Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-08

aNSOuut VI tue lnauS uEhtlOn Dali IN lJS usual
high-toned style;
On desCerdng into the grand saloon at ten
o'clock, beautiful spectacle arrested our at
tentiOn. The illumination achieved by the
five monster chandeliers, suspended over the
center of the floor at regular intervals down
its entire length, and the numerous jets of
gas streaming in their contributions of light
from the four walls of this white muslin
palace of Aladdin, trimmed with blue, pro-
duced an exceedingly brilliant effect, and
brought out the many colored dresses of the
ladies' and the ladies themselves, into beauti-
ful relief The scene, indeed, for some mo-
ments was dazzling, but then, the eye adapt
ing itself to the flood of light accepted it
and its effects as really beautiful, and the
visitor was for some time SO charmed by
the splendid tout ensemble as to lose sight Of
any details.
"a CHANGE COMES o'ER THE SPIRIT OF OUR
DREAM"
Gradually, however, casting off this illu-
sion of fairy palace, occupied by fairies in
the fairy dance of A Mid summer Nights
Dream we came to look at this spectacle
from more matter. offact point of observ-
stion. Thus we saw that there were per.
haps 1000 persons present; that while there
were numerous fair young women in white,
and pink and blue, there was a large pro-
portion Of elderly danes in the more sub
dued autumnal hues of drabs, russets and
browns, The infusion of army and navy
officers, in costume, for such an occasion,
was remarkably small, because, as a SYM
pathizing damsel naively said, "So many
have resigned, you know" Senior de Fig
aniere, Baron Stoeckl and the French Min
lister were so conspicuous among the corps
diplOmatigue that we failed to detect many
others. In point of fact we may say that,
considering the day, the occasion and the
gorgeous array of distinguished celebrities
which have figured at our preceding inau-
guration balls, the present one exhibited
decidedly meagre collection of lions of any
description.
THE ABSENCE OF THE SOUTHERN ELEMENT AND
ITS EFFECT. n
And it lacked in a remarkable degree that
spirit, vivacity, hilarity and universal aban-
don 10 the enjoyments of the hour which
heretofore have made our Inauguration balls
the delight of all visitors. Here sombreness
and quietness, studied propriety and cold
| foTmalities seemed to rule. The Southern
! element of vitality was missing, or hardly
| represented at all below the boundaries of
| Washington. 1t was Northern and North
western assemblage. The women were ex-
tensiyeiy the representatives of the maids
! and mstroDs of the rural districts of the
| North and the great West the nasal twang
of the strong-willed Puritan was heard on
every side, Northern Republican stumpers.
engineers end Wide-awakes, moved uneasily
amid the crowd, like men suddenly trans.
ferred into new scenes, new responsibilities
| and dangers which they could not compre-
hend.
CHEvALIER wEBB-sENAToRs SEWARD, CAM
ERoN AND wILsoN-GLooMY EXPRESSION OF
! THE COMPANY.
| The Chevalier Webb, with a beautiful
young girl at his side, was one of the few OF
this republican feast who seemed to enjoy
it with the zest of an old csmpaigner per-
fectly at home. Mr.. Seward, pale as ghost,
moved timidly and shrinkingly amid the
| thIong. Gen. Cameron, with charming
daughter UPON each arm, appeared to be ab-
sorbed in the troubles of "Old Abe concern
ing his Cabinet. Senator Wilson, of Massa-
chusetts, was evidently satisfied with the
events of the day, and the evenings festival
in honorof the new. Administration for said
he, pw we have q government aud we
shall soon show you that the Union is not
rope IF sand" But the general expression
of the company assembled was any thing but
that of satisfaction. 1t was the solemn and
not the cheerful announcement of the formal
occupation of Washington by a new party.
| And there was more painful curiosity
among the citizens present in contemplating
the scene, than Of sympathy tor the new
regime. In truth, if the inaugural process.
sion to the Capitol was more that of fu
neral than of great and joyous jubilee, this
| Inauguration ball was more of an expert
ment than successful crowning of the hon
ors of the day to the Republican masters of
the Government. There was too much of
sadness and of apprehension, of doubt and
suspicion, betrayed in the faces of old and
| young, men and women, to render this re-
union either cheerful or enjoyable to an in
| quiring critic or to the unsuspecting stranger.
PRESIDENT LINCOLN EDvANCEs--MRs. LINCOLN,
WITH SENATOR DOUGLAS, FoLLOws-wHAT
THE CROWD SAY.
But it is Seleven o'clock. The orchestra
have struck up "Hail to the Chief" and all
eyes are turned to the main entrance. He
comes (the chief with the Mayor on his
right and stout man, who looks like
Pennsylvania iron manufacturer, ON his left,
and with these conductors sold Abe'' walks
down the hall between the lines of the as
semblage, very much like man in dream.
One lady observes, "Old Abe, as live, is
tipsy. Look at that funny SMILE" But
"0!d Abe" was simply fatigued, and perhaps
a little bit distracted with the beWildering
events of the last twenty. four hours.
Mrs. Lincoln, who followed in his wake
ON the arm of the selfpossessed Senator
Douglas, is still more self possessed, and has
evidently, with more readiness, adapted her
self than her taller half to the exalted sta
| ton to which she has been so strangely ad-
vanced, from the simple social life of the
little inland capital of fllhnois Women learn
such things much faster than men. Mrs.
L. shows us, in her choice of blue on this oc-
! casion, as the color which suits her fair COM
plexion best, that she is no stranger TO the
| beautiful science of the toilet. She dresses
tsstefully but we can not understand the
! force of an observation we overheard, that
she would have made better match for
Judge Douglas than "Old Abe" unless the
allusion was to the fact that the Judge and.
the lady, as they walked together, appeared
to be of nearly the same height and proper
tions. iH f'' a
VICE. PRESIDENT HAMIE, AND HOW HE AP-
J. PEARED IN THE ROYAL TRAIN.
Vice-President Hamlin, who next in the
royal procession attracts our attention, takes
his new honOrs like a man of experience in
the ways and wonders of political life and
party revolutions. He is a very dark skim
ned man, with very pleasant face, and one
would think, who acted upon the maxim,
that it is best to take no thought of the NOR
row, WHEN suficientfor the day are the evils
/ { ereOf aI r..u a #Ir" nd
THE SHAKERS IN THE BALL RoOM--THE PRES
n IDENT IN THE SUPPER ROOM. 80
The President and his party ascend the
platform on the east of the ballroom where
/ Old Abeil for a quarter of an houF'or more,
is subjected to another ordeal Of haud
4 shaking and an'2exchangs of convehtiOu
aliIies, which he passes through aeceptably.
He ana his party are then slipped off into
the supper. room, and very soon thereafter
all hands follow his example, and stewed
oysters, chicken salad, ice cream, cham
pbgne, Madeira, and. we dare say, bottle OF
j SO Of whisky (the favorite drink Of Washing.
ton politicians), infuse some degree of life
and hilarity into the company. '0ld Abe,'
we believe is a cold. water man but still
we think it apparent that Gerrit Smith
total.abshnenoe principles have not as yet
been very extensively engrafJed upon the
Republican Party. f-eu .iH
/ ~ iC ir., AFTER SUPPER. 1fH4
Soon after supper, the Presidential party