The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-08-10

OF gamblers, spectators and jackals congre-
CATION of the people, cattle show. fair, race,
in the country is attended by booth-keepers,
pedlers, and land sharks and so every conven-
ton OF Congress brings with il a rabbe OF the
children of shame. For their sins, and for the
sins Of those who invite them here Washing
ton City is not altogether responsible. We wish
II was not at all, as we also wish the examples
of drunkenness and proaigacy which come to
US from beyond the limits of the District, We're
less prominent and therefore less influential
With these remarks we are willing TO admit
that there is some truth in the following descrip-
ton of fashionable society in Washington:
With more of ostentation there is less of hospi-
tality and less of elegance than IN New York; and
sort of afisocratc air is strane ely mingled with
ners far from polished or refined The for par
ties of pleasure is general, however that dssipa.
ton may be said to be the leading characteristic of
Washington society and one sees this fearfully
hibted in the paleness and anguor of the young la
dies who brought here from their homes to be
introduced into fashionable life. These in
state of feebeness and exhaustion from late hours
and continued excitement, long before their forms
are fully developed, or their constitutions perfectly
formed and while these ravages committed on
their bodies their minds neither cultivated nor
strengthened the gossip and talk Of the morning is
usually but recapuaton of the adventures and &C.
equations OF the evening. During all our stay, in all
our visits, l do not remember single instance in
which any literary scientific subject the topic
OF conversation or the merits of any book, any
author, the subject of discussion. There seemed in
short united in the circles OF Washington all the pre-
tensions of metropolis, with all the frivoty of wa
terlng place and the union was anything but agree
able"
According to this Mr.. Buckingham, the man
of IA IN lnft hp IN &
semi barbarous, and the most dsagreeable place
Of residence in the Union. We hope his book
will induce British lecturers, like himself, to
pass the city by. The following is his account
of our hotels, boarding houses, habits, &c:
''The hotels of Westinghouse which strangers
usually reside for few days before they get into
clearinghouse, if they intend long residence in the
city, where they remain entirely if their visit IS
short oneare greatly inferior to those of New York,
Philadelphia or Baltimore and the boarding houses
are still worse. In both, the domestics all ne
groes and in the latter, mostly slaves. They are
generally dirty in their persons soyenly in their APP
parel and unskul and inattentlve IN their duties.
In the boarding the members Of Congress and
other inmates who them, occupy separate bed
ROOM which they use for Office, bureau, receiving
room, and all and passing by these, when the
door open, fourpost bed without canopy
furniture, the upper eXtremlties OF the posts not
being even connected by any framework; and the
bed pushed close up against the wall by the side to
leave the larger space in the rest OF the room A
table covered with papers occupies the middle OF the
apartment, often with slight char only and that
frequently broken one and around on the floor are
strewed in the greatest disorder and confusion heaps
Of congressional documents, large logs OF hrewood
piled up IN pyramids, the Wasil-bason and ever,
printed books, and litter of unioded and unbrushed
clothes.
The drawing room of the hotel or boarding house
i used by all equally and is usually in better condi-
ton than the private apartments, though, even IN
these the dust of the wood fires, universal in Wash
mgton,) the multiplicity of newspapers and other
things scattered about take away all appearance OF
cleanliness elegance The eating-room is used
for breakfast, dinner tea, and supper; and a long
table, spread out the whole length Of the room, is
kept litcays laid throughout the entire day and night
The process is this the table is first laid over night
for breakfast when this meal is over, however the
table IS merely swept, SO as to remove the crumbs
and the cloth, not being taken off, to be shaken
or folded up, is suffered to continue for dinner,
the only precauon used, partaking at all of cean-
ness, being that Of laying the dinner-plaes, which
put up on the moment breakfast is over, with
their faces downward, that they may not receive
the DUST
DINNER is brought at the appointed hour hut
unacquaiDtsd with comfort so Indifferent to IT
the parties furnishing it, that warm plates are
provided iron forks alone used the earhenware
and glass of the commones description, and often
broken indeed, articles that would be thrown away
worn out in England continue to be used here bro
ken they are and to think OF repairing
mendlng; while the provisions are of the poorest
kind and most wretchedy cooked and prepared, The
dishes all brought to the table without covers, and
consequently cold before the parties ale seated
and with the exception OF now and then, but very
rarely good fish, Crock fish and perch from the river
Potomac we never parook of any good dish OF meat
poultry, or vegetables, during all stay in Wash
ngton, though not at all fastidous in our taste or diff
cur to please in this respect preferr'ng always the
plain and simple in food, well as drink. he table
~, al Fa.t anI ,atnCp fnr
tea which is taken the same long table, from com
mon earthen teapots, broken and smoked by long
standing by the fire. and after supper the same cloth
still remains on TO, breakfast the next morning, which
is laid overnight, soon as the supper Is done.
The same hurry in eating was observable here as
in all the other cities had visited. The boarders
rung of bed bya large and noisy bell, at
hapast seven and at eight the breakfast Is begun
Many persons seemed to to finish in five minutes,
but exceeded quarter of an hour and the m
slant that any one had done, he rose ny, Quilted the
table, and went into the drawing room to read the
newspapers; SO that it sometimes happened that a,
quarter past eight, we came down and found every
body gone leaving US in exclusive possession OF the
breakfs table. AT dinner il was the same and the
whole vie and manners Of living had GOODNESS and
seIfshness about II which we could not approve
The following ausion to concert at Carusi's
Saloon viii serve as a caution to our ladies
and gentlemen in future:
The ladies' were noisy and almost vocilerous in
then conversation which contrary 10 The general ha
bit Of American ladies', who tranquil and re-
trng in mixed society than the English and the men
Were, in general bolsterous in their manners, with
greater attempt playing the dandy or beau than we
had before observed IN journey through the coun
try: The very large, and the ladies'
were nermlnged in all par's with the gentlemen yet
the greater number of these last stood up during the
perform nee while the ladies' seated behind and
beside them many kept their hats on, and great
number came with stout walking sticks that when