New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-08-09
TEX PRESIDENTS WIFE AND
JENKINS.

to spend the dog-days. Excited as her station
i. sbe feels the heat that comes down on the
Capitol aud wraps all the white camps IN haze
Perhaps she tires of the brilliant social cere-
mopy that attends the service OF power IN the
painted rooms of the White House. She IS
woman; the Princess COthilde is n, more.
We have very great young gentleman who
attends to Presidents wives ard Processes and
whose life is au obalion on the altar Of celebrity,
f,sbion. beauty Hs is the Cheyalier Of new
age in new world and not to betray conf
dence, but just TO add to the fullness ard rlrh-
ues. Of history, his uatne ia JeniNns. IL Is
rood generic term, like Smith, but the naUe OF
Smith never opened so many portals of fairy
land, and we. doubt If Smith, as suith, has any
Imagination whatever Ia other words, Smi'h
would be at disadvantage II Prince OF
Princess so much as looked at him, wheren, "
10 under such circumstance than jenkins really
enjoys himself and e1cites envy. Our
young gentleman heard that the Presidents wife
was going to Long Branch. lie was listening
to hear anything like that. We know the re-
sources of jenkins and don't think that the inior-
nation came 10 ham through kejh While he
vas hearing that, he also caught glimpse Of the
| Princess. Ublqwty quite remarkable, At jenkins
were Smith. Bur commonplace in jenkins.
Was bis mind absorbed BY the Presidents wife
10 the exclusion OF the Princess That would
be not 10 be a cheyaker aud a courtier of the
new regime. lie could exclaim, how happy
am with both dear chalmers, and with one eye
on the Princess aud the other on Mrs. Lincoln,
could 90 into impartial ecstacies over youth,
beauty, and grace Thus we hear him excaini
ing IN ore breath, The Prncess is blonde;
rather petite and pretty, with a fine forehead,
- aud an intelligent, sympathetic physlosnomy,
and the Princess lives IN very retired vet very
80 metbodical, and philosophical manner; aud then
&" this Kentucky ev this Western matron, this Re-
"publicN Qrecn puts to the blush aud entirely
eclipses the first ladies of EurOpe-tiie excel
=. lent Vct0rn, the pensive Eugrnie, aud the
- brilliant Isabella He can keep both tie ladcs
well in hand and, not losing sight OF the Pm
cess riding down Broadway without any par.
tular notice" except bis own or OF the color
Of her :" light siik travelling dress" which was
drab, can see of the yery last of the Presidents
wite's packng-csses, and possibly have the very
last word, on the steps Of the White House,
with Maior.General SANFORD, BrSader.Gen-
eral Walbrdge, Mr.. Commissioner Woods, or
some other of her A" numerous aud brllaut
" suite"
very good word can be said for the Cheva-
lier. His style Of writing is rOseate. certainly,
i h.. L., f, h.
Of the poet were realized, and he did dwell, for
however brief period, in marble balls. can it be
supposed that his verse would not catch some
thing of the purity and Transparency of that
lovely marble Now the inspiration of jenkins
is not from inky desks in upper editorial cham
bers, like that Of many of his critics aud
defamers, but from the eyes of bellies, the flowers
of bouquets, the glIttering bubbles Of bumpers,
The waves Of music from Inc bands, and should
not his rhetoric wbirl and fash little, to suit
the exigency and follow the movement Of the
hour
But there is o higher apology for our young
gentleman, if the gay aud successful creature
really needed one. OF course we are all snobs,
and Heaven be thanked that there are plenty Of
us all over the world, and that we know each
other the better aud make big breaches in the
shaky old walls of caste by keeping the health
full human currents of mutual curiosity, and
sympathy and minute interest in flow. But be.
ing snobs, we need not take credit for vulgarity
and impertinence that have no existence save in
the morbidly "genteel" imagination. If we
thank the divinity that we are not as jenkins 10,
let US be careful to understand our jenkins
thoroughly.
Truly there is no snobbishness that can CON-
pare for moment in wretchedness with that
snobbishness which crawls at the feet of fcti.
tious code of quality and which is afraid Of its
own impulses, and which goes cropping stupidity
about under escort of Mrs. Grundy, with the last
edition of Every Gentemans Guide to Good
Manners" in hand Mrs. Lincoln goes to Long
Branch, and it is not vulgar nor snobbiah 70
make her visit an ovation and brilliant social
event. She is the first lady IN the United States.
When we go to Europe, for whom DO we wall
about in streets and halls getting stiff necks,
ovcrawed by lacqueys and feeling very much Ike
lacqueys ourselves, unless it is tor Her Majesty the
Queen end the Empress We sometimes sneer AZ
Jenkins ut home, but abroad, putting our kspasa-