Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-01-18
MAsurNcrnH Ian-Itsl


WAsHNGroN Jan. ], iSs6
A great English poet Milton, or ms
be Tupperl, says that "to be weak is 10
o. miserable" II misery and weakness a
q 1 synonymous, Washington just now
n having the weakest sort Of weather
Is neither cold nor hot, dry nor wet. bl
everything by fits, and nothing long. an
= resembling in no sense any season spec
fed i'm the almanac. Christmas came /
n 4 with slop and snOw-New Years wit
Q snow and slop, and the whole holiday
y thus far have been a mixture Of mud an
r ( misery.
This mere mention Of the weather her
would not be worth making, but for tn
e calm, complacent manner in which IN
nstive eWashingtnnians take their climat
as IL comes. Their Christmas cOngratu
iaions are wheezed oat through thei
Z chronic colds; New Years brings ueU
raigia; and such q specially nasty dal
for holiday, as this has been, seemed
r particular Invitation for the people her,
10 be as iOyial as possible. NOWher,
: else, i am sure, would 50 many wei
dressed people have slipped and sl0ppe,
so smilingly through snow and slush, Ol
have stood in crowds 50 long and pa.
tieutly beneath the drippings and
drupping- OF the White House Dor.
tir6, waiting 20 be "receivedn % within,
and wearing all the while "a smile Of sat
i-faciion, which Mark Tapley even would
have thought artificial But perhaps I
wrong these worthy citizens. ltwas not
mere curiosity, or q desire 10 see the in
I terror ani the inhabitants of the White
/ House, that brought out such a crowd to-
I day-ior the White House for the last
J.
J Ailiarls', the kirkwood, or any other
public house-but the crowd to-day was
meant and was received as a genuine,
! real, respectful representation of the true
/ sentiment of the really respectable poT-
/ tiOn of the community, toward the
/ PIE euU occupant of the executive man
sion.
The contrast between the orderly. well
behaved, well dressed procession of
people, through the Presidential p3rlors
this New Years Day, and the miscella-
nyDu- mcnageric of white and black
solicitors uflay0rs, the passing panorama
Of patriots with place papers and con
tracts sticking ont of their coat tail
pockets the visitors of other holidays
WIS altogether TOO marked not to be
noted and commented upon to-day.
For people will TALK Not even the
suddenly the last cccupaut of the White
House could prevent people from com
men,iug upon the immense difference IN
the mere manners Of the recipient Of 81
many congratulations to-day, and those
of the ''centre of attraction ia the same
house ia-tyear. And without sketching,
even in pencil, the family group in The
blue room this evenings local journals
have Jenkensizad the scene down 90 the
japGnicas and Jewels, there comes 10
mind a thought which ought never 10 /
occur-that Is, which never should have {
heeu Necessary that at last the country I
can congratulate itself upon the fact F.
that the home Of Tie Chief Magistrate is 4
no longer the scene and subject of coarse I
and contemplate gossip about the .
''StOriss" of the elders, the tricks Of .
juvenile "Tads,' - and the general mill .
merry miscellany and dirty linen laundry
business of the whole establishment. .
Perhaps il was because this WAS the first .
formal receptionOf the present President .
that the Whuie diplomatic corps pre-
scented themselves in so strong force, and .
took their ladies with them. And Iwar-
rant they carried home with them inn
pressions other than reminders and
ofsOnlething -'heard' out
West These diplomats are apt 90 have
a certain regard for dignity as well as
iscency.
But why on such occasions, and in this
Democratic country, does the Diplomatic
corps cover itself with such an eNtraorii-
nary and peculiar " ftel2p The cooked
hats, gold lace, and Gan immense amount /
lf man millinery suggest the idea of a
fancy hal, while thefuuny swallowtails
closely in the rear, and the tight
fitting breeches sticking closer than "A
brother, make one imagine that these
ara more than were court costume -
say, for instance, courtplaSter costumes.
But the British, Belgian, aud other
foreign butterflies looked brilliantly
enough, though they scarcely attracted
50 much attention as our own full and
uniformed army and navy
who went iu and out and were
greeted by the waiting threng outside, as
ii they had done great things in the last
four years, rs indeed they have. And
punctually 1t twelve O'Clock, according
iO the programme, the reception of Di-
plomas, Cabinet, Senators, and officers
was ended, and the citizens
generally the invitation calls them
were admitted.
There was q wonderful improvement /
this year in the method of admission aud 4
reception. Care was taken 10 consultthe I
comfort ss well rs convenience Of the in /
pressing crowd. a well arranged plan .
permitted people to pass IN the door, pro-
ceed orderly, without crOwdIug and con-
fusion, TO the reception room; then .
through the east parlOr, out OF window, /
over "a temporary bridge, and out by /.
another gate into the street There was
mo- hard Saxon cursiuT over crushed .
] .T.HF d
collapsed Csiuolines. Once inside, tie .
procession seemed 10 float through .
a mixed atmosphere of delicious
music from the Marine band, and
the fragrant perfume Of heliotrupes and .
choice eXot.cs. At least, SO said a small .
school girl just behind me-and the music /
lHds good, ami there was d sODdeTiul dis
uiry of hot house flowers. The caller
presented q general sameness Of respect 4
was not this scar 4 streak .
of fat and a streak OF lean, or rather I
two streaES Of black % one of white, for .
our colored brethren, 10y particular re-
quest, NaiGg-i outside ill the "ciiiZeuS
generally went la aud went away.
There were "a great many young people, /
young and ,tunningiy got up ladies es-
peciaily, aal for all the President had 1
hearty haudSlahr and thanks for their !
New Years greetings.
In every respect the reception was "a |
-ucce-s-ssstifying 10 the people who are I
proud Of their President, and evidently 4
gratifying 81 was to the President 20 re- /
asiye, for the first time, a thr0ug Of yisi- I
tor. VINO came neither for par,lons Tor /
plsrey. and not 10 advise, hut 20 cungrat- /
lIaie him. Every one looked pleased /
and satisfied. even the forty policemen |
who now and then disappeared i'm tEos |
aud tlrees through dgor iegding 30 the 1
lower regions, ami reappeIrrd shortly, |
rfdolent with a flavor of cold ham and /
hot coffee. And the Marine bandmen, |
who Elqyed their parts SO well during the /
reception, played aHd lii-3 tl}Hir knives
and forks over Jolly good Presidential
dinner when an was over.
Passing from the pecgie present to The
premises, 10 aye could look about the
house without being almost shocked al
the downright sllahhine-s OF the rooms
and furniture. To he sure, more than
one nusar-l thousand dollars have been
appropriated fgr furnishing and fixing
the Executive Mansion, within ipur
wears. But exactly ninety boxes were
furnished bE a certain official torpacking
up curtains, carpets, vases, pictures and
'knickknacks' OF all sorts, that were
carried away not many months ago. The
thirty fhousand dollars appropriated
two Ueess aga Hfqr furnishing the
White House" VIII scarcely pay tie put-
standing local bills Of the former oceu-
pants, leavingthe President now nothing
Ia start with in the way Of refurnishing,
unless the Committee on Appropriations
recommend smother 2@d immediate eN-
lenditure. This Whole mailer lfignt be
considered B private IN some degree, ifa
recent ia-Mltion ip Congress bad
not called particular attention 10
aud made public property Of eer-
tain information about White House
expenditures beyond and above the
enormous appropriations made by Con-
a.ress. sraal Long John Wentworth
wanted 10 make 8 SPECIAL twenty ave
fl,ou-sns .lliar donation full one hum
drei thousand dollars, he stated that u
tl. House knew llthe circumstances p
they Wun.d approve bis Tsoiulion. but
the House did know al ihe I clrtunl-
stances, % and perhaps, fOr that very
reason. Went worth was the only man
who voted for his own bill
nzB- A lahoring man, named kaie, re-
siding in ST. Louis, shot his wife while
she was engaged in making the bed. Al
tla time be fired she was in q stopping
] position. aud the lsli entering the side