The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-05-17
AN IMPERIAL AUDIENCE.
General Schofield's Presentation tC
the Emperor Napoleon.

In the Century is chapter of se-
cret history by General John NJ. Scho-
| field relative TO The Withdrawal of
| the French From Mexico" General
Schofield was sent on a confidential
mission to Paris, and he gives the fol-
| lowing account OF his presentation to
| the Emperor Napoleon:
| We went to the palace a little before
8 o'clock, and We're ushered into salon
| set apart for those guests who were to
! be presented to their maj esties-that is,
! those who had not before had that
honor. There We're about twenty Amer
| leans, mostly ladies, and about forty
Of all other nations, the representatives
| of the great republic preponderating
| over those of any other nation. The
diplomatic corps were assembled in an
adjoining salon, where they were first
received by the Empress. Meanwhile,
we were all arranged round the room
in an irregular Tine of battle" ready
1 to make our bow upon the approach of
| the sovereigns. l was placed at the head
| Of the row of Americans, being pre-
! ferred even to the ladies, which does
| not seem quite right. After the recep-
! ton in the ambassadors salon was fin
ished, each Minister came into our sa
! lon and joined his flock. Presently his
majesty appeared. and was announced
| by the Grand Chamberlain, who said in
! a loud voice, IL Empereur!"
| The Emperor then passed along the
| line, and each person was presented in
| turn by the ambassador of his or her
! country The Empress followed soon
after, was announced in the same way,
| and received her admiring guests. AS
a general rule, they merely bow and
| pass on without making any remark,
| and no one is privileged to say any
| thing unless first spoken to by the EN-
peror or Empress. This mode of recep-
ton is, l believe, peculiar to the French
| court and has been recently adopted
| presume, for the purpose of saving
/ the annoyance of having persons who
are presented stopping in front of their
majesties and entering into converse
| ton 1t is also much less fatiguins
/ than to stand in one place while receiv-
| ing company, as is the custom of the
English and other courts. Their maj
estes do not shake hands, which is a
| decided improvement over American
custom, and do not formally receive
I
1 and those who have not before been
presented at court. During the evening
they walk through the several salons
receiving the salutations of the guests
| as they pass, and politely returning
them, and sometimes addressing few
words to some particular person whom
they may recognize.
| Immediately after the presentation
| the Emepror and Empress took their
seats upon the throne in the central sa
4 lon, surrounded by the ladies of the
| court, and looked upon the dancing OF
/ the few beaus and bellies who were SO
| fortunate as to have the honor of dane
| ing before them, a thing which is, of
course, esteemed a great privilege. l
noticed that a large proportion OF the
ladies who were invited were Ameri-
| cans who, it was generally decided,
! bore the palm for beauty. Indeed. it
/ was evident that they quite surpassed
/ the ladies of all other countries in that
respect and were the favorites of the
| young courtiers who are in the habit
Of dancing before the Empress.