New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-02-13
SOCIETY At WASHINGTON
ace OF The N Y. Tribune

Coussperdsaoe of The Y. Tribune.
WASHINGTON Friday, Feb 10, 1884.
There are nearly three hundred members of Con
cress and very few of the married portion thereo
have any part Of their families here with them dur
ing the sessions of the National Legislature. There
are sever al hundred clerks in tie various Departments,
and few only surrounded by family influences linen,
AGAIN. there are crowds of contractors, army and navy
officers Ofce-seekers, claim-agcnts, lObbymembers,
trading politicians, fashionable young men, pleasure
seekers aud others, whose aggregate name is legion
all hudded together in the national metropolis, and
nearly all without the restraining and preserving nfu-
ences of tie domestic circle.
The tendencies and results Of Congressional life are
too apparent and nOceablethere are too many ruin
Gus evidences to be all over the country to render
any description thereof necessary or instructive 1t
may be briefly and truly said that the prevailing char
acteriscs Of Congressional life are nightly conyivl
ality and prolonged reyelry, excessive eating and
drinking followed by gross immoralities Fortunes
are squandered in gambling runOus habits are formed
and the mind and the heart distracted and cor
rupted--so that the comforts and eDiOyments of home
and its healing influences no longer appreciated or
curative.
Then, again. the official society Of Washington, dur
ing the sessions of Congress- especially in the winter
when there is promscuous influx from all the States
and all countries any thing bat refined or desirable
there balls, assemblies receptions, parties, hops
&C. every night, and often two and three OF night
and the attendance is multltudlnous and grotesque
Official dlgniTares give entertainments WITH hugle
eye to their popularity, and of political dema
gogues bar politicians, sere ofice-holders, and
oce-seekers make up the larger portion of the crowd
During the gay season, there is always in Washing
ton large number of fashionable wOmen'-married
unmarried and widOws-almOst daily changing In the
persons but not in nnmbersaDd all come to see and
be seen And these feminine fashOnables always con-
spcuous at these promiscuOus gatherings, and always
seek to attract attention. but they usually neither
winning in dress manners nor overburdened b. moi
esty or grace.
The society of the national metropolis, per So re
leved from periodical inundations and democratic u-
sons is not surpassed in refinement and intelligence IN
any other city OF the Union but the members of Con-
eress and transient visitors comparatively few who
have any personal knowledge of or association with
society of this description The consequence 49, that
liz prevailing associations of the temporary soourneIS
Mn Washington, including members of Congress, Ad-
minstration officials and pleasureseeking and casua
visitors are demOralzing and corrupting-promotiye
of dleness dissipation and reckless disregard of Old
cih duty while here and destructive Of those qualities
of mind and heart which render the various relations
in life useful and happy hereafter.
How little do the great body OF American constitu-
epcy know of the total disregard by most OF their
Representatives of their legislative duties land how
little do most of these very Representatives ANTICIPATE
in their struggles for Congressional life, that this very
life will ruin their business habits and render desoate
and cherries their family circles 1t is true undoupt
edy that the private station the post OF honOrat
all events it is Just the position where home ana lts
blessed influences best protected secured ana en-
jOyed Orsh"o'