New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-04
GIFTS TO THE NATION.
A HETEROGENEOUS COLLECTION or
PRESENTS AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
CUPS. SWORDS ToMBs. GATES. MUMMiEs "-'
PRECIOUS STONES EASTERN PoTENrAIN'
THE MOST GENEROUS GIvERs-

washington Feb. 3.-Of course the redui9
public has been made more or less famiiiar W.
tho presents given to George Washington a.
the magnificent gifts showered upon ue"0
Grant and other public men, but there Is peS
an This y sort of urcIassifed list comprised OF
those presents for the most part almost
,-novn in spite of their National interest and III
trinsic value. which the country at large from
time to time in its history has received iIo."
foraiqn nations. 1t would be superfluous to ci'e ,
the instance of Bartholdis Liberty, but storeu
QUAY in the corners of various OF washington
nubIic buildings are many OF the rlch coileo'
and splendid "objets de virtu with whch o'"''
countries and especially the Oriental STATES
have seen fit to honor US
Among the first presents America ever i
oi,,od vas y large silver cup deliberately chased
and decorated with the coat OF arms oi .+-o
t1ouse of Brunswick, that was presented 10 'ne
,,,,i 1Iousa of BurSesses by George l. IL
,s thor need as n mace until the Revolution
~. War since which it has passed through sew
oral families and finally into the hands Oh tne
colonial DANES by whom it was deposited IN lhe
National Museum.
one of the most extraordinary presents
10 the United States is sarcOphasuS sem :"
President Jackson by the Sultan of Turkey me
tomb is of carved marble and Is very diOi0ii''
dating back to the dynasty of the Seleuclu'''
This DYNASTY tOunCeU III Gym" ~AN~N
AIexandrian conquest by NicatOr. son OF An
tiochus one of AIexander's generals. Inc era u
the seleucide in chronology is considered as De
ginning in 80 b. c. and ending with the reign
of F,piphanes in 1914 b c. When this funereal
gift was rendered TO President Jackson. when
the Sultan specified was to receive MS oouS
after death he was naturally somewhat SUI
prsed but ne managed to respond IN ono Oh 'ne
most deIiciOusly tactful speeches in history 10
| the effect that he "a humble representative OF
| a democratic people, was utterly unworthy 10 lie
! in The sepulchre of a king, and that ne woulu
! fain content himself with a less Ostentatious
! burial place among his fellow cOuntrynen- VI
course. Immediately upon its receipt the sar-
cophagus became the property of the Govern
rnent as it is unconstitutional for the President
of the United States to receive gifts or decora-
/ items from any foreign nation or potentate
GIFTS OF THE IMAUM OF MUsCAT.
There arrived in Network Harbor May /,
1910. the sailing ship Sultana, bringing greeting
| from His Highness Sud Said Imaum of Muscat,
to His Excenency Martin Van Buren,, President
of the United States and also the following
articles presents to that country, which it was
hoped would always continue the friendly re-
lations which had been established: Two Arab
steeds of the famous Nedjie breed. unriValled
| a brilliant gold mounted javelin. string of one
hunded and fifty pearls, two single pearls OF
! large size and great price, bottle of Ottar of
roses a bale of four Cashmere shawls and five
demijohns of water. What became of the
bulk of this collection the records of the State
Department do not show but the pearls, both
those of the necklace and the single pearls, and
the shawls are in the Museum. The Sultana
was the first ship to visit this country from the
Imaum's dOmnions-therefore the elaborate
presents; but the worthy ruler did not allow
the friendly relations thus auspiciousy inaugu-
rated to languish, for some years later, during
President Tyler's administration, he sent over
| about fifty diamonds, not all very large, it is
true but of the first and clearest water. These
jewels were given in charge of the State Depart
ment, whence in course. of time. they were
transferred the Treasury vaults. but have
now finally found a resting place at the Museum.
A great many presents have been given TO this
Government by Japan, notably when Perry
threw open the Japanese ports to Occidental
commerce At that time he was made the
bearer of collection of ceramics lacquer ware
old armor and other metal work which is now
scattered among the various exhibits at the
Museum and in the library of the State Depart
ment. A statue selected by Japan from her dis
play at the Chicago Exposition and presented to
this Government also is, in a way, commence
rative of Perry's voyage. II is a figure very
realistic and lifelike, of the Baron Kamon-no-