The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-04-20
SAINT PAUL, FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1860
Washington Dinners.

Washington Dinners.
Occasional" in his letter to the Press of
the 5th inst, discources as follows on Wash
ington dinners
II spoke in my despatch of yesterday of
the refined hospitalities of the leading men of
the capital, and alluded to the fact that the
fre-eaters are getting over their Indignation,
and as before, are now willing to put their
legs under the republican mahogany of Mr..
Seward. This is well. There is nothing
that so molifes ill temper as good dinner.
Your angry legislator forgets his treats of
the morning over a glass of nutty Madeira,
and looks with mild and mellow radiance
upon his political opponents as he feels the
generous champagne coursing through his
veins. He sees that his dversary is still bis
fellow man, he enjoys his jokes, re-echoes his
laugh, and tell his own stories to increase the
merriment OF the jolly company.
wish the thousands of readers of "Oc-
casional could enjoy one of these Apician
feasts. The hour is generally fixed at six
o'clock P. M. the time when millions are tax.
ing their supper. You receive card about
the size of an ordinary playing card, and if
you are invited by the President the d:men>
sions of the card are double, and generally
read as follows:
company to dinner, on Friday, April 6, at 6
o'clock P. N. An early answer is requested"
II you 60 to the Presidents you are ex-
pected to dress In your best clothes, and to
wear white gloves. You are introduced into
the small reception room where you find the
President, Miss Lsne, Mrs. Judge Roosevelt,
Jas. Buchanan, jr., and the rest of the house.
hold. After being duly presented to them,
you wait the arrival of the other guests.
The private secretary, Mr.. Buchanan, jr.,
quietly informs you that you are to escort
to the dinner such lady, whom be now
introduces to you, and the lady in your
company is presented to another gentleman,
who is to be her companion during the feast
The hour having arrived, the company move
into the large drawing room. where they
are dazzled by the gorgeous display of plate
and gaslight, and see number of graceful
walters, also in white gloves, whose business
it is to attend to the guests.
The President takes his seat not at the
head of the table, but on the side, exactly
midway, Miss Lane acting as his uis-a-uis.
You 6nd your name beautifully written on
card laid upon the plate, before the seat
you are to occupy, and the entertainment
begins. The cooking is generally French
cooking, the wines costly and rare; and you
will soon have an opportunity of hearing
the "great man" talk. You need not be
informed that Mr.. Buchanan is one of the
most delightful diners in the world. He has
fund of small talk for the ladies, a variety
of old fashioned anecdotes, and, as he is by
no means sparing of the juice of the grape,
he grows more easy, and more affable, and
more agreeable as the repast goes on, calling
out one after the other of the company, and
paying compliments to the ladies, OCCASION
ally taking wine with them. You never
ask the President to take wine with you, but
wait to be invited by him. After remain
ing in this delightful society for several hours,
at given signal from the President the
company rise, return to the reception room,
where they are served with coffee and liquers,
or, if they prefer it, with brandy, after which
you take your leave and 60 home to remem.
ber the hospitalities you have enjoyed.
Some of these dinners are dull and stately
enough, but have known them to be as
delightful as the most genial could desire.
If you are invited to dine with Mr.. Sill
dell, Mr.. Seward, or with the New Jersey
Knight of Gwyn, (Mr. Speaker Penning-
ton,) you are seated around large circular
table, and pass through nearly the same
routine have described at the President 8,
the difference being that there is more free
dom, more fun, more jokes, and sometimes
harder drinking.
Great things are frequently accomplished
at these reunions. Combinations are formed,
political issues discussed, public men re-
viewed, and more than one important idea
evolved. which carried to the capitol build
ings, makes the heart of the people thrill, or
causes the Union itself to tremble to it's
centre.
The Southern representatives are think,
your best diners out. Such men as Colonel
Keitt, of South Carolina Toombs, of
Georgia; Bouligny, of Louisiana Pryor,
of Virginia; Secretary Cobb, of Georgia !;
Secretary Floyd, of Virginia Vice Presi-
dent Breckenridge and Humphrey Marshall,
of Kentucky, seem to be always prepared
with their best anecdotes, and always ready
for repartee. They make the cold North
erners stare as they detail scenes of South.
ern life, and sketch famous characters in
Southern history; talk about Culpepper,
Dinwiddie, Caroline, John Taylor, Nat
Macon, General Jackson, and not unfre.
quently you are regaled by some old Vir-
ginian who tells domestic stories of General
Washington and the fathers of the Consti>
tuition. Nearly all these men are connected
with the old families. Some of these days
hope to give you sketch of the manner
in which the great names of Virginia, South
Carolina and Kentucky are related to each
other by blood and marriage. The ease
with which these men enter the parlor, and
the grace and good nature with which they
tell their stories, cannot be described