i. poses and in the eyes Of people,
the English public.
Still some OF nv cOnund runs remain, and so far
| 90 I am concerned must remain, unanswered |
Observe for instance, that the Prince of Wales was
attended by Maior-General Sir Dghton Probyn but
find no record Of any attendance on General Grant.
Where was General Badeau, his aldc-dc-campf This
ia the first time General Grant has appeared without
General Badeau. and it is, perhaps the occasion
when. if ever the services Of aide-decamD might
have been useful-might have contributed, that is,
en- Il geueraI spendor of tho occasion. Why the
Drle OF Richmond was put on MIS-. Grants right,
while the six ambassadors sat lower down, is ques-
tion tbar also gives rise to anxiety. The world is
waiting to be told for what reason the rule that
| ro,ses an ambassador of barbarous throne like
Trl-ev above the Greatest nobleman of a civilized
r,tinn should be broken in favor of the Duke Of
| Richmond.
However these things may be, there can have been
NO GOOD American who has not felt his bosom thrill
with nariotic pride ut the spectacle thus presented.
II il something TO have crushed a rebellion and TO
have been twice chosen President Of the United
States But what true admircr of aristOcracy can
doubt that Gen. Grant felt that the climax OF his
| career was reached when he found himself on that
| memorable evening on the right hand OF the Her
Annarent TO the Throne of England, with the repre-
sentatives of 30 many powers and prlncpahties De-
low himf But. alas, all glory is feeting. hoped
this letter would have been one long strain OF
triumph. whereas | am forced to Introduce iact
which partakes of the nature of defeat. Inc very
nov, robt the Queen gave a State Ball at Bucking-
ham Palace. The papers Of this morning publish
long list Of invited guests; among them the Dplo-
afic Corns and foreigners of distinction" and in
the LIST the name of Gen. Grant does not stand hrst
II is much nearer the end than the beginning 1t Is
preceded by a long array of the very personages on
u. e -, f.tu-