New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-06-22
MIR. PHELPS IN LONDON.
MS FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCES AND HIS
RECEPTION.

Ifho~ LONDON, june b.
Mr.. Phelps has now been three weeks in London
md has had some opportunity of seeing what MS
sew postion is like. London, on its part. has seen
matbinp of the man about whom curiosity was as
eeap as etriosity about anybody can be In TINS
society hardened to every sensation. The place Mr.
phelps fills is one in which first impressions go ior
,nch il may almost be said that they are decisive
In thu world he now enters people are too pussy 10
snore time for second thoughts. For better vi
worse new Minister has to present himseii before
an instantaneous camera; the photograph whieh ID
The work of a second is permanent his .ectuai
acquaintance with London society Is even more
brief than il seems because the Whitsun holidays
have to be deducted from the three weeks. great
mart of London has been out of town for ten days OF
n fortnight Most houses have been. closed; social
events were few during the Parliamentary recess.
But | will venture to guess that the NUMBER VI
oeople who before they quilted London lauhcheu
,,v;tatio,s at the new American Minister was
nretty large He and Mrs. Phelps will hardly DC
allowed to spend a'quiet evening at nome between
this and the end of July They took possession
of Mr. Loweirs houseiain Lowndes square Oh
Monday 1t u.s. l think, without precedent that
two successive American Ministers .should occupy
tbe same residence 1t will presently 60 near to be
tbougbt that the Republic is able to afford It's
representative a permanent home IN Lohuoh'
which. as we all know, 1t cannot
Drr,o these three. weeks Mr. Phelps has made
two anpearances which may be called public. lie
>vas present with Mrs Phelps last. tuesday az the
State Concert in Buckingham Palace. Ihis-is one
af the few remaining ceremonials, drawlng-rooms
and lsvees excepted Ly which English royalty now
reminds the English world of its ornamental char
acter The State Concert is given by command OF
tbe Oueen The Queen herself is transacting the
business of her realm in that central and conven-
tent SPOT lust 600 miles from London, known as
Balmoral. Her Majesty was represented on this
occasion at Buckingham Palace by the Prince ana
Princess of Wales But this is to state the matter
TOO simply am sure you will be grateful to me II
iouote the stately phraseology in which the event
is officially announced:
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales accompanied by their Royal liighnesscs
Prince Albert Victor, Prince George and Princess
Louise of Wales, attended by Lady Sutheld' Miss
Tnlross Mr. A. r. Cockerell and Colonel 5. Clarke.
and escorted by detachment OF the Royal Horse
Guards arrived at the garien entrance Oh the
Palace from Marlborough House.
Then follows list of other Royal Highnesscs,
Grand Duke of Meckenburg- Strelitz, Prince aud
Princess Christian of Scheswig Holstein His Royal
Hiebness the Duke and Her Imperial and Royal
(observe the duDlicaton) Highness the Duchess OF
Edinburgh then the Duke of Cambridge then His
Serene Highness Prince Edward of SAKE Weimar
md His Serene Highness the Prince of Leningen
titles which serve once and again tolremind the
English how very German TO this day 10 this
English reignng family The Royal Body Guard OF
the Yeonen of the Guard was on duty IN the
interior of the Palace. while "a Guard of Honor of
the Coldstream Guards was mountedsin the quad
rangle of the Palace. Then:
Tho Prince and Princess of Wales, accompanied
nv the Grand Duke of MISUNDERSTANDING and the
members of the Royal Family. conducted by the
Earl of Kenmare, X. p. lord Chainberlalnl, ann
attended by the great Officers of State the Mistress
of the Robes, and the Ladies and Gentlemen OF the
Household in waiting entered tne saloon i,a AZ
diately commenced.
Beside all these glittcrng royalties and their
suites were present nearly all the Ambassadors and
Ministers now accredited tothe Court of St James;
the three Archbishops, Dukes and Duchesses and
peers of lesser degree. Right Honorables and Hon
orables honorable Ladies and plain Messieurs and
Mesdames, Admirais of the Fleet. Field Marshals.
Generals Colonies, Majors andi even n few
CAPTAINS The United States Minister figures last
in the long list of Ministers which follows the short
list of Ambassadors; Mrs. E. j. Phelps with HIM.
IL was their first appearance at any such function
il was also Mr. Lowels last. What | hear from
a sure witness there present is that the reception
given to Mr.. and Mrs. Phelps was OF friendly
kind. The Princes and Processes, said my friend,
showed themselves eager to greet the new American
Minister and.his wife, and there was much shaking
of hands and such talk the circumstances per-
mitted Civility and even cordiality arc the order
of the day.
The part which Mr. Phelps had to play at Buck
ingham Palace was passive one; to be.exchanged
next day for an active role On Wednesday Mr.
Iowelps successor had his first public dinner to eat
his first sneech to make and for the first time TO
face an audience composed for tho evening oil Her
Maiestys Judges at the Mansion House, and next
morning the whole reading public OF England not
to mention America. The Lord Mayor proposed the
health of the United States Minister; the audience
cheered him, and the moment had come when Mt.
PbcIps had to show that he could could not wear
that many-colOrcd mantle which Mr. Lowell had
put of Engishmen seem never to grow tired OF
admrlng Mr. Lowell as a speaker, and they do not
expcct America to produce two Lowells in success
sion am not sure that a notion had not gained
currency to the effect that not only was Mr.. Lowell
by general consent the best after dinner speaker
In England but that hc was tho only one whom
America had to boast of. Mr. Phelps has pleasantly
undeceved them. Comparisons would DC rnpeIti-
mont, and | shall make none. 1t is enough
TO say that Mr. Phelps if he surprised, GER
tainly also delighted his audience. There
are sentences in Mr. Phepss short address
worth for the purposes OF international comfy all
The dispatches ever exchanged between the two
Governments @The American representative who
comes here finds that it is no foreign mission on
which he has been sent On both sides OF the
Atlantic he equally at homo. He has changed his
skies but not the hearts by which he Is sur
rounded" Again I" The fraternity and sympathy
that exist between tho two nations depends not on
diplomacy or treaties. but on the personal sympathy
and good feeling of the people OF each country
And again. as an example of the rhetorical neatncss
which Enclishmen admire in the good American
speaker all the more because it is less common
here Speakinp of Lord COlerdge Mr. Phelps SAID :