Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-01-13
. wAsHrNGroN LETTER.
New Years CaIls.-The Presidents
Reception. A Brilliant Staff
OF FemaIs Asslstants.-The
Diplomatic Rcffc.-Leg-
fsiatf0n, Politics and
VANITY ERiF.

Reception. A Brilliant Staff
OF FemaIs Assistants.-The
Diplomatic Reifc.-Leg-
fsIati0n. Politics and
VANITY Fair.
From our Regular Correspondent)
This has been a day of ceremonial
and sociable calls. Calls official,
calls military, calls diplomatic, In
short New Years calls. By odds
the largest receiver was President
Arthur. His hand has been squeez-
ed until it is black and blue, and
he will perhaps poultice it before he
goes to bed. The reception at the
White House was altogether sue
cessful in numbers. The Court cos
tunes of the diplomatic corps, the
gold-belaced and epauletted uni
forms of the Officers of the Army
and Navy, the elegant toilettes OF
ladies combined to make a scene
unsurpassed in brilliancy and beau
ty by any levee of former years.
daylight was excluded from the sa-
Ions of the White House and the
effect WIS heightened by illumina-
ton from chandeliers. The Presi-
dent was assisted in receiving by
Mrs. Frelinghuysen, Mrs. Brews-
ter, Mrs. Teller and Mrs. Chandler,
ladies of the Cabinet the Misses
FreIinghuysen, Mrs. Blaine, Mrs.
Keifer, Mrs. Logan, Miss Cameron,
of Pennsylvania Mrs. Jones, of
Nevada; Mrs. Pendleton, Mrs.
Butler, of South Carolina; Mrs.
Hawley, Mrs. Hale, Mrs. Frye,
Mrs. Jones, Mrs. John Davis, Mrs.
HerndOn, wife of Representative
Herndon, of Alabama; Mrs. Rock
well, Mrs. McMichael, Mrs. and
Miss Beale, wife and daughter OF
General Beale, and Mrs. and Miss
Mcclellan, wife and daughter OF
General Mcclellan. The guests
were presented to the President by
Marshall McMichael and Col. Rock
well, the ceremony taking place, as
heretofore ON New Years Day, in
the blue room.
1 have made it rule in my cor
respondence never to let new
years day pass without Il thrust at
that ornate, exquisite and utterly
useless relic of bygone age, the
Diplomatic Corps. On New Years
this corps (call it corpse or cadaver)
comes forth arrayed in the livery of
their masters, the Car, the Sultan,
the Queen, the Mikado and num-
Der of other small fry mightinesses
and majesties. On New Years
they perform their social function,
which is the only function that
steam, electricity and the press have
left them. This picturesque fossil
is altogether entertaining in scenic
way. The sustained splendor of
giIt-edged Incidence may be toler-
ated, perhaps, by those who do not
have to pay for their sustenance.
but their presence here suggests an
other side of the question in which
we are very much interested. To
every nation that sends diplomat
ic Corpse to the United States we
also send corpse, called by court
esq legation, consisting of a min
lister with secretary and attaches,
and the gaudy diplomatic tomfool-
cry that is apparent in Washington
reminds us that we are paying hun
dreds of thousands to maintain sim
liar establishments at a score of
European and Asiatic Courts. Why
is this so Because it has been SO.
That it the only reason that can be
given. The age of diplomacy has
long since passed. The United
States has not for fifty years had
use for diplomatic establishments
at any foreign court. Our relations
abroad are commercial and the
province of Consuls, not offensive
or defensive, requiring the finesse
of a Talleyrand or Metternich.
Our foreign ministers do not draft
treaties or form alliances. They do
but cOquette with the Sui
tan like Lew Wallace, give dinners
like Morton, or come home like
But whether they CO.
luette, dine, or come home, the
we'll creased diplomatic machine
goes on. Our diplomatic establish
nents furnish asylums for broken
Town politicians. This is their sole
Alison detre. They are not of the
slightest practical use.
Aud now the holidays are over,
he legislative wind engine will |
pread its sails. Vanity Fair will
occupy her booths. Politics will
whisper and combine and plot in
aueus and corner. Washington
journalism will apply its nose and
ar to the key-hole, and that which
5 best worth knowing will be pub
ished in 5000 different newspapers
nd read by $4,000, 900 of the most
progressive people in the world
uring the year of our Lord 1888.
Washington, Jan. l, 1888.