The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-07
IN PEACE.
81 GENERAL ADAM BADEAu
No xyIII

England after the close of his presidency, l
asked him to make my house his home as long
az he remained in London. But he thought his
party would be too large and as he expected to
pass the summer in London the visit might be
too long He promised, however, to stay with
me If would allow him to share the expense.
He said we had messed together IN the field, and
there was no reason why we should not do 1t
again ] was only too glad to have him with
me on any terms, and told him he should de-
eide. Circumstances afterward changed this
arrangement; ne passed only three weeks under
my roof, and for this period he consented to be-
come my guest, for he knew the great pleasure
1t would give me- but he left America intending
TO go direct to my house. and to mess with me-
Before he arrived at Queenstown Mr.. Pierre
pont, the American minister, who had also been
Grants Attorney general, determined to ask the
ex-President to stay with him. This would be so
advantageous from public point of view that
could offer no opposition. met General Grant
ct Liverpool, and he agreed with me that it was
more appropriate for him first to visit the min
sister. Accordingly, he divided his time between
Us.
Mr. Pierrepont had taken every step in advance
TO secure for his former chief fitting reception.
He often said to me that if he had any influence
General Grant should not be treated as the ex
Presidents were who had previously visited Eng
land Mr.. Fillmore and Mr.. Van Buren, had
received little or no attention because of the
position they had held. They were both invited
by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, but each
was sent in to dinner without lady and at the
tail of the procession. They were Mr.. Fillmore
and Mr. Van Buren,, and nothing more. Mr.
Pierrepont said that in country where such
matters were regarded as important, he was not
willing that General Grant should suffer what
might seem like an indignity.
But at first the English were not inclined to
make any distinction in favor of General Grant.
They said: Americans give their ex Presidents
no rank, why should we!r When Pierrepont
pointed out that ex kings received peculiar hon
Ors, he was told that they were born in the pur
pie; the ex-Kins of Hanover was the Queens
OWE cousin. They forgot that the ex-Emperor
OF the French, the veriest of pretenders and in
terlopers, was treated as an equal by Queen
Victoria after his downfal yet he had not even
served out his term, but was deposed by the peo-
ple who, he claimed, had elected him. 1t was
besides incorrect to say that no provision is
made IN America for honoring exPresidents.
The Navy regulations direct that the same salute
shall be given to an ex President as to Presi-
dent, and although no rules Tor precedence exist
in the United States, except at Washington,
there could be no OCCASION public or private,
when General Grant would not receive the first
place, after the actual President
Mr.. Pierrepont discussed these points with
Lord Derby. the Minister for Foreign Affairs,
who finally agreed in behalf of the British gov
eminent that General Grant should be received
as an ex-sovereign; he to make the first visit
to the members of the royal family but every
other Eugiishman was to yield him precedence
There was, however, still question of etiquette
with the foreign representatives The govern
inent could give General Grant precedence over
ENJOYS but the ambassadors represented the
persons of "thoir sovereigns and would not
yield" There would be war, said the unhappy
Foreign Secretary But even this difficulty was
finally disposed of by diplomatic skill. Lord
Derby was to give a dinner at the Foreign Office
on the night after General Grant arrived in Lon
don. It was the Queens birthday when there
is always dinner to the foreign represent
atives. Now if General Grant went to
this dinner the great question of prece-
dence would at once arise; so Lord Derby de-
termined lot to invite General Grant on this oc-
casion, but to ask him afterward and then leave
outthe ambassadors. Mr.. Pierrepont was obliged
to 60 to the dinner. for he was an envoy, and to
Dtay away would be q slight to the Queen; but
the Dake of Wellington asked General Grant
for the same night, and had no ambassadors
All this was arranged before General Grant
arrived in London. and without his knowledge
Had he been consulted he would probably have
said that he wished no question raised, but am
not sure that he sorry afterward that the
point was made. The precedent set in England
was followed all over the world, and the success
of his wonderful tour was certainly aided by the
character of the reception ne met from tue i'm
portant personaGes of England. The distinctive
recognition of his consequence as ex-President
was due to the efforts of Mr.. Pisrrepont With
out those efforts General Grant would doubtless
have met with the same enthusiastic welcome
from the English people. and from other peoples
Afterward, but he might not have received the
distinguished treatment from sovereigns that
made his journey around the world unprece-
dented In history Some republicans have
thought there was too much consequence given
20 etiquette at the time, but the incidents that
happened to Fillmore and Van Buren, show
what might have occurred to Grant; and some
Of the good feeling which at present exists be-
tween England and the United States nigh,
not have been aroused had the representative
American been slighted or officially ignored.
The difficulty Mr.. Pierrepont had in arranging
the matter shows that such an event was not
impossible.
But the English government was as good as its
word. Grant had precedence of all Englshmen at
every house in England but one. and that house
WIS not the Queens. Lord Deaconsfeld. the
Primo Minister, set the example He invite
Grant TO dinner before the General had called on
him, and attended the party made by the Ameri.
can minister in Grants honor This party was
Il I'D l.,,