I have made choice of ...............................
one of our distinguished citizens, to reside near the Government of
Your ............ in the quality of ...............................
He is well informed of the relative interests of the two countries and
of our sincere desire to cultivate to the fullest extent the friendship
which has so long subsisted between the two Governments. My
knowledge of his high character and ability gives me entire confidence
that he will constantly endeavor to advance the interest and prosperity
of both Governments, and so render himself acceptable to Your ......
............
I therefore request Your ............ to receive him favorably and
to give full credence to what he shall say on the part of the United
States, and to the assurances which I have charged him to convey to
you of the best wishes of this Government for the prosperity of ......
............
May God have Your ............ in His wise keeping.
Written at Washington this ............ day of ............ in the
year ................
Your good friend,
A ............ B ............
By the President,
............................
Secretary of State.
[§ 75. Ceremonial]
(a) General. In certain countries diplomatic ceremonial has been very elaborate and complex. The tendency during the nineteenth century has been toward simplification. Each state has the power to determine its own ceremonial for the most part. Of course no state can disregard established rules as to rank, precedence, and similarly generally recognized practices. At the time when these practices originated it was imperative that there should be some fixed mode of procedure which a state could follow without giving offense in its treatment of a foreign representative. Much of the ceremonial became fixed during the latter part of the seventeenth and during the eighteenth century. In the days of absolutism the monarch naturally demanded such recognition of his representative in a foreign country as befitted his own estimate of the dignity of the monarchical office. It may not be unfortunate that the monarch placed a high estimate upon the sovereign office and devised a ceremonial commensurate with this estimate, for what was once done out of respect for and in response to the demand of a personal sovereign, is now done out of respect for the dignity of the state itself. Thus in the days of more democratic sovereignties international representatives are clothed with a dignity which both elevates the attitude of participants in international negotiations and gives greater weight to their conclusions. The ceremonial also fixes a definite course of procedure which any state may follow without giving offense to another, whether it be weak or powerful.