The New York herald., 1845-03-07

which was evident to -rhe muut casuui~ i~obseryer-
Each one there had part to play--each one had .
character TO suetaln-each one had to appear IN
shioaabe. and 10 sustain their $40 reputation; and
consequently there were even here divisions and
distinctions MISS considered herself above Mise
w., while Miss w. wondered how In the name ei
wonder Miss M. had contrived to get beyond the
sacred precincts of the entrance, and so on. With
the gentlemen, ii was equally ridiculous-One coulo
not speak to another without formal and mosI
being set down for vulgar man who had no $40
title to fashion, though somehow or another ne
had got into the ball.
Among the ladies' at this ball, there was, how
the bellies of the room, and these were Miss Ward,
of w Westchester, and Miss Rtchie, daughter of old
T. Ritchie,, of the Richmond Enqwirer
These ladies were the observed Of all bachelors,
just tribute OF their exceeding loveliness. They
bore their honors WE'LL and they were of course en-
WED by all the others, who could discern defects,
where those who had not the Argus eyes Of Jealous
competltlon could only see perfection and beauty.
The Don Giovanni of the age-the hero Of the sea
and the western waters-the ruling spirit of the
stormy democratic elements Of the redoubtable and
formidable Empire Club--the feared opponent OF
whiggery in the city Of the Observation-Disclosures.
tam Isaiah Rynders, was also here, apparently en-.
Toying himself with great guslo, and participating
IN the pleasures OF the .quadrille and the mszy
whirs OF the waltz In this latter intoxicating pro.
cess he was engaged with beautiful young lady,
when President Polk and his lady, accompanied
BY Senator Woodbury. and others, arrived.
Immediately the waltz ceased, and the dancing
was discontinued, while President Polk and lady,
accompanied by his suite, marched up the room
through a lane formed by the crowding throng on
each side, gazlng at him with an eager intensity
whis was worthy Of being sqSdps
"Is that Mrs. Polk" (which r. "Whlch1
that!'' "Do show her to met" "Which is her1
now do I'll mss, els that her, eh9'', "No, that
other one." Which?" and SO forth, each iail
lady cranlng her fair neck to obtain good view
of the wife of the President. Mr.. Polk was con-
Quoted to the upper end OF the to a raised di-
.an. and there seated with his lady, while the
Of course to be the nucleus Of a crowd Of devoted
attendants, any of whom would doubtless have
been happy 10 have been the favored medium Of
satisfying the least OF his wants, if thereby he
from the EXECUTIVES gratitude. Among these In
defatigabe, attendants to be seen the Don Gio-
vanni-his passion for dancing, wine, and handsome
women, women, was at once seen to be subordinate ano
President Polk closer than brother during the re-
ma!nder OF the evenlng-yea, with that cIoseness
Snd feryency OF attachment which can only be un
derstood and appreciated by those who have hac
political preferment to dispose Of, among hungry,
voracious crew, ten times more than sufficient IL
aumber 10 gorge twice as mach as he has in his
gift
The President and his lady remained at this ball
until half-past nine or ten o'clock, receiving the
respects of their company, and then departed for
the democratic assembly at the National theatre
On, entering this place, the mind was forcibly
struck with It's appearance, and that OF the com.
pany. The apparent vastness of its size. (the pi'
being floored over.) The height Of the roof, the
galleries around, and the dmness OF light brough,
tc memory Millions description of Pandemoninm
particularly when taken in connection with
Martins splendid picture. 1t was so gloomy
and so grand and the company and their ap.
pearance, still further carried out the simile.-
At one end was all that was distinguished and ele
waited in rank, diplomacy, talents, and beauty
The diplomatic corps being here with their bril-
liant costumes, while Madame de Bodisco. the
ly superb court dress, shone the acknowledged, un
disputed, unapproachable I'm beauty queen oi
elegance and beauty, affable and condescending.
At the other end was all that was heterogeneous,
incongruous and undesirable. At the one end
waste bo seen the diplomat and the Politician the
Cabinet minister and the Kitchen Cabinet intri-
suer, the editor and the publisher. At the ether
were the. rank and e-the cit and the coun.
| tryman-the bar-room politician and the Office.
seeking cormorant-the loafer and the rowdy -
Here WAS to be seen Amos Kendall with his white
hair and aqniline nose-,his piercing eyes looking
through the mist and gloom which surrounded
him into the distant future--not the future ,oord
but perhaps, the future kitchen cabinet, and re.
sembng the willy Belial, who was cunning and
subtle In counsel and in another place was to b.
seen Mr., Rives, the physical fighting and 6sticuf
editor OF what may be called one OF the govern.
ment organs, and who with his gaunt ungainly
torn, and his foxy hair, did not unaPtly represent
his lust of the sordd dross. The other chiefs Of
the internal councilha also their representatives
here, and all these occupied the upper and distin.
gushed portion of the hail. while the other portion,
| occupied by the commingled masses, with theii
various aspects, and the boxes and galleries filled
with forms indistinctly seen through the gloom,
| and peerlng down upon the crowd and viewing
the elevated company, carried out the resemblance
by bringing to mind the inferior angels which oc-
cupled the surrounding and subordinate places to
| their great chiefs
The Distinction in dress was also as remarkable
as that IN the company, At one end was all that
the newest and the latest tashions and everything
recherche and disingMe SILKS and satins f1ouncet
and turbelows, pearls and sapphires, diamonds and
Iuoiesmthe surface o. the globe had been laid un
cessities created by the articas OF life, and Ia
enable the possessors to displey their nery before
the eyes OF their fellow mortals. Mrs Bodisco, at
before mentioned, shone above all, both in beauty
of personal appearance and in the masni6cence
and at the same time, elegance Of her apparel. -
Her cheeks glowing with health, were only match.
ed IN their beauty by the ripeness and delicacy Of
| shone the brllance Of her diamonds, and those
who looked at her, forgot the dress to admire the
beauty Around her were host of other beau
ties, who, had she been absent, would each have
/ claimed the palm, while all were waited upon by
| agallant band of chevaliers, and the beautiful uni
forms Of the attaches to the embassies, and the Ar
/ my and Navy. gave brilhancy to the scene and re-
| the gentlemen who appeared in the civilian,
dress.
AT the other end of the room was to be seen eve
| ry conceivable kind OF dress-while the company
appeared from its aspe CT TO have heen ed m
OF every hole and corner, and road and lane, ant
ditch OF Washington, and its neighborhood, ant
even far beyond; the dresses were equally, il mo-
more diversified. Beauty, in all Its orders, was Il
be seen here-for that is not confined to the fash
ionabe, or rich, or dIstipguished-but beauty ar
rayed IN such variety OF fashion, was perhaps
aever seen but at the democratic assembly on ths
4th March, l846 Dresses of the present and Of pas
tashions-those which were fashionable with IN,
mothers and grandmothers OF the present genera
tion-and with beauties Of a hundred years ago