, 1881-01-02


ed in the program of the day.
The President has been somewhat criti
| cised for assigning different hours to tht
| Diplomatic Corps and to Congress, tho Su
| prelne Court, and other diynitaries. by thos
who think tl1at etiquet knows no law in {
Republic; but the capacity Of the Whit,
I House makes some regulations Of that sort
essential; besides, it is not,the custom III TIL
| European countries to allow any spectator!
ut the interviews between representatives O1
foreign governments and the Monarch, ant
tits claimed that some regard must be paid
for international Court etiquet However, thi:
class Of distinctions is not very rigid or i'm
portant -s,s.
= QUESTIONS OF ET1QuET.
There have some times been troublesome
questions of etiQuet raised as to the order III
which the different classes should be re-
ceived. One point has been, whether the
Cabinet, the Supreme Court, and the army
and navy, take the precedence Of Congress,
Congressman, particularly Senators, gener-
ally insist, with a good deal Of indignation,
too. that the Cabinet officers are merely
clerks of the President, tnat the Supreme
Court is In great measure a creature of Con
gress, and that the army anu navy should 90
to the rear. And Congress often has its own
way. remember on one occasion that Sec
retary Fish gave Gen. Sherman and his corps
of gilled staff officers a very summary oruer
to wheel about, and to 20 to the rear Of Con-
gress. ...-....s
GEN. SHERMAN
has never been slow to magnify the army,
Unlike Gen. Grant, Sherman has always en-
deayored to put the army to the. front, even
in civil life, and hhs made the most of gold
cord, cooked mats, and brass buttons. The
uniform which he introduced upon his re-
turn from Europe is very gaudy affair, and
as the officers who were compelled to
buy it out Of a small ! income
found, very costly. Gen Sherman
wished to make a grand display of his
new uniforms at the first New-Tear's recep-
ton after his return from Europe, and had
the staff assembled and directed it to move in
advance Of Congress. Secretary Fish, who,
in Grants time, was the presiding spirit on
such occasions, and who unnersrood what
etiquet was, aud what the relative rights of
the Congress of the United States and of the
General of the Army and his staff-oldcers
were, seeing what was about to be done, has
tened to the officer in advance, and bluntly
told him that he was out Of place; that
the staff corps must give precedence to Con-
gress. And Gen. Sherman's gilded staff had
to 60 to the rear.
ORDER OF ADMISSION.
The question Of precedence being settled
as to Congress, the usual order of admission
is as follows:
The Diplomatic Corps; the Chief-Justice
and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court
of the United States; the Judiciary and Gov
ernment Of the District of Columbia; the
Secretary Of War, the General and officers Of
the Army, and the heads of Bureaus Of the
War Department; the Secretary Of the Navy,
the Admiral and officers Of the Navy, and the
heads of Bureaus OF the Navy Department;
the Assistant Secretaries Of the Executive
Departments: the survivors Of the War of
1S12; and the citizens generally.
THE MARINE BAND
is always stationed in the main vestibule,
with their flaming red coats. and play during
the reception hours, which last from about
Ii to 2. The ushers of the Presidential house
hold are dressed in black, with white neck:
ties.
THE DIP LoaIAT1C CORPS
is a great social feature in Washington. It
consists of few distinguished persons, but
for the greater part is composed Of small men
and apprentices, who consider Washington
as the starting point Of their diplomatic CD
reer. Washington as q city Of diplomatic
residence, is regarded by European diplo-
matists as mission OF the third class. Even
the petty Italian Court has higher rank
for the reason, perhaps, that the Republic Of
the United States OF America is regarded as
plebeian. But, Insignificant as this body of
men is, taken as whole, 1t is q central figure
of Washington society, and, on all state occa-
slons, is made conspicuous by its tfnsel
and f1ummery. One of the chief occu-
panons Of the corps is to act
as sort of ornamental appendage, or fringe,
to society. The diplomats are made particu-
larry conspicuous on New-Year's Day. Sir
Edward Thornton, a most estlmable gentle
man and very able man, and real Rcpub-
1ican in sentiment, is the Dean Of the corps,
and thorough friend OF our Republic. :
The salary-list Of the British Government
shows the relative rank assigned to Wash
ington as diplomatic station by the Euro
pean Powers The British Minister at Paris
receives an annual salary OF $50, 900; at
Vienna, 10000; at Constantinople, $40, 600;
at ST. Petersburg, $39. 600; at Berlin, S35, eco;
at Pekin. s30, 600; at Madrid even. 81, 600;
while at Washington Sir Edward Thornton
is obliged to live on $4,000 and very con
siderable number Of allowances ~. In point
of grade. the Europeans rank Washington
with the missions to Brazil, to
Japan, to The Hague, and to Lisbon.
GEN. sIlEIMAN's STAFF.
Soon after the Diplomatic Corps came The
army officers in their gorgeous uniforms.
Any one who stood in the Blue Room to-day !
when the army officers entered to pay their
respects to the President might have imag-
incd himself in the Palace Of the Tui1eries, |
or at tile Court Of King William. The plain !
uniform that fought the battles of the Union |!
has given way to the feathers and fummery,
gold braid Eand horses tails, Of foreign J
Courts. The pickle-haute and the cooked |
hat have taken the place of the old-time head
gear. The Generals and leading officers
wore the same old chapeau which was worn
BY the Cent Garde. covered with |
rich and graceful feathers. Their !
breasts were festooned" with heavy
pendants OF gold cord. The artillery
officers wore the helmets Of the cuirassiers
If the line. There is much grace and beauty
above the hips, aud plain blue, lank and un-
ldorned, below. The uniform is beautiful 1
tatop,"' and cleap and ordinary at the 7,ot- |