The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-23

munity from arrest that, If foreign
minister should murder one of his at
taches or servants, he would not be ar
rested nor punished by our courts. His
government would be notified by our
secretary of state, but if his govern
ment did not punish him ours could pay
no further attention to the matter. II
he should kill an American citizen,
however, his government would be re-
ouired to take him home and punish
him, and pay indemnity, or there
would be lot of powder burned by
American soldiers and sailors. These
diplomats are clothed with great priv
,1eges; but they cannot go SO far as &c
.assail or iniure American citizens with
out trouble.
Not many years ago an lriental prince
fell desperately in love with one of our
American girls and wanted to marry
her; but the young lady merely
laughed at his infatuation. The royal
oriental was determined to show that
he was dead in earnest about the mat
ter, so the next morning he was verify
dead in earnest, having hanged himself
out of a window of his house. The sui
eide was never noticed by our police de-
partment, no action was taken In mat
ter; but our state department reported
the circumstance to his government,
and there the matter ended. Our coun-
try cannot afford to make great official
notes of such small matters as the sui
,cides of oriental princes who become
dead in earnest over our girls who are
too sensible toAreciprocate their affec-
tions.
Once upon time there was secre-
tary Of a foreign legation who INDUCED
the cheerful habit of riding on horse
back across the pavements, up to the
doors of stores and shops. Several po-
licemen demonstrated with him, but he
coolly defied the officers, telling them
that they did not dare to arrest him, or
even lay hold of the bride of his horse.
This fellow was in no sense gentle
man, and was soon recalled by his gov
eminent 1t happened that he was on
the pavement on street one afternoon
when two young ladies came along and
were obliged to stop on account of this
rude foreigner. A police officer re-
quested him to get off of the pavement,
but he smiled superciliously and de-
clined to move. The policeman then
said:
II cannot arrest you, but can kill
your horse, and our government can
pay for him.
Saying which the officer drew big
pistol from his pocket, adding: 81 hope
your legs will not get in the way of
these bullets. . -
Z The coward and churl put spurs to
his horse and went careering home and
told his chief, the minister, that he had
been grossly insulted by policeman.
The minister Investigated the matter,
ascertained the truth, complimented
the policeman, and had his fresh young
man recalled from Washington.
The secretary of foreign legation
during Lincoln's administration was
arrested on the street for improper be-
havior He made complaint. received
an official apology from this govern
ment, and secured the dismissal of the
policeman who had arrested him This
was such palpahle injustice to a good
officer that the secretary of state, Mr..
Seward. appointed the officer as his
special doorkeeper; SO that whenever
that foreigner called at the department
of state to see Secretary Seward, he was
obliged to meet the ex-policeman, who
carried his card to the secretary of
state, and afterwards admitted him.
AS 1 said before, however, these
favored foreigners seldom violate or
defy the laws of our land. They are
gentle men, and therefore gentlemen.
SMITH d. Fry.