part05+-第88部分

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diplomatic　uniform。







But　our　own　Republic　bestows　no　such　〃decorations；〃　and　allows



none　of　its　representatives；　during　their　term　of　office；　to



receive　them；　so　that；　if　put　into　uniform；　these　representatives



must　appear　to　the　great　mass　of　beholders　as　really　of　inferior



quality；　undistinguished　by　any　adornments　which　indicate　good



service。







All　this　difficulty　our　present　practice　avoids。　The　American



ambassador；　or　minister；　is　known　at　once　by　the　fact　that　he



alone　wears　plain　evening　dress；　and　this　fact；　as　well　as　the



absence　of　decorations；　being　recognized　as　in　simple　conformity



with　the　ideas　and　customs　of　his　country；　rather　adds　to　his



prestige　than　diminishes　it；　as　far　as　I　have　been　able　to



discover。　Perhaps　the　well…known　case　of　Lord　Castlereagh　at　the



Congress　of　Vienna　is　in　point。　In　the　midst　of　the　throng　of　his



colleagues；　all　of　them　most　gorgeously　arrayed　in　uniforms；



stars；　and　decorations　of　every　sort；　he　appeared　in　the　simplest



evening　attire；　and　the　attention　of　Metternich　being　called　to



this　fact；　that　much　experienced；　infinitely　bespangled　statesman



answered；　〃Ma　foi！　il　est　bien　distingue。〃







Of　course　we　ought　to　give　due　weight　to　the　example　set　by



Benjamin　Franklin　when　presented　to　Louis　XVI；　and　the　fact　that



his　simple　shoe…strings　nearly　threw　the　court　chamberlains　into



fainting…fits；　and　that　his　plain　dress　had　an　enormous　influence



on　public　opinion；　but；　alas！　we　have　also　to　take　account　of　the



statement　by　an　eminent　critic　to　the　effect　that　Franklin；　at



his　previous　presentation　to　Louis　XV；　had　worn　court　dress；　and



that　he　wore　similar　gorgeous　attire　at　various　other　public



functions；　with　the　inference　that　he　was　prevented　from　doing



so；　when　received　by　Louis　XVI；　only　by　the　fact　that　somehow　his



court　dress　was　inaccessible。＇10＇











＇10＇　See　Sainte…Beuve；　〃Causeries　du　Lundi；〃　Vol。　VII；　Article　of



November　29；　1852。











All　these　facts；　conflicting；　but　more　or　less　pertinent；　being



duly　considered；　I　would　have　the　rule　regarding　dress　remain　as



it　is；　save　in　the　rare　cases　when　the　sovereign　of　a　country；　at



some　special　function；　requests　some　modification　of　it。　In　such



case　the　Secretary　of　State　might；　one　would　suppose；　be　allowed



to　grant　a　dispensation　from　the　ordinary　rule　without　any　danger



to　American　liberty。







For　the　more　profound　considerations　which　this　vast　subject



suggests；　the　judicious　reader　may　well　consult　〃Sartor



Resartus。〃