The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-03-25
nrs. Swisshcisa Ni.cussc- Mrs. spraguP

Mrs. Swissheln the celebrated lady who was
discharged from Washington clerkship for
calling President johnson drunken tailor,
communicates the following to the Pittsburg
Gazette:
in the early days of the war the young Gov
ernor of Rhode Island, who raised a regiment
al his own risk, and went to suppress The re-
bellon, was quite hero of romance. Loyal
ladies were not so abundant III washington
a. after Lees surrender; and, WHIT win her
wit, beauty, gracious manners, her father po-
Sitlon, anu the aft lnced OF the Enode lsianu
millionaire. mai rioC Governor Coo1el, Miss
Chase occupied very prominent 'sltlon, and
believed herself emitted 10 pr1cadence ms
Frst Lady" in The Government. She con-
tps.el her claim with Mrs. Lincoln, who as
:" Lady of the White House." was, by common
consent, awarded that eminence. There hau
been several passages at arms between them,
and Mrs Lincoln felt deeply aggrieved when
Miss Chase was at the White House, elmer ny
special invitation or to introduce some irienus,
| forget which. Mrs. Linco N, in an amlable
desire TO promote harmony reminded ner that
she had not seen her for some time, and holei
she would cali again soon. :,
Miss Chase hiugbtly replied that she had
GENERALLY been Mt home, and that if Mrs. Lin
cola had wished to see her she could o it prob
,bIv h we done so by returning ner previous
calf My informant, a lady who was present
nj the time. thought Miss Cha>e's manner as
offensive as the open claim to equal rank was
unjust and injudic ous, and felt That Mrs Lin
CON was fully justified in ever afterwards re-
fusing to treat her with any pretense of kind
ness, or to attend her wedding. Those who
knew the history OF Miss Cha>e's refusal to
accord to Mrs. J. lincoln tn precedence to which
She was nnquestionably entitled, felt that Mr.
Lincoln did wrong III ate ndinS that wedding,
and thus giving the naughty bride triumph:
Mrs. Sprague'S desire to be "First Lauy"
amounts almost to q mania; and, no doubt,
has much to do with her fathers Presidential
aspirations While Mr.. Johnson is President
she will have little active opposition IN her
claim TO that dignity, in r:ght OF her treble
rank of wealth, wife of Senator and daugh-
ter of the Chief Justice; for Mrs Patterson is
a woman OF little or no Seii.assertion. What
with the intemperance of her husband and
brother, the care ct her invalid mother and
her four children. she has tile time to attend
TO the dignity OF her posi- ion, aud, with her
earnest devotion to her father, would defer TO
Mrs. Spracue, il by SO doing she could win any
support to that father. On the other hand,
Mrs. Wade will hold any position to which
she may be assigned, and which she accepts.
| Ii Mrs Sprague has ever undertaken To assert
| any superiority over her, the spri9htly and as
| piring lady no doubt retired from the conflict
| feeling that she had won no laurels. Mrs.
| Wade is very unpretendn2 in dress and man
nerS, and to see her and her husband in a
street car as i have done, returning from
hospital visit, after Seuate hours, enc might
mistake lUem Tor u Weii-IO-uO FARMER anu us
hale old wife; but there is reserved force OF
good sense and dignity in her manner which
would make itself felt in the lowest howell or
the most brilliant drawing-room. Ii she goes
into The White House there will be no room
for dispute as to who is First Lady," In this
Democrats land. Hence there is no doubt
Mrs Sprdgue would not like 10 see her in that
position, especially as Mrs Wade, in common
with thousands of the people of Ohio, must
remember, with grave disapproval, the youth
tul folly of the spoiled beauty VINO brought
public scandal on her fathers administration
while he was Governor OF that State. Even
at that schoolgirl age she had sufficient tact
and influence with him to battle his wisest
counseilors in their efforts to remove her ia
v0rite, q handsome, dissolute married nan,
from his position under the government One
morning the city Of Columbus was thrown in
to great excitement by the announcement
that the Governor had undertaken to horse
whip the handsome gentleman, and bad been
shot in the recontre; but Miss Kate clutched
the helm so firmly rs 10 carry her little bark
through the storm without throwing her Ju-
nah overload. Her influence with her father
is almost unlinii ed. and TO that source was
IS Ii ) active opposition TO an inc cas- OF
salary 10 femlle Clerks at time when they
received $G00a year and she paid just this
amount tor a wedding vail.
Mrs. Wade is so thoroughly her opposite.
being heart and scul nt.IesIc in all true eff
forts 10 aid the Lowry, while maintaining her
owa dignity, rendering homer to whom honor
is due, that there is no doubs. IN my mind, but
Mrs, SJrasue Will strain eve y nerve to pre-
vent her being placed in position TO dispose
OF her owl claim to the titlo OF # rst Lady.