Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-03-05
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Presidents Reception.

Washington correspondent of the n.
I. Eost says :-lf nuy of Mr.. Johnson's vis-
ltOrs had any previous doubts us to this gov
ernment being thorough democracy. thcv
must have been efFectualy removed by the
Presldents last reception. From nine until
eleven the crowd was increasing, intense and
persistent. AS early as ten O clock tlcke,s in
the cIoak-rOoms had run out, and servants in
waiting had COTTON cross. Ladies' were stri>
VlnS TO hide their costly wraps. aud gentle
en- to tuck their=beavcrs into sly corners.-
the doors husbands were va;nly striyipg
= get at their wives and wives at their hus.
bands Cavaliers had lost their dcmoiselles.
and demoiseI es their cavaliers. Sides cross.
ed and re crossed each other, until the whole
house at length seemed to be one mass Of i'm
patient humanity, surging in extrieable con-
fusion.
Policemen, taken by storm, appeared TO
have lost their wits, and stood here and there
like posts, sweating in their hot Uniforms ike
the hremen Of steamboat engines. 1t was
the very jelly of democracy. Beautiful la
ccs and jewels alongside the commonest stufEs:
brawny farmers and cheap .shopmcn iostIip@
against famous men and cultured women, &
cat may look at d king; and everybody
seemed to stand upon the divine right Of
looking at President johnson. Little Incl,
dents peculiar to the status began to fall ont.
lace handkerchiefs and fragile biiouterie to
be advertised over tie heads OF. the multi
tude Two ladies were handed out. by a pri.
vate way in a collapsed state Several fortu-
nate individuals pcrched themselves upoD
stray table and chair, whence they.provokinp.
ly waved their handkerchiefs at their fellows
Making slow. triumphal progress, might be
seen little Of eight or nine years, percbed
upon somebody's aching shoulders.
Gut from the open doors poured the sultry.
steamlnS air, laden with al sorts Of gases.
save pure breathable oxygen. to say nothing
OF the wall OF discounted mOurners over their
Los lost ones: Funny juxtapositions came about.
1lmld tar ones claimed protection of stranger
gentlemen; impromptu verbal telegrams were
established from one part Of the house 10 the
other; and "Have you seen my wife, or my
sister, or Miss So and So" got at last to be
something of joke. Indeed the whole thing
grew into big joke, and the crowd as all
Amerlcan crowds are apt to do, made COM
mon cause OF common suffering, and began
to help and sympathize With each other. Mr.,
b., who had lost his wife, took CHARGE of
somebody clse's wife or daughter. while an.
other bercaved one, equally as kind, looked
alter his oWn. Here and there a vulgar man
made capital OF his strength, and broke his
way through, whilst rude women scoIded over
draggled trains. But these were exceptions
to prove the rule, and l must say that new
er saw an iil-manaGed crowd so good natured.
There were some fighting on private lines,
and saw signs Of coming Caudle lectures :;
but then there is a limit even to womau's en-
durancc.
Mr. johnson held out undauuted to the
last. giving his latest handshakes with as
much seeming vigor and cordiaIity as he
would greet the first finest at a dinner party
His sauviry was unbounded, and one would
never have imagined from his bearing that
his social relations had been marred by tie
singing of editorial ink or the wagging of
Congressional tongues. Ell