Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-01-07
Auion aud gispatfh.
TUESDAY. JANUARY :, 1865.
Largest Circulation in City and State.
NEW YEARATTHE WHITE HOUSE.

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NEW YEAR AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
Correspondence Of the New York Herald.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1st, 1S68.-At II
o'clock the President entered the circular
Blue Room, the handsomest apartment in
the Executive Mansion, with its beautiful
frescoed walls and ceilings, and it's flood OF
mellow light. The Marine band, number
ing about forty pieces, strick up a lively
air. The ladies began to make their APP
pearance. The foreign ministers, in gold
lace and antique swallow tails, came bust
ling along. and the scene began 10 assume
an animated aspect.
Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Stover, the
Presidents daughters, came in at the same
time and took up position in the center Of
the room. Both were dressed alike in lus'
treless black silk, beaded and braided and
finished off at the necks with fine white lace
collars. They went through the ceremony
of receiving with quiet, cheerful, unaffect-
ed grace that made its due impression:
Their children about six or seven in NUM-
ber, some Of them very interesting little
girls, entered the room with them and re-
mained during the reception, moving glee-
fully through i cl.m3 The President,
wearing ms peculiar smile of afability,
dressed in plain black, and gloved with drab
kids, took up a position near the western
entrance Of the room with Marshal Gooding
on his left 10 perform the introductions. He
looked well, showed no trace Of care on
his brow, while his hair was fauitlessly
brushed and adjusted. Fe was cordial in
his manner and evinced very kindly ten
dency TO kiss all the little innoc cent girls
that were introduced to him by their fond
parents. No anxious apprehensions were
visible in his countenance of the terrible
ordeal in store for the muscles of his right
hand. He rather looked resigned to his
fate and prepared to meet it manfully. At
eleven o'clock precisely the proceedings
began 10y the entrance Of the Cabinet min
listers, headed by Secretary Seward leading
his daughter-inrlaw. Seward was in good
spirits, evidently ready for joke, though
he perpetrated none, except to say, in one
of has briefand prOmiscuous conversations,
that he hoped no earthquake would visit
Alaska before it was paid for. The SOM
nolent Secretary of the Navy appeared
wide awake and quite complacent. Secre-
tary McCulloch looked oblivious of figures
and finance, and Stanberry wore an ex-
preston of relief from the legal cares of
his office. Browning and Randall made
up the rest Of the Cabinet representation.
Their ladies were also in attendance,
dressed in rich but subdued attire The
volume of conversation increased in ami
nation when the ladies and foreign minr
listers came together. French, German and
italian broke in at intervals upon the ac
customed English, and the confusion of
tongues became delightfully."- varied.
Secretary Seward introduced the foreign
ministers. All these gentlemen formed in
radiant clusters in the center of the room,
in the vicinity of the Presidents daughters.
Three beautiful bouquets Of exotic
flowers graced the mantel piece, and when
conversation on the weather tagged these
freshly culled gems of the conservatory
formed an unfailing theme Of criticism.
Several of the foreign gentlemen wore
very light pants, with silver braid at the
sides, and majority rejoiced in medals,
crosses and bits of ribbon. In exterior
personnel there was nothing very striking
in these representatives from abroad. Some
were very yuninapressiveteaEiBg indi viduais,
and wore their uniforms with an awkward
grace.
When the ministers had all been intro
duced, the members of Congress came
dropping in. Reverdy Johnson, oorpulent
and ruddy as ever, led the van, then came
Dixon and Doolittle, the twin Conserva-
tives; Morton of Indiana, with the old ire
in his eyes, though feeble in his limbs, ad-
vanced to the President and extended an
honest greeting to him on the adventof the
new year. Cole of California, Fessenden
of Maine, Morrill, of Vermont, rigged out
quite stylishly; Corbei Of Oregon, Sherman
and Morgan followed aud in every instance
were kindly recognized by the President.
After the Senators came Representatives
Eldridge, Marshall, Pruyn, Banks, Nichol-
son, Ferris and Trimble, and very soon a
bright galaxy of distinguished folks was
assembled within the limited area of the
Blue Room. Next came General Grant,
at the head of the army officers and in full
uniform; he advanced to the President in
a business like way, shook his hand and
wished him a happy new year. The
President smillingly responded, and OBJ
served that the General looked well. The
latter proceeded to introduce his staff, not
the least remarkable of whom, Eli Parker,
the Indian Colonel of matrimonial fame,
with stolid military bearing, attracted a
share of attention. General Sherman fol-
lowed Grant and paid his respects like a
soldier, returning afterward to introduce
his beautiful fair haired daughter. The
room al this time was quite full, and the
buzz of conversation became lively and in
cessant.
Seward circulated around among the
diplomatic groups, and seemed to be
ubiquitous, now talking ingenious non
sense to a Russian baron, aud the next
moment tete-d-tete with some languishing
beauties from abroad.
Some of the ladies wore excessively long
trains, and to watch the steward skipping
nimbly out of their way was quite an in'
teresting study Of veteran agility.
Generals Howard, Hardie, BallOch,
Shiras Eaton, Ekin, Dent, Ricketts, and
other officers were pres s2nted in turn, and
then came the great sea dogs, Admirals
Radford, Smith and Bailey Commodores
jenkins and Sands, and Commander
Breese, Queen and Davis. The marine
officers were next in turn, in full uniform
and carrying immense epaulettes. Chic
Justice Chase represented the Judiciary. A
promiscuOus crowd came close on the heel:
/ of the lawyers, Montgomery Blair, Mayor
| Wallach, +. =. Spinner and others, anc
then followed the veteran survivors Of the
war Of 1912 and the Association Of tht
| Oldest Inhabitants Of Washington. The
latter body is a congregation of white
headed old fellows, who take a pride II
| living over three score and ten, the
maximum measure Of human existence.
At length the hour of twelve arrived, anc
the doors were thrown open to admit th'
great unwashed, who came with rush anC
a delightful irregularity of line. The Presi
dents work had been hitherto compare
lively light, for the hand shaking process
was gentle; but now that the democracy
were loose upon him, it became serious
business, very much resembling vigorous
turn at pump handle. The descendant
Of Ham had no representation in the crowds
There was one young darkey, however
who ventured in near the close of the re
ception, and stealing up timidly toward th'
President made dive at his hand, sue
ceeded in shaking it and ran of elated. !
little after two O'Clock the reception ended
The Marine band played parting air sn'
the efewremsining visitors FASTENED offtopa,
| their resDecfs elsewhere From the EXecu