Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-07-17

all TINS gltterg display Oi costly fncry, this binding
our eyes with the blaze of royal magnfcence approx
innate too closely the pride, pomp, and grandeur of
those governments in which stars and gdrtcrs and
shining corones confer not ony themeans Of luxurious
cnoyment but of civil superiority" ! bannot but
admire aud wonder at the great number of lamps
candles, and bracket lights, deemed necessary u
mine single room in the Presidents palace. Let US
see:
''pair of rich ten light" mantcl lamps, so
3 "rery splendid giN' chandeliers, each for
eighteen candles, 81
8 French bronzcd and gilt bracket lights each
for five candies 40
beautiful thin light lamp supported by fe.
male figures"
2'"'gilt astral lamps on ,hccn tables" 2
lamps OH pier tables" 8
1870
Hero, Mr.. Chairman, our Democratic President
shines with the over powerlng ustrc of one hundred
and eighty lights Had you the eyes of the tabled Ar
gus, he would blind them ALL IT really appears as if
he had intended not only to bcdlzcn the vision of his
democratic friends but to rival by the efficient beams
Of his palace. the GLORIOUS king of day" himself
Brilliant and 'prncely,. however, as the East Room
had been fitted up by the late President it destin
ed to have its colors frightened and its powers of at
traction increased by the exquisite taste of present
occupant-(or in an QGfcidi report made in December
last, the following important and gratifying nforma
ton is communicated to Congress
"rhc East Room in the Presidents mansion has
been greatly improrcd by being newly painted and
papercd ,rM a rich, cl,astc, beautiful paper"
The former paper was sine lemon color" with
rich cloth border" but Mr.. Van Buren, had doubtless
been apprlzed either by of his sons, who at the
time was on most familiar intercourse with if not n
resident at the Court of St James, or perhaps by
more formal communication through the Lord High
Chamberlain of her M4icstys Household, that wall.
paper of the lemon cOOr had during the progress of
the last year, be omc Questionable and had not for
several months been generally admitted suitable
for the pnrlors of the first grade of noblemcn, much
less for the royal banqucttine saloons Hence, Mr..
Van Buren, as every person of rank and fashion, and
more especially ever gentleman born was, by the
rigid laws OF fashionable life bound to do issued his
royal mandate on the first day of july in the year of
our Lord one thousand EIGHT hundred and thirtynnc,
that the paper of the lemon color with rich cloth
border" should be forthwith taken off the broad
walls ofthc eastern roon aud that ga rich, chasfe
and beamVM papey' should be substituted in its
stead, That the first clause of this royal ordinance
was faithfully executed will distinctly appear from
=" Presidents House, to Henry Snowdcn DR.,
"To taking off the paper of the East Room, as per
agreement with C.; r. Wood sixteen dollars SIG 90
July !, 1889. Received payment of WIN. holland,
Esq. HENRY SNOWDEN, his 4 mark.
Witness, y. b. Rocker.
"Certlied by Charles +. Wood"
,, Enaorsea-" Completing special repairs of the
Presidents House, &c. SIG. Henry Snowdcn's re.
c9pt tor work on the East Room Of the Presidents
House, July |, 1899. No. l."
An Official voucher now in my hands will also show
that sixty pieces of paper, at S. each, making $500
were purchased from s. p. Franklin on the goth Au-
gust, l3.! for the East Room, and that the further
sum OF SjU was paid to that gentlemen for hanging
nc same And thus, sir it is made manifest that not
less than three hundred and fortysix dollars of the
money OF your constituents and of my constituents
have been expended during last summer for the graft
hcaton OF a womansh but costly whim i'll substu
ting "a rich, cllastc and beauf" siirer paper, ariM
g0iaen b0rderS, for the una'honabe ''enion color
with rich cloth border.' Rui as n suitable recon-
pense for this prohgac waste Of Il public funds the
''narQV de uDrracv' oG tho
advised that 1.-THE East Room n the Pres dents man
son has been greatly improved. they must therefore
be content
Mr.. Chairman, there is n notable historical Incl
dent associo'ted with this East Room, to which may
with proprieiv recur whilst We are within the room
ITSELF and before pass through the massive apaned
doors INTO the magnificent Ellipcal Saloon, where
next propose tn conduct YOU That historical event
refers to tn, celebrated East BONN Letter." address
sd To the Editor of the "Ricimond Engtirer" and
dated at Washington, January !, 1927. Here is the
letter.
"This being the day on which the Presidents
House is thrown open to all visitors, / went, among
others, opay my respects to him, or rather, should
lirly confess, went to see the EAST ROOM for the
furnishing OF which We had voted twenty-five thousand
dollars at the last session of Congress. was anxious
to see how that amount of furniture could be slowed
away in single room, and my curiosity full
isfed 1t was truly gorgeous sight to behold, but
had too much the look of regal nagn fcence to be
perfectly agreeable to my old republican feelings"
To establish the falsitv of this celebrated letter |
will refer you to extracts from two distinguished pub
he Journals one OF them the Official organ" of Gen.
Jack sons Administration, and the other at that period
IN full communion with "the party"
1t is well known that Mrough M Adams aris.
rratic prde this elegant room t. e. the East Rooo)
in the Presidents House was left uNrISIsHED.-E
). 1dCgraph, Arg. !, lS:9.
The New York Courier and Enquirer of November
lS!9. states as follows:
"'lhc coalition papers tell us that the Fast Room is
going 10 be furnished. This the best is bad author
ty but hit be true, we are happy to hear il. The
manner IN which Mr.. Cays President kept the East
Room was dsrespectiu 10 the Office of President of
the United States, Instead of its looking neat and
clean, aud tidy, and being deccntly furnished az the
mansion OF the President of great republic ought TO
be, It was full OF cob" chs few old chairs, numbering
benches, broken glass, and looked exactly like one
Of the apartments in Windsor Castle Holyrood Pal
ace or the tower Of London, those nppendagcs kings
and monarchs The head of republic ought to give
an example of the ihrfncss and vTtuous habits of the
rAH, when visiting Washington, will now find chair
to SIT down upon in the East Room They wont be |
kept standing upon their legs ms they do before kings
lnl cmperors, and as practised by Mr.. Cay's Pres
dent till they tired scarcely TO know wheh-
II they have any legs to stand upon. Unless Gen.
Jackson put good, sound substantial furniture into the
East ROOM, the reform is not complete in that quar-
erand the people wont forgive him for negectngit."
VIVA, strange commentary do the gorgeous and
lazzlng garnshments of the East Room afford in
regard 10 the remarks OF the Courier and Enquirer"
which have jisl been read by the Clerk. Every |
Dla!n republican" iorsooh, when visiting Washing |
ION, will now find a chair TO sit down upon in the |
East ROOM" Ay SIR, every plain republican will |
now find set of chairs in that splendid and royal
oon which took the ound sum of SIX HUNDRED Dol.
AIRS of the PEOPLES CASH TO pay for IL not |
that sitting down. with vengeance? Mr. GAYS |
President, Clr. ADAMs) through aristocratic pride" !
kept the East Room full of cobwcbs few old chairs
nmherng benches, and broken glass" On the other
iand Martin Van Bu on-pi.in, republican-hard han
ed-dcmocraiic-loco ioco Martin Van Buren--has it
now gainlshed with gold framed mirrors ''as big as
,arn doors To behold his plain republican self in.
What need he care If those mirrors have taken TWEEN
yiour hundred dollars Of the Peoples Cash to pay
or them? L. not such democracy burlcsque on
common sense and common deconcy! But Mr. |
chairman, | am not done with the celebrated East
Room letter. The letter not only false, but was
after It's publication, known throughout |
he whole country TO have been a sheer fabrication |
from beginning to end" For the sake of the au. |
hor reputation ii therefore became necessary that |
MS name should be Withheld from the People The |
EDITOR OF the Richmond Enquirer, instead of expos
ng the base conner of falschood maintained the deep
silence of the grave in regard the writer of the let
ter during period Of almost four months and il was
not until after repeated goadngs that he became res
i've and sore, and began to manifest proper DISPOSE
lsn to clear his own skirts of the forgery.
lie accordingly aunounco1 i'm the Richmond En- |