The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-08
\ Rush for Foreign Feathers.

There are now before Congress requests
~ an unprecedented number from naval.
military consular and diplomatic worthless
for permission to accept boxes. badges. rib
bons. and titles OF knighthood offered L.
them by various foreign potrntatc-. Only
last week two more sucn requests were add
eli to the list-onc embodied in n joint rc~o-
luton authorizing WILLIE Z. MANGuM, |.
s. Consul at NagaSak.. Japan, to accept and
wear n badge rendered him 10y the
King of Portugal; the other like
resolution, authorizing Capt g. y. TAN
NER, Of the L. 5. Navy, to receive
a pair Of flower vases and u lncqucrcd
box from the Japanese Government. Short
ly before, the House had passed resolution
authorizing Rear Admiral Amy to wear
decoration from the King Of the Hawaiian
Islands: one authorizing Prof. BAIID of the
Smithsonian Institution to receive diploma
and medal Of the order OF St Olaf from the
King OF sweden: one authorizing Medical
Inspector TURNER Of ia" navy To accept II
diploma of the Order Of kamehamcha; one
authorizing Assistant Surgeon WI. WILSON
Of the army tn wear decoration from the
Khedivc of Egypt; and others authorizing
Capt. WHERRY Of the army and Capt. HOP
INNS Of the navy TO take presents from
foreign Governments. Among all the rcso-
mtions introduced for this purpose only two
refer to medals given for service in saving
ships; the rest include tcapots aud bctel
boxes, and. above all, ttular orders ami
decorations. given for no exercise Of courage
and no service to humanity.
OF course the theory OF our republic ON
this subject il clear. II was laid down in II
clause Of the Constitution, ~ follows;
so uilc of nobility shall be- granted iS the United
States aud person holding any ONCE Of profit trust
under them shall without the consent o tc Conercss,
nccept present emoluincni office, or title, o any
Mind whais'e ever, from ans kins. prince, or Ioreisn
State
The purpose and the good sense OF this
provision are too plain to require argument.
But it is worth noting that while Congress
was empowered to give its consent To these
foreign presents and decorations, II uni
formly refused to givci for upward OF sixty
years after the adoption of the Constitution.
Indeed, So clear was the purpose of tn" pro-
hibition, that in only n few extraordinary
eases was Congress applied to To re-
move it; and in these II withheld its
consent. As was shown in the recent
Senate debate on this subject. Congress
refused to allow Gen. JACKSON to receive
n present Of land from the Creek In
dians, then treated as II foreign power or
to allow Mr. PINCKSEY 10 take parting pres
rnts from the European courts To which
he had been pcnipotentlary; and
Secretary of State j. O. ADAMS OF
hcially pronounced such a reception
Of presents not only unconstitutional
but indicate, because there was no recproc-
. ,..,rt In, ,xix prssnute
nevertheless, have accumulated, because il
was often thought discoulteous to refuse
them; but they were always kept in the GUS
toby Of the State Department, or else sold
and the proceeds turned into the Treasury
Running to Congress, them for permission
a. keep presents, and especially to parade III
foreign ribbons and crosses and To veal
foreign titles, is modern wrinkle Of ON
oncrrs-naNal, military, and consular
Now, there are two cases in which Con-
gross never refuses ITS constitutional
sanction Ia foreign gift. one il when a
medal or other present is given len
some distinguished scientific service
OF aid Tor example, To- safe may
gatiou, or adding tu the wealth o
human knowledge, as when rH knl
oi sweden gave MArRY q medal for Ills dis
c,Ncr.c- in the geogrlph" OF lhc sra; th'
other j. ON the occasion of saving li" 81
property for Il foreign power uy som" act %
gioul courage. skin. or ,ll--uliiior.
lnit THESE cases of s'ocipI herorl Oh
spocl.l service :, nanklud huNe nothing l.
d. with the greater part of tlr rcuU'-t o.
10, .-n before Congress Of lat" yoirs
of - Of nobility and hits OF hrc-a-hra'
"i. '' lpl uo publicity known service hu