The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-05-02

Remin,se enc e. OF washington.


Reniintse enc CO Of w Washington.
The subioined extract OF a letter from the
pen of the late Rev. Dr. A.hbel Green, long
time President of Princeton College, and one
of the early Chaplains Of Congress. has just
been published: - ,gif-s.,5 .iss,-s -1s
After great deal oftalking, and writing,
and controversy about the permanent seat
of Congress, under the present Constitution,
it was determined that Philadelphia shonld
be honored with its presence for ten years,
and afterward It's permanent location should
be in the city of Washington, where it now
is. In the mean time the Federal City was
in building, and the Legislature of Penn
sylvania voted sum of money to build q
house for the 'Prest, perhaps with some idea
that this might help TO keep the seat of the
General Government in the capital, for
Philadelphia was then considered as the
capital of the State. w hat was lately the
University of Pchnsylvania, was the struc-
ture erected for thepurpose.s But as soon as
Gen. Washington saw its dimensions, and a
good while bef,re II was finished, he let it
be known that ne would not occupy, and
should certainly not go to the expense of
purchasing suitable furniture for such a
dwelling; for il is to be understood, in those
days ofstern Repiblicanism, nobody thought
of fCongressfurnishing the Presidents house;
or if perchapce such thought did enter in
TO some aristocratic head it was too unpop-
ular to be uttered. President Washington,
therefore, rented house of Mr.. Robert Nor
rs in Market street, between Fifth and Sixth
streets, on the south side, and furnished 4
handsomely but not gorgeously. There he
lived with Mrs. Washington, Mr.. Lear, his
Private Secretary, and his wife, and Mrs
Washington's grandson, Gusts, making O
part OF the family Young Custis had
who was engaged 10 attend on his pupil one
hour in the winter mornings, before break
fast, and who then commonly breakfasted
with the President and his family. The
President ate Indian cakes for breakfast,
and after the Virginia fashion, although
buckwhest, cakes were generally on the
table. sEisi = -.
Washington dining parties were always
entertained in a very handsome style
His weekly dining day, for company,
was Thursday, and his dining hour was al
ways four o'clock in the afternoon. His
rule was to allow FIVE minutes for the vari-
alton Of clocks and watches, and then go to
the table, be present or absent whoever
might He kept his clock in the hall, just
within the outer door, and always exactly
regulated. When Tagging members of Con-.
gress came in, as they often did after the
guests had sat down to dinner, the Presi-
dents only apology was, Gentlemen Tor
sirl, we are too pnnctual for you.- I have a
cook who never asks whether the company
has come, but whether the hour has comep
The company usually assembled in the draw
ing-room about fifteen or twenty minutes
before dinner, and the President spoke to
every one personally or entering the room.
He was always dressed in suit of black,
his hair powdered, and tied in black queue
behind, with a very elegant dress sword,
which he wore with inimitable grace. Mrs.
Washington often, but not always, dined
with the company, sat at the head of the
! table, and if, as was occasionally the case,
there were other ladies present, they sat at
the foot of the table, and was expected to
be quietly attentive to all the guests.
The President himself sat half way from
the head to the foot of the table, and on that
side he would place Mrs. Washington, though
distant from him, on his right hand. He
always, unless a clergyman was present at
his own table, asked blessing in a stand
ing posture. II aclergyman were present
! he was requested both to ask a blessing and
TO return thank3 after dinner. The center
of the table contained five or six large silver
or plated walters, those OF the ends circular,
or rather oval on one side so ss to make
the arrangement correspond with the oval
shape of the table. The walters between
the end pieces were in the form of parallel
| ograms, the ends, about one-third part of
the length of the sides; and the whole of
I these walters were filed with alabaster fig
ures, taken from the ancient mythology,
! but none of them such as to offend, in the
smallest degree, against delicacy. On the
outside OF the oyalrf by the walters
| were placed the various dishes, always with
| out covers and outside the dishes were the
! plates. A small roll of bread, enclosed in
n napkin, was laid by the side of each plate.
! The President, il, is believed, generally
dined on one dish, and that of simple kind.
Ii offered something, either in the first or
| second course, which was very rich, his usu-
nj reply was, "That is too good for me.n He
| had silver pint cup or mug of beer, placed
! by his plate, which he drank while dining.
He took one glass of wine during dinner,
and commonly one after. He then retired
1 (ths ladies having gone a little before him),
and left his secretary to supcrintend the ta-
| bic till the wine bibbers of Congress had
satisfied themselves with drinking. His
| wines were always the best that could be
obtained. h t-a - ~ - ~
! Nothing could excel the order with which
| his table was served. Every servant knew
| what he was to do, and did it in the most
quiet and yet rapid manner. The dishes
and plates were removed and changed with
silence and speed that seemed like en-
tl 20 II. f-..