The times., 1901-03-13
CIVILIAN COURT COSTUME
No Special Uniform Prescribed for
Diplomats Here.
Some Abandoned Precedents Re-
established by Americas First
Representatives Observation-Disclosures
at st. .JnmeS-PIainness Preferred.

worn by American Ministers and Am
( bassadors abroad. at court ceremonies. 1t
/ would be interesting to know whether
( public sentiment has changed, and wheth-
/ er Bayard, Sumner. and Marcy are to be
| disregarded and the good old days of
| Adams and Van Buren, are to be restored.
! Not many years ago there burst upon
! the Court of Spain an American Minister
who made his formal appearance clad In
the gorgeous raiment of a certain ceie-
brated State cavalry troop Of Philadel-
phia. This diplomat had not been con-
spicuous member OF the troop but when
the time came he found the troop use
ful thing to him, since it saved him from
the necessity he would otherwise have
been under of appearing at court in plain
clothes.
IN STATE MILITIA UNIFORM
Another instance is recalled of an am
bilious American, who, upon being ap-
pointed Minister to small European
court, promptly had himself made
officer in the State militia of Connecticut,
and wore his American uniform for the
first time when he appeared before
European King These cases are excep-
tional. however, and our Ministers are
usually content to appear at court, as
they appear at home. in the regulation
dress suit. If veteran of the civil war
receives a diplomatic appointment he may,
if he chooses to do so, before leaving for
his post unroll from the camphor-laden
sheets the musty military coat and the
old wrinkled military trousers, and bring
down from the garret the box with the
tarnished epaulets, and unhook from its
place on the wall the rusty old sword
all of which he wore when he was an Off
Ger in the civil war-and in this anti
quated ornamentatiOn he may make his
bow before a foreign sovereign. But as
he does not like to be shabby on such an
august occasion, he has the choice OF
abandoning the idea of wearing his mill
tary clothes or of ordering new ones,
which he would not in ali probability use
I a dozen times.
CONFUSING CONGRESSIONAL DIRECTIONS.
What he may wear is regulated by law.
The 1867 Congress passed resolution for
bidding diplomatic officers OF the United
States to wear any uniform or official
costume not previously authorized by Con-
gress' Now Congress has never preyi-
ously authorized any uniform or official
costume whatsoever for diplomatic Off
GERS. Therefore, as a writer on interna-
tionai law has pointed out the language
OF the resolution might easily be construed
prohibiting an American Minister from
wearing any clothes at all. But what Is
really meant was that the military uni
form which a previous act had declared
might be worn by a diplomatic officer was
the only one authorized and that he could
wear no other. The resolution was father
ed by Charles Sumner in the Senate and
General Banks in the House. but it was
only an expression of the general aversion
which the people then had, and probably
still have, Ia a custom which belongs TO
-
than to the freedom Of official intercourse
OF q democracy.
EARLY PRECEDENTs.
Yet this dislike for diplomatic uniform
or a court dress had no official existence
during the first half century of our ma
tionaf existence Benjamin Franklin, who
was the father of American diplomacy,
put some gilt buttons on his semi
Quaker dress, and it passed for 4 uniform
and was much admired by his brother
Courtiers at Versailles. Wneu the Treaty
Of Peace was signed and John Adams was
preparing to 20 from PdrlS 10 Lonuon as
our first envoy to the mother coLrtry,
the Duke of Dorset waited upon him and
told him he must carry with him a fine
new coat in which to be presented TO the
King, for that It was "a rule OF etiquette
in London for everybody VINO went 10
court to have new clothes upon that day,
and very rich ones Adams sighed at
expense.
rule But at this time, and tOr some
years afterward. the American envUys
consulted their individual discretion in
the matter of ceremonial costume, ana
conformed generally To the customs of
the courts near which they resided. n
1914 when Clay, Bayard, RuSSeli. and
John Quincy Adams went to Ghent TO
negotiate the treaty OF peace NF1ch ter
minated the war of 1872, they found It ad-
visable to adopt uniform costume. 1t
consisted of a blue coat, slightly en-
broidered with gold, white bTeeches
white silk stockings, gold knee buckles
ana shoe buckles, sword, ana
small cooked hat ornamented with
black cockade. Upon occasion Oh
the greatest ceremony this uniform v as
varied by the addition of n little mere
cold embroidery When John Quincy
Adams who had worn this costume, be
came Secretary OF State, he recommended
il tn All our Ministers. In 1873 he sent
them a circular describing II and accom-
panying il by Illustrative cuts 10 ensure
accuracy. .4 e.
Presidency his friends We're in doubt
whether this uniform was 10 ne con
tinued and Cornelius Peter Van Ness,
Spain. wrote to Secretary Martin Van
Ruren and asked what clothes ne should
wear. He was told that the President
would not prescribe any uniform out
that the following seemed to be recon-
nended as we'll by it's comparative cheap
ness as it's adaptation to the simplicity OF
our Institutions, a bldCh coat tSiiIBlt
breasted), with "A standing collar, having
a gold star on either side; 'underclothes
of black blue. or white, according TO the
wearer's taste, a thTee-cornered chapeau
de bras ornamented with black cockade,
and a stetl-mOunted sword in white
scabbard How extensively this dress
was used il is impossible to say, but 1t
was the prevailing costume in all prob
ability for some years. until, by reason
of the changes of fashion. there was
doubtless a relapse into the old custom
of individual discretion and the following
Of local custom
CIVILIAN COSTUME ORDERED.
Secretary Marcy coming into the State
Department in 1853, shattered the whole
fabric of diplomatic costume at one blow,
for he instructed all of our Ministers
abroad to appear at court in the simple
costume Of an American citizen" The
/ first envoy to encounter difficulty because
of the order was James Buchanan. at
I London. Before he had been presented to
I the Queen ne met Maj. Gen Sir Edward
! Gust her master of ceremonies, at the
| Travellers Club, and sounded him on the
! subject of the reception he might expect
/ if he complied with his instructions. The
/ master of ceremonies said that the Queen
| would not like il. that costume so un-
| usual at court would be considered pre-
| sumptuous, and that Mr. Buchanan, if
! he persisted in wearing it. could not eN-
| pect to be invited TO the court balls and
| dinners, where everybody wore court
| dress He could only receive invitations
! to concerts and lesser parties
little later, when the Queen opened
| Parliament In person, Buchanan did not
/ attend the ceremony with the other mem
| Nil. 10