Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-23

OF Iun cost an American citizen just 500,
though, OF course. the fne could not be en-
forced against the perpetrator Of the offense
In this case. However, the minister, being
| gentleman, offered his apologies and insisted
upon paying the ESQ, which he did.
wgr rRET BEHAVE THEMSELVES
But. as has been said. the ministers and their
attaches usually take good care not to offend
against the laws and customs Of this country
Exempt as they are from local jurisdiction,
| criminal and civil, they cannot make them
selves annoying without rendering themselves
| undesired guests in the eyes OF our govern
| ment Once SO regarded they are likely to be
| requested to 60 home. Such a request il not
conveyed directly to them, OF course; but their
| governments respectfully asked to recall
| them. II any demand of the sort were not
complied with, as it always is. the OBJ
jectionabls diplomat would undoubtedly be
sent back nolens volens. The person and
papers OF minister can never be seized
| unless he IL regarded as a menace to the coun-
try wherein he resides; in that case it is neoes-
| sary in self defense to arrest him and send
him away under escort. He might be plotting
| o revolution, you see. A minister some years
ago occasioned some scandal in Washington.
Some pretty wild and weird festivities we're
frequent in his house. In the morning after q
party OF the legation the whole front side
walk would usually be found covered with
packs Of cards scattered like snow. which had
been thrown ont of the window during the
nights gambling. The yard in the rear would
be strewn thicky likewise. A secretary Of a
foreign legation in Lincoln's time was arrested
on the street for most improper behavior; but
he made complaint and secured the dismissal
Of the policeman who took him in. SO palpa-
bic was this injustice that Secretary Seward
employed the man at much higher pay as his
own special Waterman in the Department of
State. where the secretary was compelled to
see him every time he made an official
call. One privilege enjoyed by diplomats in
Washington is that of importing from abroad
free Of duty whatever they want for their own
personal nse Some Of them have been charged
with smuggling i'll this way ON large scale,
though whether truly or not it is impossible
to say. One attache has been recently accused
OF being in partnership with a wine merchant
and supplying the stock in trade.
SOME FUNNY THINGS.
The sacred and inviolable character Of a
legation does not inhere in the ground or the
dwelling, but simply in the fact Of their occu-
pancy by foreign embassy. Thus you will
find that only the British. German and Mex
lean legations own the property they occupy
II any legation moves the house it leaves at
once ceases TO be sacred, while the one it
goes into takes on that quality immediately.
Speaking OF moving, the Chinese legation
one summer net very long ago rented a
big house much further down town than the
one it at Present occupies. The minister did
not like the sofas and chairs because they were
white. being covered with linen for the hot
season. So he obliged the owner to buy new
furniture. However. when the chairs and
sofas were being loaded on moving wagons to
take them away some of the covers came ,artly
off. exposing the brilliant red damask beneath
Now. rcd Is the royal color i'll China, and when
the members Of the legation it and per-
celved their mistake they gave shout Of de-
light and demanded that the furniture be at
once restored. Thus tho proprietor of the
house found himself several hundred dollars
out OF pocket. and all for nothing.
The funniest thing in connection with this
governments diplomatic relations is the letters
sent to the President Of the United States by
the rulers OF other nations announcing births
and such events in sovereign families. Such
communications are the custom among the
powers, and there is stereotyped form for
them. For instance, OH the occasion OF the
last important domestic happening in the
household of Queen Victoria letter came from
her to President Harrison follows:
Victoria, Queen of Great Britain. Empress
OF India, Defender of the Faith, &C., &c, to
Benjamin Harrison. President of the United
States:
GREAT AND Coon FRIEND: 1 have the pleas
ure OF announcing to you the birth Of fine
boy on the 21st instant to my granddaughter,
the Princess Bettenberg, who is doing as we'll
as can be expected. This event will doubtless
cement the cordial relations existing between
our governments Your good friend.
VICTORIA"
This letter is written on ruled blue paper,
ana 10 III Preslcent Harrison replies. on white
vellnm paper in big sheet, as follows:
GREAT AND Coop FRIEND: l have received
the pleasant news conveyed to me by your COM
munica,ion Of the 22d instant, and am glad
that the happy event came off safely. 1t is my
| earnest PRAYER and expectation that the said
event will strengthen the bonds of amity and
friendship which SO happily subsist between
our two governments Your good friend.
BENJAMIN HAnRrsoy"
1t is worth noting that the President never
sees these letters from Queen Victoria and
other soyereigns at all and the replies, which
are written in an elegant Spencerian hand by a
81 200 clerk in the Department OF State. are
merely taken to HIM for his signature. Such
is the nonsense of diplomacy.
Swinburne's Assassination Stanza.
"God or man, be swift hope sckens with delay:
Sm!te. and send him bowling down his fathers
way
Fall. U fire OF heaven and smite fire from hell
Halls wherein men . torturers crowned and cow
ering. dwell!
These that crouch and shrink and shudder girt
with power
These that reign, and dare not trust trembling
hour
These omnlpotent, whom terror curbs add drives
These whose life reflects in fear their victims
These whose breath sheds poison worse than
plaques thick breath
These whose reign is ruin these whose word is
death,
These whose will turns heaven to hell, and day 10
night
These, il Gods hand smite not, how shall mans
not smite1"
No from haorte nv horror witbarad as nv 6ra