The record-union., 1893-05-22
ROYAL COURT IN THE REPUBLIC.

1t may be granted, as waiver of dispute,
that it is proper enough to invite the
Spanish Government to send some mem
ber of the royal family as such, to repre-
sent Spain at the Worlds Fair at Chi
cago. This may be held to be due to the
fact that the fair is Columbian celebra-
tion, and that Spain rendered to Column
bus needed assistance for his voyage of
discovery. Beyond that there is no
reason for any enthusiasm among Ameri-
cans over anything Spanish.
The fact is that the relations between the
two Governments have not often been
cordial. Spain has never cloaked her
contempt for the United States, and on at
least one important occasion Spanish
officials acted towards this country in a
manner never paralleled for littleness
and malignity.
However, to invite royal parsonage to
a arepublic does not imply that the party
is to be received with any other ceremo-
NAL than properly obtains under the So
ciak law Of place: it certainly was never
intended to maintain royal lines for a
royal visitor. President Cleveland and
his Cabinet appear to have had this in
mind, and to have received the aunt OF
the boy King of Spain and wife of the
son of Montpensier with republican sim
plicity and dignity.
On the part Of the people who gathered
about the depot and followed the carriage
of the Princess and her large following
of court characters, and who later scam
White House, and who cheered the lady
on every occasion possible and dofTed
their caps and appeared to be blessed by
the warmth of a royal smile, bad taste
was exhibited.
If they crowded and jostled and ran,
out of vulgar curiosity to see a titled
Spanish woman and her courtiers, thev
were guilty of rudeness and disgraced
our country. If they cheered and bowed
and scraped and uncovered, and fawned
for love of royal state and titled glitter,
and fairly got down before too high
strung young woman of a house that has
not manifested any real love for the
United States. they disgraced the Ameri-
can name and if the Princess and her
gilded suit did not sneer it was because
they are polite and polite.
The American people. notably in
Washington, ought to so bear themselves
in regard to representatives of European
royalty as to command respect for their
own country, while treating guests with
becoming politeness.
However, if the mob was un-American
in its worship of a Princess, what shall
we say of the programme laid out for this
week in New York City where the In
fanta is to attend ball at which she is
to appear as a royal parsonage, graciously
holding a royal drawing room, where
certain Americans present may be pre-
sented and possibly be permitted to kiss
the royal hand-at least bask an instant
in the royal smile.
All the preparations for the ball indi-
cate that the Princess is to be there and
assert her claim of superiority in way
that we cannot look upon as otherwise
than humiliating to Americans. The
lady may not be blameworthy for these
arrangements, but the whole thing ap-
pears to move upon plane that is as un-
American as it is in bad taste and not spe-
cially fattering to the guest.
In Spain it would be the proper thing
for the Infanta to withdraw herself to the
extent of not deigning to sit at meat with
any not of royal blood; to give royal per-
mission for ball to proceed; to receive
with the Court Chamberlain in the full
exercise of his office, and all that but in
democratic America it is all very much
out of place, to speak mildly, and the
American men and women who play a
this sham of royal court on the soil of {
republic we cannot have the respect We