The Washington herald., 1908-06-21

silk stockings, gold knee buckles and shos
buckles. a sword. and small cooked hat
with black cockade
This was changed in Jackson's admin
istratlOn 90 a simpler and cheaper uni
form. which consisted OF black coat with
a gold star on each side Of the collar,
black or white knee breeches, a three
cornered chapeau-bras with black
cockade and gold eagle. This dress was
not ordered. but suggested, and often dis
regarded by the ministers who decked
themselves in such fine feathers that
/ Secretary Marcy in 1855 withdrew all pre-
viOus instructions and recommended the
appearance at court Of our ministers in
the simple dress Of an American citizen,
whenever II could be done without detri-
ment 10 the public interest but this was
/ the day when spiked-tailed cOats-as they
were called-brass buttons, gorgeous
satin WaistcOats. and fTilled shirts were
\ still the style and a suitable uniform
/ could be adapted out Of the clothes then
/ In vogue. When several Of our minis
/ ters attempted TO go 20 court IN plain
evening clothes protests were made on
all sides
! The King OF Sweden. while expressing
/ his willingness 10 personally receive Mr..
D
/ Quette Of my house is subject 20 regu-
lations which cannot be waived for one
/ I'm preference to others. In audience for
/ business ] VIII receive him IN any dress
} his government may prescribe; but in
Z the society Of my family and on Occa-
/ siOns Of court no one can be received bat
| in court dress. I'm conformity with tie
/ established customs Minister Vr0om.
I at Berlin. was informed by the court
chamberlain that "his majesty would not
consider an appearance before him with
/ out costume as respectful" and Mr.
( Buchanan was excluded from the diplO-
matte tribute at the opening OF Parlia-
ment. beca use ne refused 10 wear court
dress He finally compromised the mat
+ ter by appearing at court in evening
/ clothes with the addition Of a plain black
sword and a cooked hat
/ Nowadays what they snail wear is left
/ 10 the good taste Of the ambassadors and
/ ministers. who have generally adopted a
. simple court costume. such as Mr.. Tower
wore IN Berlin and Mr. Reid and Mr.
B White wear IN London and Paris. Il
should De borne IN mind that this court
/ dress is in no sense a diplomatic Uniform
| which the best friends of our foreign
! service hope Will oae day be adopted
/ To consider this subject ut all may
/ seem like potato talk" but no less
/ parsonage than John quincy Adams
wrote. The formalities OF these court
+ presentations are so triling and insignid-
/ cant In themselves, and so important IN
/ the eyes Of princes and courters. that
1 they are much more embarrassing TO an
/ American than business OF real impor-
tance. II is not safe OF prudent 10 despise
/ them, nor practical for a person Of
rational understanding TO value them.
But despite these wise reflections, Ameri-
/ cans have despised them and our diplo-
matte service has suffered in consequence.
/ To the unpreiudiced looker-on. IL would
/ seem that a man can be just as loyal an
/ American In court dress as in the habili-
ments OF cowboy, but the blatant dema-
gogUes viii not have 10 So and our diplo-
matte service has suffered in consequence.