, 1865-09-03

Observations in the Presidents
Office.
An Hour with tho Crowd.
From Our Own Correspondent

/ --.... WASHINGTON aug 3I-
The Presidents Office ia In the second story
Of the White House. It Is q large, sQuars
room, with two windows looking southward
The view from either Of these windows Is 1t
some respects an exceedingly attractive one
Directly beneath Is the trim and hnndsomf
little park, constituting whnt Is known as the
"Nlite House Grounds" proper, with ite
vista toward the river, and its smooth, grassy,
artificial, trce-covcred mound on either side
Here is where the Marine Band plays for two
| or two-and-a-haH hours every Saturday even.
ing, from May to October; and the sight on a
favornble occasion Is, from the windows Of the
Presidents office, one not soon to be forgot
ten. Beyond the park is the large CON-
mon known In Warrington parlance as "tbe
grounds south of the White House." Here
the refuse earth made IN grinding the F street
railway, as well Us that made In finishing the
west front Of the Treasury building, is hauled
TO mise the upper part Of the common. It was
low but not vet, and Is handsomely filled
with trees. In the lower and central portion
OF this common Is the broad plateau where
| the boys play ba1l-where the grand match
games at base ball have Just been played, by
our Nationnl Club with the Athletics OF Phila-
delphia and the Atlanties of Brooklyn. Still
people held Fourth Of July celebration, to The
Infinite and ncycr-cnding disgust Of Washing
| ton secesh society. Beyond the common Is
the NalW proper, with the ungainly and IN.
| finished Washington monument-now and for
years mere cattle.yard. Then there is the
bnoad'bossemed, always;plaeld Potomac,
and rejecting the spires Of far.away and dim,
ly-seen Alexandra. This Is the view from
the windows Of the Presidents ollce-ope
suggestive Of the whole range of human ex-
pcfience, light hero and shadow there, the SOL
cInn joy Of purified liberty, md the bitter pas-
sion of the slavery y-nuEtuTed rebellion.
Tie ctice Is as plafn and unpretendinE ns
walls are covered with heavy dark green pa
per, forever suggestive Of insidious disease,
and hung here and there with maps on which
the long fingers of great and gloriaed Abra-
ham Lincoln Traced the march Of armies aud
evolved the shrewd plans which crop out in SO
Meade. In front Of the door, as you enter
from the broad hail, which serves rs an ante
room, is a large table, with books, papers,
pens, ink, DC, where always sits q clerk when
the office is open to the public On the right Is
bookcase, beyond thBt the fireplace, aud then
left is another case Of book-shelvcs, and threo
long and old-fashloned lounges, With half
dozen old-fashioned chairs Between The two
windows, and beyond tho large central table,
l. q small table;desk, at which the President
standing-desk Of bis private secretaries, Gen.
Mussey and Col Browning, being Just behind
him, and not out Of arms reach. The floor
Of the room Is covered with mating. Sole
adornmcnt Of the office is q picture Of An
drew jackson, eanging over the mant1epiece,
and looking gTimly down alike upon friend
md foe, md especially upon the horde Of
more or less repentant rebels who dal1y thfong
the room for favor and pardon. One cannot
help qucTymg II here is not the work of the
shadowy Fate Of Oriental philosophy. or
course the picture has hung there for years,
tancc, hang il there especially for these daysg
Tuesday and Friday OF each week nre cabi-
net days, and then thepub1ic are not admitted
TO the White House. During the other days
there Is admission from ten till Two for every
body-though let me gratefully note that Ger
rebcldom In Whiting, who were wont mouth
ago to press In md bFazenly urge the pardon Of |
those who paid OF we're likely to pay, have
been h7eyocably excluded. Into The great |
squire anteroom, up the stairway with its
glimpses into the gnudy East room, and there
ifom tic office. The barbarfans used SO 10
beset Mr.. Lincoln In his passage through this |
room from the office to the pdYnte chambers |
Of the house, that passage way was built I
ncross the further side OF If. The wall Is so
l1sTn tlAL no one eau NOW [fQu0lt Inc pasSeT-
through, though II you arc tall yon may |
tand In chair and look over it.
70 the east Of the Office, md in the corner Of
he house, is the office of the private sccreta-
Hes !; and across the hall, In the opposite
.orner, is The room Of half dozen clerks.
The door OF the Presidents room Is not gen.
rally set open till about noon-though he re-
,cires persons on business for three or four
hours previously. In these days the hall and
.eccptipn room arc generally crowded, and
hough the entrance to the house Is closed at 2
o'clock, the President is not unftequcntly Kept
'usy TIL three or even 31< o'clock, with those
inside when tha house Is shut. lie makes It |
l point to see oil who are In when 2 o'clock
arrives, unless he Is unusually tired or unwell,
There ought to be some way for keeping
,ni teIee Of eyery -four persons who press ii
President. lie Is the veriest slave
n the country. Servant Of TIC people a.
1e is, there Is neither reason nor good
tense tn bringing before him such q
multitude Of questions rs each day presents.
festerday afternoon I Judge he gave audience
10 not less than one hundred and twenty-five
,ersons IN about three hours. Only consider
he mental exhaustion consequent upon hear
ng and considering such a number Of cazes in
uch timel OF the number probably hall
lad business that any clerk could hare told |
hem must be done at one Of the Depart