Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-07

!: !: :: !: !: :: !: !:
A~, r. that particular piece of
m law have been carried
~ out to the most literal
- s.,yE EII}I Interpretation, and the
& ///A/, result was that the Ne
----SsA/ tioual Museum received
new invoices Of ex-
hibits, intrinsically worth many thousands of
| dollars. AT other times-and perhaps the lat
| ter were in the majority-the lsw has been en-
| tirely violated with no oompunction. and in
| such cases the recipients of forbidden gifts
were alone enriched Some Of these ultimately
reached the museum, as the only legal deposit
| tory for articles of the kind covered by the
Constitution, but rarelysprior to the owner 6
| death. On quite few occasions Congress
legslized the act Of receiving, and that was in a
| measure stretching point But the Treasury
| and State Departments still have dozens OF
decorations and the like for American officers,
which have never been delivered because of the
| lacking authority. and dozens of others never
| will be, because they been lost in the lapse OF
| time and the upheavals consequent upon vari-
| GUS changes of administration.
| Every High School student knows the con-
| tents Of the clause in question, and it reads
| mo title of nobility shall be granted by the
| United States, and person holding any Office
Of profit or trust under them shall, without the
| consent Of Congress, accept any present, emol-
] ument, Office or title of any kind whatever from
| any king, prince or foreign state"
| There has never been anything to critcise in
the first sentence of the clause, because no leg
| islature, state or national, ever attempted 10
| create dukes and barons and the other speci-
| mems of effese nobility on this side of the st.
| Lawrence river But presents and "tties
| have been received from kings" princes
and foreign states, and in not few instances
| the recipients, who had the gifts forced upon
them in the first place, violated the latter part
| OF the clause after they did take the goods for
| the sake of placating the donors. Several Of
| them were Presidents of the United States at
| the time. The violation was unintentional.
| however, for the articles were passed into gov
! eminent possession as soon thereafter pro-
vision could be made for their proper recep-
| ton. although twice the gifts which were of a
perishabe nature, had TO be sold and the money
passed into the treasury. and in one case por-
ton of the gifts sent to President Pierce BIZ the
| tycoon of Japan, when the commercial treaty
was concluded byCommodore Perry, the most
costly and elaborate. were kept at the White
| House for want of n safe repository. aud there
| many were entirely lost or destroyed. In fact
| but very small part of these ever reached the
| museum, and at this late day, OF course, never
| will.
THE ACCEPTANCE AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS.
During the last twenty years Congress has
frequently authorized by special resolutions the
| from foreign governments in the shape OF
| medals and decorations. There have been fully
200 OF such offered, according to State Depart
ment records. and this government in turn does
| its share of bestowing valuable presents upon
brave officers among other nations. But a large
| number Of such medals have not been legalized
as property of American citizens. and even il
| Congress should evince a disposition to make a
wholesale permit now the move would not
| amount to much. simply because the trinkets
and yaluables have been stored for years in for.
gotten places, and even the archives on the
subject are contents of the most unfrequented
hooks and crannies.
HRoM THE INAUM or MUSICAL.
The most valuable gif. ever made to an Off
| cial of this government was that from the Imaum
| of Muscat to Martin Van Buren, in 1910. aud the
| greater portion OF IL is now in the museum
| The whole cargo would have sold for fully
| 100000 then, but some of the things would be
| priceless now even in the open market. That,
however. was quite some time after different
| foreign potentates began their Santa Claus
operations in this direction. and President
Thomas Jefferson was the first officer TO be
| honored in that manner from abroad. When
Uncle Sam was having that little set-to with
| the Tripolitans in the early years of this CEN
fury war vessels had frequent occasion to cruise
FNong the northern coast of Africa protecting
AHserican merchantmen from the Barbary
/
bors, the Emperor OF Morocco finally came to
his senses about the advisabaity of robbing this
nation g vessels on the high seas and, after the
barbarian fashion, at once sent gift to Jeffer-
| son as token of his friendship in the future.
Undoubtedly the present arrived in this coun
| try by some United States man-of-war and was
accepted from the Morocco mogul on the
| ground of policy. A. just what time tho Presi-
| dent received it and where it was stored pre-
vious TO being deposited at the old national in
| stitute in the patent Office of later yeare are
matters the record of which is lost. if il ever
| really existed. But unquestionably the invoice
| is now at the museum, and most valuable one
| in the bargain. The sword, which constitutes
one of the articles in the collection, is Of the
( prevailing Arab scirlitar pattern. and the two
| shot guns are likewise, with their long barrels
and short stocks. but the latter portions as well
| rs the barrel castings, are covered with the most
beautiful specimens of arabesque work in
| gold, silver and ivory, and intrinsically from
| their contents alone are worth a large sum,
aside from their value as relics of nearly a CEN
| fury ago.
| ROYAL MANTLE FROM A BLACK PRINCE
Commodore Bolton was the next official
| legally under compulsion to turn over to his
government the lavish expenditure Of a king,
| although he only black prince Tama-
hamaha. who ruled the Hawaiian Islands in
| 1929. long before Kalakaua assembled the throne
| hamaha's domains the kingdom was simply
| denominated Tonga or Friendly Island, by the
old salts on board the commanders feet but
the black king gave the finest article in his
possession to the Yankee seaman, and that
| article was the royal mantle made Of feathers
which he wore only on stnte occasions. Com
| modore Bolton learned much about the manu-
facture Of this robe and at once placed it in the
legal depository when the cruise was ended
Scientists estimate that fully 81 900 900 must
have been the value Of the mantle even in
| those comparatively primitive days. rs far as
was concerned the trouble involved in secur-
ing the rare feathers of which it is composed.
Another present Of this nature came from
the same kingdom just sixty years afterward
and Kalakaua was the donor. Lieut T. q.
Fillette was made the recipient Of the most
unique specimen OF cane by the spouse of
kapio.ani and three years ago it reached the
gallery Of relics The article has a large half
circle headpiece, made OF a wild boar's tusk
and highly polished. Heavily inland with the
finest specimens Of chased gold work the
Hawaiian smiths could produce. tie gift was an
appreciable addition to the collection.
An EXQUISITE SWORD FROM sPA.S.
Spain was a republic for little while in 1878
and Just long enough for that inpulsire people
send a sword Of exquisite workmanship and
the best Of Toledo blades to Con. Grant, who
" then ae-virr hia te-pa The