Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-07-21
However all this fun-for such it was, simply

However, all this fun-for such it was, simply
passed off very pleasantly.
As large as the company at the tables was,
the dinner passed of as regularly and as order
ly as though but that of half dozen fashionable
friends in private parlor of first class hotel
Everybody was duly and promptly served with
everything he desired, without either noise or
confusion. In an hour the band of music in
attendance notified the company that the Pres
ident of the feast had commenced to read the
regular (printed) toasts, and the orators APP
pointed to respond to them had commenced to
deliver themselves of the pent up eloquence
within them, generally by reading from manu-
script. Mayor Swan, who presided with grace
and dignity, indeed, found the task of making
himself heard, even by a tenth of those in the
hall, physical impossibility-for by the time
that duty devolved on him, not few of the
young fellows present had immersed themselves
in champagne over their cars. 1, however,
managed to hear some of the regular addresses
those Of Pinckney Whyte, Gov. Chase, and Mr..
Drake Of St. Louis-all of which were capital
efforts.
Finding it impossible to comprehend a word
of what was said up at the cut-and-dried end of
the hall, those who had managed to get the BAN
quet into their heads and heels (as well as their
stomachs) commenced impromptu speechifca-
ton at the lower end of the room, interspersed
with songs, shouts, cheers, &C., which evidently
greatly "put OUT the g distinguished and
prepared folks by whom the President of the
evening was Hanked and surrounded on the
raised platform. The cream of the after-claps-
speeches, glOrifcation, &c, certainly came off
| at the lower end, where the efforts were un-
prepared and exceedingly entertaining. The
inevitable John Smith mot our own redoubtable
John, of that ilk, who personated the Mayor on
| the PLATFORM in the latter's absence, and made
| a brief but really capital speech in response to
| toast to Washington city, was decidedly the
ace of trumps where all the fun was going on
| He was mounted on the table BY sheer force
| the wiry little fellOw-and delivered himself of
| the following speech:
| Gentlemen of the Vest am called on to greet
you-and say welcome to what you will be told,
as you progress north, is a cold and barbarous
| section of country.
You may defend us if You see fit, and say neither
North nor SOUTH, but neutral Maryland stands
an advocate for nothing but the psrPetuity Of the
| Union.
They will tell you that we are all - Plugs" II
| you see tit you can defend u.s. and say the honest
desire of our hearts was to fill you full of happi
| ness, and then plug you up that you might for
| ever continue to be
| You can say our desire was to Plug your stom-
| achs with the best our shores and waters afford
the Plug of Welcome.
| Gentlemen of the West resent with harshness
nothing light they may say against us We are not
| Jealous OF them. We care nothing for the opposi-
| ton of New York or Philadelphia why, gentle
| men, with a little assistance-say of yourselves,
| for instance.-with ycur own help,-the whole
Il IL,
why, concentrate that with us, and in ten years
| we would be so much superior to New York and
| Philadelphia and they of SO little account. that
Government would not recognize either of them
| longer ports Of entry; but. like something that
were they will be rubbed out. So whose .afrard''
| of opposition!
| Gentlemen of the West. have spoken as a
| Christian, and said-lesent nothing; but should
they carry the war of their malignant hostily into
| Paradise turnin. to the ladies above head) and
| inSnuate that these galleries now flied with
| beauty from the W est and own city are ugly
| mugs for Gods sake lick them for d l. so awful.
| Oh, they cannot lie so base as to attack yonder
| galaxy of purity and beauty. so brilliant that |
| know not what outside Of heaven above, to COM
pare it to for loneliness! ] auI ignorant of the
science Of astronomy that ain at loss for sci
| entifc name Still, with the impressions Of inno-
cence and infancy upon my memory, made by
| my old nurse. who was all astronomer (for she
| knew the star under which was bonn has in
| duced me to believe that the milk way is so
brilliant and lovely that they should have place
| Welcome,
Gentlemen of the West, It's useless for me- af.
ter so much heartfelt sympathy has been mani
tested for your happiness, to say any thing more
| than welcome
Oh, that were Demosthenes, or greater than
| he. Oh, that had the power of an earthquake
and voice of thunder, would muddy the waters
of your western rivers | would make the cav
ems in your mountains resound with the cry of
Welcome! Welcome. Welcone,!!
But may not devote too much space to this
| magnificent banquet, from which 1 vanished
shortly before 10 p. IN, leaving the ''won' t-go-
home-tilll morning boys rapidly reaching the
climax of their happiness. Most of my charge
wendell their way to the hotel about the same
| time. When 1 ascertained that they were all
snugly ensconced i'll bed, and therefore out of
| harms reach, I, too, felt at liberty to seek
| mine. WD. WI.
| On THE CARS,
| TUESDAY MORNING, July o. 1857.
After a comfortable breakfast at a. m, we
embarked for home at Z. The train being large
and crowded, our journey an hilarious one
| on the part of the many hundreds along; made
more so by the two bands of music which tray
| eled in the train Of the western excursonsts,
| who almost to a man had accepted the invita-
| ton of Washington, mentioned in a previous
| letter My immediate travelling companions,
however, are not among the noisy ones to-day;
as the excitement of yesterday and last night
| has fairly taken the starch out of all of them.
What rivers of ice water they drink, do be-
lieve that, after such n time as yesterday, the
honorable Councils of the Federal Metropolis
can "Out'' drink any others in the world, 1t
rejoices Inc beyond expression to find them thus
practically manifesting their love for cold water,
| in the presence of so many of those who secuted
it so vehemently last night
The journey to Washington was without incl
| cent, though pleasant. We were duly landed
in safety at the Depot shortly after 0, and there
leave the grand occasion to the attention of
the Stars attaches, whose 'notes by the way
will be found in its local column
w. d. WI
Ran Npwc L. r..