Year: 1874

Shadows or Royalty.


Ceremony is a gracious aspect of civiliza.
ton. There are few things that interest the
average mind more than these stories Of
stately greetings and festivities that come to
us from the older lands. How we all dwelt
upon the visit Of the Shah of Persia to
Europe, his reception by the Prince Of Wales.
the royal honors paid to him in Buckingham
Palace; how the Prince drove down to the
station at Charing Cross and brought him
home in peltinR rain, which ruined all his
feathers; how Her Majesty came to the door
of Windsor Castle, surrounded by the princes
and ladies of her Court, to receive her
swarthy brother, and how the Shah, in ana
spirit of Oriental hyperbole; said that all the
days of his life, yea, though he might live
thousand years. would be nothing, and he
should only feel that he had begun to live
from the hour he set eyes upon the illustrious
Majesty Of England. These narratives Of
high courtesy and compliment and respect
are always pleasing. Republicans as we are,
we are not insensible to the splendor Of the
demonstrations that carry US back to feudal
times.


We are reminded of them somewhat bv
what we read of the reception of the King Of
the Sandwich Islands by the President of the
United States. The ceremony seems to have
been as carefully prepared as a State paper.
and we do not doubt that it has taxed the
genius and industry of Mr.. Fish. This is the
first time that an actual and royal king has
visited the Republic. What we do now will
be henceforth precedent We have had
dukes and ex-kings and people Of that kind.
but this is the first TINA that history has
vouchsafed to US real, living majesty, reign
ing by the grace Of God. If we were disposed
to analyze the elements of royalty it might be
an interesting though perhaps metaphysical
question, to show the difference between
the royal Kalakaua and Red Cloud. But the
ceremonies upon the reception Of the King Of
the Sandwich Islands and the Chief of the
Sioux are different When our Indian kings
come to Washington they are allowed
to paint themselves, and are marched into
the White House to see the Great Father, and
the Great Father tells them 10 be good In
dams and not to kill each other, and dis
misses them with medals and pipes and .
promise of bacon and whiskey. But when
Kalakaua came he had the royal honors.
The Secretary of State met him on the way to
Washington. He was escorted to hotel as
the guest of the government. He drove to
the White House in state, and was met OF the
carriage door by the Secretary OF State and
l. II Sh< LIANT uJ,a {1o Epok
time in our history, performed an actual
function in the government He was then
marched into the White House, and there, at
the door, surrounded by his Cabinet the
President received him, exactly as the Queen
received the Shah of Persia. He was then
led into public room and sat on the sofa,
conversing with the President, while ''all the
rest Of the party stood up" After brief
convAfsaat.::ccn. he took his las.Se.


All this is interesting, especially the fact
that the son Of our President appears before
the people in representative capacity as the
colleague OF the Secretary Of State in dis
charging the high duties of government
When the Prince Of Wales drives to Charing
Cross to receive the Shah he goes as the heir
apparent Of the Crown and the first subject of
the Kingdom and the direct representative of
the Queen. When Brevet Lieutenant Colonel
Frederick D. Grant goes to the door to meet
q king we suppose he in some respects exer-
cises q similar function. All these ceremonies
are interesting. But why should we not do
honor to our royal guest in our own repub-
lican way? 1t is not pleasant to see these
shadows of royalty, these limitations Of royal
forms and courtesies, in republican govern
ment.


When real king in Europe visits another
real king-say when the Gar Of Russia goes
to meet the Emperor Of Austria-he is always
met at the station by the sovereign in person.
The Queen has been released from this duty
because of her sex. And if Kalakaua is we'll
up in royal etiquette he would have the right
to ask the question why he does not receive
as much attention from the ruler of the United
States as he would receive from the Emperor
of Austria were he to visit Vienna. Since We
are becoming royal in our ways let US do the
thing handsomely.


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