The times., 1897-04-22
. Question of Precedence.

Sir Julian Pauncefote. g. G. B., S. c. NJ. s.,
is the distin guished and urbane ambassador
Of Her Majesty, Victoria, Queen and
Empress, at this Republican court. No
sovereign ever before was SO handsomely or
so thoroughly represented, and We may
add that Sir Julian's ability, which is
great. as, witness the 0lney-Pauncefote
treaty, is only exceeded by his modesty
and dignity Everybody knows, or ought
TO, that the ambassador of a great Queen
and Empress is so much her personal
alter ego at the seat of his mission, that
to all intents and purposes, in his Official
capacity, he really is herself In extreme
cases it is proper for him to put on an
old suit of her clothes and one OF her cast
off crowns, and declare himself. Nothing
has happened yet to compel resort to
such extreme measures; but the situation
occur, and, as ambassadors have the entree
OF the White House, unannonced, Presi-
| dent Mckinley is liable at any time TO be
| frightened out OF his senses by such an
| apparition stalking into his private Of
flee without knocking. However, that Is
aside from the main question.
The modesty OF Sir Julian is exempli-
fled in his willingness, notwithstanding
all his rights and prerogatiyes, to allow
the President of the United States t. take
precedence of him at public and private
functions We think this wrong, subver-
sive and likely to detract from the d gnity
OF the ambassadorial position, but he has
established the precedent, and will have
to abide the consequences. Having con-
ceded so much, it would be madness to
expeot more OF him, Therefore, it is not
to be wondered at that he refuses to go a
step farther and yield precedence to the
Vice President of the United States. He
| distinctly refuses to lunch, dine, dance or
do ANYTHING else save in the place of honor.
Itmatters not that there are herambassa-
| dors here of equal rank with Sir JUL an.
who do not similarly resolve themselves
into an exposition universelle;;'' he is Sir
Oracle. and when he barks, let no dog
speak,
| The foregoing is not news; but the posi-
| ton taken by the British ambassador in
| relation to the Grant monument ceremonies
in New York is so, at least comparatively.
He bluntly refuses TO walkin the procession
behind the Vice President. He is simply
| willing that the President and the family
of the late American hero should go be
fore.
1t is quite useless to argue the point
with the ignorant official and other popu-
latfon OF this country. In Europe we do
not know of a court where an ambassa-
dor would think of taking precedence or
the heir apparent. Well, the Vice PreSi-
dent is Mr. McKinley's heir apparent, ex-
actly as the Prince of Wales sustains that
relation to the present sovereign Of Great
Britain. 1t makes not bit of difference.
Sir Julian is Sir Julian. and the place of
honor is his, or he is not on the ground.
The question must be settled favorahiy To
his views or he will bolt the obsequies
and awful things might follow. We do
not know what they would be. but We
do know what we would like them to be
They would include polite intinatiou
to Sir Julian that he is too rich for the
base blood of the Republic. When that
had been done, we should venture to
speed the parting guest with the remark,
that on the occasion of another funeral
ceremony, if he will be good enough 10
have his ambassadorial dignity brought
over for the purpose, everybody will
cheerily Join in according it the sole
| ooo,nancv Of the first vehicle