The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-04
ARCHAIC USAGES OBTAIN
EACH RULER ADDRESSED ACCORD
ING TO HIS COUNTRY's FORMULA.
Penmanship of These EpistIes Some
thing Quite MarvelOus-Preside
Signs Them.
of the indianapolis Journal.

emonious correspondence between Pres
ident Roosevelt and King Edward. Al
though our chief magistrate learned by
cable of the happy event in the household
of the Prince of Wales a few hours after
its occurrence, the royal grandfather OF
the new prince will deem it essential to
good form and etiquette to have mailed to
the White House an autograph letter in
forming his fellow-ruer.
Indeed, President Roosevelt continually
maintains a voluminous correspondence
with the royal personages of the world.
Whenever a royal birth, a royal marriage
or royal death occurs he is apprised OF
the fact through a missive signed by the
reigning sovereign's own hand. All such
letters demand immediate replies. Royal
families, a rule. are large. and their
members make their exits and entrances
from and TO this mundane sphere at quite
the usual rate. Moreover, they marry
early and often, all of which means that
the Presidents royal mail is sufficient to
keep the average social secretary busy dur
ing the active hours of the day. Further
more, whenever new ambassadors or minis
tiers are accredited to this country the royal
epistolary activity finds motive.
The Presidents royal autograph missives
are technically known as ceremonial let
| ters." They are survivals of antique forms
F; prescribed by the diplomatic etiquette of
| long ago. Kings loath to abandon
| the quaint ceremonial formulate of express
| sion common to their profession in the
turtles past as are barrsters and ecclesias-
| tics.
ROYAL ETIQUETTE'S DEMANDS.
The royal etiquette of correspondence OBJ
| tanning in most countries demands that the
| monarch begin his ceremonial letters with
| formal assertion Of his divine right to
! rule. For instance. King Edward. when
| notifying Mr.. Roosevelt of the birth Of his
| grandson will begin thus:
| Edward, by the grace of God, of the
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ire
| land King, defender of the faith, Emperor
| of India, etc, etc. To the President of the
United States of America sendeth greet
| ing"
| Then will follow the form of address:
| "Our Good Friend
| The letter will close:
your Good Friend.
Edward r. and t.
Throughout the letter the words I'VE"
| Gus" and "Our" will commence with capt.
| tai letters.
King Leopold, of Belgium, when recently
announcing the death of his wife. Queen
| Henrietta, addressed the President
| in French:
tires cher ct grand ami very dear and
| great friend) and closed the communica-
ton:
"votre sincere ami (your sincere friendly
The King of Italy after asserting that he
| is king ''by the grace of God and the will
of the nation" writes: 1.-The queen and we
| have received with satisfaction etc.
The Car of Russia can boast of the
| record title, and this he unfailingly affixes
| to each ceremonial letter by way of intro
duction, thus:
1--WE, Nicholas. Emperor and Autocrat
of all the Russias, of Moscow, Klow, Via
dimir, Novgorod, Car Of Casan. Car Of
Astrakan. Car of Siberia. Car of the
Chersonese, Gear of Georgia, Lord of Plos-
cow and Grand Duke of Smolensk, Lithu-
ania, volynia, of Courland and Semigalle,
of Bialostock, PORN, viatka and other
provinces, Lord and Grand Duke Of Lower
Novgorod. of Czernigo, Polotzk. Rostow.
Iaroslaw, Bolovsersk, Oudor, Obdor and
widopsk. ruler of all the country of the
North, lord of Armenia. hereditary prince
and sovereign of the princes of Circassia,
and other princes of the Highlands lord of
| Turkestan,' ETC., etc, etc.
Having made his identification reasonably
secure he sometimes imparts some infor-
nation occupying less than half the space
devoted to such introductions.
His conclusion is:
I'VE pray God that He will keep you and
the United States of America in His holy
keeping. NICHOLAS"
ROYAL AUTOGRAPHS.
The bodies of these ceremonial letters are
never written with the royal hand, al
though the monarchs signature is always
personally affixed. The Kaisers signature
is by far the record breaker in the State
Department files. both for size and flourish.
Queen Wilhelmina is one of the few mon
archs whose autographs can be distinctly
read. King Edward employs the angular
chirography characteristic of the English.
An attendant is evidently close at hand
with the royal blotter inasmuch as the dim
ness of his autographs is in contrast with
the sharpness of the bodies of his letters
Skilled chirographists are employed at all
European courts for the engrossing of cere-
monial letters. These men are selected for
the neatness and uniformity rather than
II
| from Latin-American presidents are writ
ten in copper-plate penmanship. some of it
| so fine as to be detected from engraving
| only by aid of a strong glass.
Monarchs and other executives address
| our President in their native tongues AS
soon as these letters arrive they are
handed over to one of the translators OF
the State Department and their English
equivalents in typewriting are affixed to
them with paper fasteners. The Cars let
tiers are accompanied by translation in
| French, as are those also of Japan
Letters from Oriental monarchs are the
most picturesque communications which
the President receives from royalty. When
the King of Corea wishes thus to address
the President he transmits the communica.
ton in book form. One of these is bound
} in crimson silk and is fastened together a,
the back with blue silk cord.
A ceremonial letter from the Emperor O,
China might reasonably be mistaken TO,
! one of the posters commonly seen upon the
walls of celestial laundries. The character.
| expressing the body of the letter are IN
, black. and are arranged I'm fourteen verti
, cal rows differing in length Two squar,
] seals having Oriental characters within ar,