Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-01-05
THE PRESIDENTS RECEPTION.
Who Called and How They Looked
Personal Gossip About Home and
Foreign Disttngues.


From a description of President john
sons New Years reception, in the N. Y.
Herald Of Tuesday, we make the follow
ing extracts !;
The President took his station in the
Blue Room justbefore eleven o'clock, when
the foreign ministers members of the Cab
met, Supreme Court Judges and their
ladies were announced. Sir Frederick
Bruce, the tall, portly, white-haired repre-
sentative of her Brittanic Majesty, was the
pioneer of the first-named class; while
Mr.. Stanton, with the sp~ectacles and the
smile, was the aUdnt courier of the Cab
met.
The foreign ministers we're generally in
their prescribed court dress, very rich, of
course, but unique in the eyes of the 6our-
geoise. Senior Romero, of the suffering
Mexican Republic, appeared in a plain
suit of black, end was the recipient Of an
extraordinary shake of the hand from the
President. The ladies accompanyingthese
foreign parties were tastefully but not K
pensively dressed. Judge Chase, wearing
the same benign unimpassioned express
sion which appears on the n dollar
greenbacks, came with Mrs. Sprague, his
daughter, who is thinner and paler than
the Kate Chase Ohio people admired.
Half an hour was spent in the Blue
Room by these dignitaries in gold lace and
decorations and these ladies of elaborate
toilet and veisatile to 1gue. Animated con-
verse IN all the modern languages was car
ried on, introduction ceremonies weregone
through; still President johnson and his
daughters were unrufled. Mrs. johnson
and Colonel Robert, the Presidents son,
being indisposed, did not receive.
The officers of the army and navy were
next presented to the Chief Magistrate.
Many of the foreign dignitaries yet
fingered in the Blue Room when the hero
ofthe greatest of wars, Lieutenant-Ge General
Grant, grasped the hand of the President,
the fervor of the shake which followed
convincing the ingerers that it was not
mi of mere formality. General Grant
passed into the room, respectfully greeted
the ladies and at once became the center
of a little presentation circle, a position
which he vacated as soon as it could gen.
teelly be done. Following the General,
nearly every officer of rank who CHANGED
to be in Washington to-day paid his re-
spects to the President. They were all in
full uniform and presented a very bril-
liant appearance. Their names were as
fellows: Generals Rawlins, Townsend,
Ord, Howard, Hunter, Mcigs, Doubleday,
Barnes, Seth Williams, ingalls,, Hugh
Ewing, Bartlett, Gilmore, Eaton, Morris,
Mott Hardie, Prince, Perry, Holt, Mich
OILS, Delafeld, Green, Alexander, Dent,
Ketchum, Fessenden, Ekin, Haskins, Kel-
ton, Shiras, Vincent, Rucker, Robinson,
Dana, McKeever, Ramsey, Dyer and w.
E. Strong.
The diplomatic corps, the Cabinet, the
army and navy officers having taken their
departure, President johnson nerved him
self for a friendly muscular struggle with
the vigorous bourgeoise. Policemen were
stationed along the route to and from the
Blue Room. United States Marshal Good
ing and Colonel o Beirne took up their
positions near the President, and the Joy
Gus well-wishing populace were admitted,
keeping step to the incomprehensible music
of TannbaNSer, carefully rendered by the
Marine band. The lively young ladies
from East Tennessee were in a state of
most interesting expectation. Mrs. Slower
End Mrs. Patterson rose and smiled cheer
fully while the Presidents face belied
those e~ngravings which represent him as a
man with no mirth in his composition. All
classes approached at the rate of thirty
per minute, and enjoyed the inestimable
privilege of looking their great friend in
the face and shaking him by the hand.
Both the Presidential hands were steadily
employed for a time, and their owner had
q pleasant smile and a good word for
each m His a~ffectionate, simple
greeting to the children in the throng
was particularly noticeable and was re-
marked by all. Big-hearted people after
ward remarked, as they gossipped in the
East Room, that the Presidents success in
putting little people at their ease was a
sure indication of his excellence as a man.
respects to the President before the recep-
tion hour expired. After two o'clock "a
large number of colored citizens were ad-
mitted to the congratulatory circle, as
their white brothers hadbeen before them.
This was the first time in the annals of the
Republic, and there appears no reason
why it should not be repeated. Their
hearty good wishes for the Presidents
welfare, their "God bless you'sr and in
vacations for a happy New Year and
many returns were audibly and respect
fully expressed, and plentiful enough to
set Mr.. johnson up with a stock of beni-
sons to last until another reception.