Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-04-06
PARCHMENT POMP.
MAGNIFICENT DOCUMENTS OF
STATE ON FILE.
SpIeudor of the Swedish Treaty
Uncle. Sam Sends In Return q
lew Plain Sheets SIM
ply Inscribed.
TTHE State Department. library
III Mt Washington received re-

curios and notable documents. 1t is
the most gorgeous of all the gorgeous
treaties that have come into the hands
of the librarian. 1t is the copy of the
extradition treaty between Sweden
and the United States recently ratified
by the Senate. Whenever q treaty is
negotiated between two great powers,
says the Philadelphia Times, they ex-
change copies of it, signed and at
tested. 1t is like the exchange of con-
tracts in commercial agreement.
Each of tho great powers preserves
the copy of the treaty signed by the
representatives of the other great
power. In the case of the United
States the copy which is sent abroad is
signed by tho Secretary of State. The
Swedish treaty, which has just been
sent to the State Department through
the Swedish Minister ut Washington,
is signed by tho King of Sweden and
his Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Tho spirit of simplicity which per-
vades our public institutions is in very
strong contrast with the pomp and
display of monarchial Governments,
and i'll nothing more than in this mat
ter of exchange of treaties. The
Swedish treaty is printed on parch
ment and bound in purple velvet and
watered silk. The seal of state, which
covers two cords of gold and silver,
red and blue, is inclosed in silver
case, on which the coat-of-arms of
Sweden is set out in gold relief. Four
colored ribbons aro attached to the
corners for the purpose of tying them
together. A box of polished white
birch with brass clasps is the outer
covering of the whole.
In exchange for oil this gorgeous
ness the United States, through its
Minister at Stockholm, will present to
the Swedish Minister of Foreign At
fairs n very plain transcript of tho
treaty, written on heavy white paper,
with very little attempt ut ornamental
ton, the whole representing cost
value of about seventy-five cents. No
attempt is made to illuminate the
copies of treaties which the State De-
partment sends abroad. There- are
one or two clerks in tho department
who do very neat pen work. They
| copy the treaties on q very heavy
| quality of white paper, known in the
State Department as "treaty paper. ="
Sometimes they make an ornate ini-
tial OF an artistically designed title, but
usually they confine themselves to the
strict Spencerian.
The treaty is written on both sides
of these sheets of paper, and around
each page is drawn border of black
and then border of red in perfectly
straight ink lines. The cover of the
treaty is of the same paper. The leaves
are bound together at the side with
silk ribbon. The great seal of state is
not stamped in silver or even wax. 1t
IS impressed on the last leaf of the
treaty. Opposite each of the sigma
lures to the treaty is u small red seal.
The whole is not nearly so ornamental
rs one of the laws passed by Congress,
engrossed on parchment and sent to
the President for his signature.
Our treaties are written in English.
Those which come to us are in two
languages usually; sometimes in three.
The Swedish treaty is in English.
French is becoming less and less the
language of diplomacy. A treaty with
the Kingdom of Hanover, which is
among the treasures of the State De
partment library, is in English and
German. A Turkish treaty is in Turk.
ish, English and French. If the
Chinese treaties were moi translated
into English before they were sent to
Washington they would not be of
much more use to us than any other
Chinese document. There is no one
connected with the State Department
who can translate Chinese or Corean
A Chinese treaty which is slowed
away in cabinet in the department
library was the most ornate of the
documents treasured there until the
Swedish treaty arrived. This treaty
Is printed in Chinese characters on q
frail yellow paper, which is posted on
background of linen. The singular
sheet on which these characters are
printed is six feet long and rolls ND
into scroll. The border of the sheet
is IN intricate design in light shades
OF color worked in ink The inyaria-
bic dragon is woven into this design.
The scroll is wrapped in silk cloth of
the royal yellow, and is then inclosed
IN cylinder of yellow silk lined with
silk of on old gold color. The outer
covering is deliberately embroidered
In many colorcd silks, the only featuro
OF the design which is familiar being
the dragon.
The most unique of tho treaties ut
the Stats Department is one received
from Persia, which was inclosed in q
silk bag nearly four feet long. Within
this bag were some sheets of brown
paper folded into the scmblapce of
book, Its leaves covered with ouoor
hieroslyphics in black The strange.
looking seal was impressed in HUGE
lump of wax. This seal was impressed
on two tasseled strings fastened to the
silk bag. " ''''
China has furnished lis some very
ornate treaties. The celebrated Bur-.
lingame treaty of 1868 was n boo,,
contained in very rare lacouerod
box, Literally sprinkled with spots of