Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-12-12
SNUBBING GEN. GRANT.
HIS TREATMENT BY The PRINCE OF
WALES AT A BANQUET.

~
The Heir APParent's Provincial Notions
of Hospitality a Slight Of Which
Nothing was said at the Time of Its
Occurrence.
When Gen. and Mrs Grant arrived they
passed first into large ante-chamber in
which the Prince Of Wales happened TO be
playing with his two boys The other guests
bad not arrived, and the prince may not have
expected to.be in this hall when Gen Grant
came in; or be may possibly have planned
the accidental reception. He came forward
at once. like any other gentleman in bis own
house, and gave his hand 10 Gen. Grant, who
presented Mrs. Grant, and mentioned my
name, which the prince had known before.
Then the prince called up his sons, lads at
that time OF 10 or II, and said he wished
them to know Gen. Grant. He was extreme
" genial and affabIe After this he disap-
peared through side door, and an equerry
ushered the party into a long waiting room.
We remained nearly half an hour.
The dinner party was large: should think
there We're thirty people present, including
several dukes and ducheS~es and other nObili-
ty. the Brazilian minister and his wife were
asked, doubtless out Of compliment ~ the
Emperor, for whom the dinner was given.
After "a while n gentleman in waiting ap-
peared and said the princess desired that the
ladies should arrange themselves on one side
Of the room and the men on the other, 50
Gen and Mrs. Grant took their places four
or five from the head Of the line After
apparently ten MINUTES further waiting in
this position, all standing, for NJ one had
been seated or been asked to sit since we
entered, the great doors at the top Of the line
on the right We're thrown open and the
empress of Brazil came in on the arm of the
Prince Of Wales. Next came the princess
with the emperor. They passed directly
between the two lines to the dining room,
which Was opposite the apartment from
which they entered; the impress Of Brazil,
however, had known Mr. Grant in America
when the ladies had each been the wife Of a
great ruler and she Snpped short when she
came To Mrs Grant ard greeted her, but the
other royal and imper ial pcrsonages, incIud-
ing the hostess. passed in without recogniz-
ing anybody. Then a number of dukes and
lesser mobiles were told off to their partners
and followed the empress and the prince.
After every nohie person present was thus
assigned Gen Grant was requested to go in
VIII 1lS tltITPIDNJ, ditl MIS-. Nrftut WIN
the Brazilian minister. whom the emperor Of
Brazil looked upon as his servant.
PRECEDENCE OF DUKES.
The British government had agreed with
Mr.. PierrCpont that the eN-president Of the
United States should have precedence Of
dukes, but the Prince Of Wales deliberately
put him as nearly as possible to the foot OF
the table. There was no English person Gf
noble rank who followed Gen Grant He sut
within three or four feet of the c5mptroller
of the household, who was at the extreme
foot: the prince and princess We're at the
middle with the emperor end emprpss. The
Duke of Cambridge, the Duke and Du hess
OF Manchester, the Earl and Countess of
Derby, the Earl Of Dudley, were all placed
higher than Gen. Grant. When the ladies
left the table every one rose, Of course, and
the empress and princess passed out, and Mrs.
Grant was left to find her way like any other
person Of insignificance. Then the Prince of
Wales changed his own seat according to the
English custom, and took that by the side Of
the emperor, which the princess had vacated
In a moment or two he sent an equerry or a
footman. forget which, to ask Gen. Grant
to sit by the other side Of him in his new
place, and Gen Grant left his seat and walked
just as any other private gentleman might
have done. The prince then was very gracious
in his talk and manner.
After while the gentlemen rejoinei the
ladies in the order in which they had come
in. the dukes and earls taking care to assert
their rights of precedence. In one of the
drawing rooms there was music: here the
princess and the empress sat apart and list
ai faIl Lad nd aba4 a
near them Neither General nor Ms. Grant
was invited to join this select company. The
prince came out of it once or twice and
talked with some of bis guests, among others
with Gen Grant: but h. said no word to Mrs.
Grant, and neither the general nor Mrs.
Grant was presented to the princely hostess
The prince presented Gen Grant to the Earl
Of Dudley, one of the worst bred men in any
company in any country; and his lordship
was worthy of his reputation on this occa-
sion, for he almost turned on his heel He
did not offer his hand, but simply acknOwl-
edged his princes introduction with a slight
bow, almost a nod, and not one word, and
left the group. II was by far the most
marked impertinence Gen. Grant had re-
ceived in sixteen years.
THE PRINCESS LEAVE
" ucH lue Hdl pi Jno
music she and the princess arose and bowed
to the company. Everybody else made pro-
found salaams, and the whole imperial and
royal party disappeared and did not return.
Mrs. Grant now desired also to Leave, but the
ladies i'll waiting assured her that the Prin-
cess would return They appeared to appre-
ciate the behavior Of their mistress and to
think it could not possibly be carried further.
fl
minutes longer. Then finding that her hosts
had no idea of continuing their hospitality,
she took Gen, Grants arm and retired l
followed Stem. After we had reached the
ante room anil were moving toward the
cloaking rooms, one Of the courtiers came up
and said that ;hs princess desired to bid Mrs.
Grant good night. Accordingly, We delayed
in the ante-room till the prince and princess
came out The royal hosts smiled graCiously,
bowed and cOurte.ied gracefully, and wished
their democratic guests good night and that