Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-25
GIFTS TO PRESIDENTS
Have Frequently Been Made
by Royalty.
VALUABLE PRESEN rs
A CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION
AGAINST THEIR ACCEPTANCE.
King of Spain Gave Washington Two
Jackasses-Jackson's Lion and
Horses From Sultan.
Copyright, 1905. By John Elfreth Watkins

Copyright, 1905. by John Elfreth watkins)
Miss Roosevelt's famous gifts are to be
placed on public exhibition at the National
presents brought home by General Grant
from his tour around the world
Another gift incident is weekly expected
by officialdom, as the car and mikado are
said to have designed handsome presents
President as marks of appreciation for his
good offices in inaugurating peace The
Constitution specifically states that mo
person holding any office of profit or trust
under them (Ghe United states) shall, with
out the consent of Congress, accept of any
present, emolument, Office or title, of any
kind whatever, from any king, prince or
foreign state
The President will not, of course, refuse
the proffered gifts. Neither will he ask
Congress for permission to accept them
personally. In neat little speech delivered
in the blue parlor to their majesties' envovs
he will receive them on behalf of the Amer
lean people. Then they will be yours and
mine-Tom'S, Dicks and Harry's Miss
Roosevelt's presents became her own as
soon as she redeemed them at the customs
pawn SHOP However. they would not have
become hers had certain constitutions
amendment, pressed in 1902 run the gantlet
or the states-that is, unless she might wish
to expatriate herself
This proposed amendment provided that
IL any citizen whatever should accept any
present or emolument from any foreign
KING, prince or power, that person should
cease to be a citizen of the United States.
1t received the necessary two-thirds vote in
Congress. Three-fourths of the states had
to ratify It, but only eleven out of the then
seventeen did so, and it failed. Thousands
OF sfts from foreign royalty and nobility
have since been accepted by our private cit
liens, including the wives and children of
diplomats and other high officials prevented
by the Constitution from accepting such
presents on their own behalf
Our Presidents have accepted royal Gifts
from the earliest times, but all appear to
have given them over TO the government.
Washington accepted two jackasses and a
Jenny of fine breed from the King of Spain
They were turned over to the government
and from them some of the best mule stock
in the country has descended 1t is a ira
dition that he also received from Frederick
the Great sword, accompanied by a mes
sage: From the Oldest to the creates
general In the world" This, however. must
have been received before Washington he
came President, as Frederick the Great died
in 1856. handsome thlrty-day clock of
alabaster and French gilt presented by Ma
poleon to Lafayette and by LAFAYETTE TO
Washington still keeps time in the White
House, where Jefferson also deposited cost
ly candelabra given to him by Napoleon
Jefferson, while President received two
long flint-lock guns from the Sultan of Mo-
rocco. The stock of one is covered with sill
yer and coral; that of the other with gold.
At the same time the sultan sent sclrnitar
with gold-mounted sheath, and all three
weapons now repose in one of the cases of
the National Museum, having been trans
ferred to the Smithsonian by the patent Of
fee when the latter ceased to include the
nations curiosity cabinet. A. solid ivory
cane presented to John Quincy AdanS NV
some notable or other, is installed nearby.
Jackson Got Lion and Horses From
Sultan.
In 1886 the Sultan ,of Morocco sent to
President Jackson, through our consul at
Tangier. two blooded horses and a lion. AS
soon as this became known Congress pro-
eeeded to get badly stirred up over the in
cident and passed a joint resolution direct
ing that the horses be sold, that the money
realized be given to the orphan asylums of
the District of Columbia. and that the lion
be presented to some suitable institution or
Individual The annoyance caused by the
incident led Jackson to have dispatched to
our ministers and consuls abroad a circular
directing them to make known TO foreign
governments that presents of all kinds TO
our officials were prevented by the Con-
stftution. and that they should not receive
them when rendered.
shipload Of Gifts From Potentate.
The most lavish tender of gifts from a po-
tentate to a President occurred ony i've
years later, when the Imaun of Muscat dis
patched to this country vessel carrying
to President Van Buren, a variety of costly
gifts, including handsome Persian rug.
two Arabian horses. a case OF altar OF
roses, hve demijohns Of rosewater. pack