The dollar weekly bulletin., 1862-12-18
From tho Philadelphia Evening Journal.
Washington Society.

The Washington correspondent OF the
Ledger says that very few foreign ministers
were present at the opening of Congress
The French and English ministers were
both absent. We see nothing wonderful in
this. Congress has become such q con-
temptible body that even a minister from
Liberia or Hayti might afford to despise it.
, Foreign ministers have become SO disguised
with the ignorance. vulgarity and buffoonery
in official circles at Washington that they
have. many of them, removed to New York:
so that they may avoid the necessity OF
m aking mere visits of courtesy to tho White
House and to Cabinet officials. They only
encounter our President and Cabinet when
they are compelled to-when actual busi-
ness requires them to do SO. By residing
in New York, they escape tho necessity OF
attending the State dinners at the White
II louise, and this. during this Administration.
must be great relief to any well bred man,
and our own people ought to be thankful
that SO few foreign representatives are pre-
sent on such occasions to observe the DIS
graceful caricaturing of good breeding, and
the ludicrous attempts at style and gentiliity
on the part of those who. for the present,
misrepresent the American people.
The change in Washington society is re-
marked by all visitors to that city. Butfew
well-bred people, and but few honest peo.
pie, are now to be found there. In place OF
such. we now see lank, lantern-jawed New
Englauders, many of them Of poor. parson.
like aspect 10 faded black, soiled linen, and
once white choakers, with blue cotton UNI
brellas, and cheap oil-cloth satchels, half
filled with crackers and cheese. These gem
tlemen are chiefly applicants for chaplain
ships in the army. They wear very sancti-
monous air, rub their hands unctuously to-
gether (when they are not engaged with the
cotton um brellas and the oil-cloth satchels)
roll up their eyes piously, and comb their
hair back of their eyes piously, and comb
their hair back of their ears. A set OF mean'
er bigots and more profound ignorsmusses
could not be found on the face Of the earth.
Another large class of people now in Wash
ip gton are the contractors and contract-seek.
ers-shoddy yites and swind lers generally,
who are too we'll known to need description
at our hands. Then we have Abolition
EN- issaries and apostles. Of every variety.
who are in Washington to urge extreme
emancipation measures and to pick up what.
ever Of plunder they can. These men are
generally the friends and associates of the
Abolition members of Congress, and are of
similar grade in the social, moral and In
tellectual scale. And to these the cores
pondents of the Abolition press, small pod
Ol6rS, ana SuCu WI0tCu6S aS OIucS WIZ
the obsequious for their bread and butter,
and you have tolerable idea of the chief
elements Of Washington society at present,
so far as the malo sex is concerned. The
females present sre, of course, the wives and
daughters of these, and of course are their fit
companions. The sharp -nosed. sharp voiced
daug ghters of New England are the ruling
spirits at present. They all spell COW
k-e-o-w, and pronounce it accordingly, and
express wonder in such terms as. "Now.
want to know" "Du tell!'' ETC.. and in
variAbly ask their neishbors "what they had
to pay" for this or that article of clothing
II. in the society Of foreign minister and
his lady. these "ladies" would. of course.
ask them the cost of each and every article
of their dress; how much dried apples, aud
maple sugar are worth; where they come
FROM" and how much wages, their kings,
queens and emperors received.
Is it any wonder that foreign ministers did
not attend the opening of Congress=sthat
tn ey refuse to reside in Washington at this
time,