The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-09-21
The Large White Wig

who, as Minister in England, had been
known to expectorate upon carpets, was
elected President, there were those who
were delighted that there was at last "a gen.
tleman' in the White House-Mr Buchan-
ans claim to that distinction apparently
residing i'll his white cravat When Mr..
Lincoln succeeded Mr.. Buchanan there
were sunny Southern gentleman who
could easily break an oath to the govern
ment, but who bitterly regretted that
such an 'uncouth boor' was made Presi-
dent. Undoubtedly there are many per-
sons who take great comfort in Turvey-
drops, and in what may be called grand
Eloquent department /; and Mr. Crabb
Robinson, in his lately published Diary,
speaks of clergyman who was gentle
manly person, and inspired respect-es-
pecially by very large white wig.
1t happens that President Grant does
not wear a very large white wig of any
kind whatever, and for that reason, APP
parently, he forfeits a good deal of re-
spect in certain quarters. The great con-
stituency of Buncombe, for instance, is
in high wrath Here is President who
is one of the simplest of men. He does
every thing in the quetest manner. He
takes no attitudes, rolls off no resounding
twaddle, but TRANQUILITY and efficiently
attends to his duty as a modest and faith
ful officer. is this brilliant, is this splen-
did, is this the Presidential air? roars
indignant Buncombc with one accord ;
where is the very large white wig, pray;
and how cae Il President inspire respect
without it ? The prestige of his admin
istration, we are more soberly told, is de-
clining, and absurd as it may be, simply
from the absence of great white wig.
This is very possible. There is such
an immense quantity of white wig in our
politics and craftsmanship that its absence
may really appear to some persons to be
the absence of wisdom IfGencral Grant
had only followed the counses of Bun
combe-if he had staid steadily in the
White House, and had made solemn speech
es to complimentary delegations he
had surrounded himself with reporters,
and loudly expressed declarations of do
ing this and that-if to all invitations he
had replied in fine flights of epistoary
eloquence instead of by plain yes and
no--if he had only worn an immense
white wig that could be seen from every
corner Of the Union, even the Turvey-
drops would have conceded to him the
Presidential air, and his administration,
being, as it is really efficient and econom-
cal, would have been saluted as splen-
did.
The truth is, that we Americans like
rhetoric and fap-doodle and what is very
commonly and expressively called squirt.
Our representatives talk to Buncombe not
to the House. The very nature of our
political debates in late years has increas-
ed this tendency, because they have dealt
with the rights Of human natnre and With
began the questions at issue also admit
ted of magnificence in the treatment. AZ
ter the war of 1872 there was tariff,
the American system, internal improve
ments, and a national university. Thus
President joni Quincy Adams, unlike
his grandson, amplifed the functions Of
government. A classical scholar and
well-read i'll history, he enriched his mes
sagcs with illusions to the monuments OF
Rome, the alueducts, the highways, and
he filled the national imagination with
the vision of Il vast system of explora-
lions, and structures, and institutions
which were all words, but such amazingly
fine words that they did duty for things
No President ever wore more enormous
white wig than the excellent John Quin'
cy Adams. General Jackson's was as
large, but it was very different Ignor
ant, imperious, violent, and yindictive, ht
destroyed the bank and removed the de
posits, and whatever he did was done witt
such slap and bang and "by tn,
Eternal" that delighted Buncombe wa
in raptures over the hero as an ole
Roman of the purest Republican type
General Jackson understood the use o
the large white wig as well as any body
General Grant utterly despises it. HI
and his Secretary Of State are two of tn
least be-wigged personages that Ameri
can politics have produced They d
their work with so little swagger tina
those who cnfound buster with bushes
suppose that it is not done. The Presi
dent leaves the White House in the sum
mer, as most Presidents have done, an,
as all ought to do. Instead of going t
the Soldiers Home in Georgetown h
moves leisurely from point to point, no
, far from Washington. He travels a
quietly as he can, not making progres
as so many Presidents have done, an
very properly, if they liked it. He ha
most edifying and amusing contemr
for the gibes that are thrown at him, cor
6 scious that none of them can really injur
, him so long as he is not truant from hi
duty as well as from the White Hous,
, The Springfield Republican says that
a while away the time is the task of king
not of Presidents, and advises the Pres
p dent, if he must travel, to 90 to the Soutl
ern States, and learn to distinguished h
friends from his enemies To such
4 sneer the conduct of the President
> sufficient answer. There is not man
the Southern States who does not kno
~ with which side are his sympathies, N,
does the Republican show in the least poil
# how his absence from the capital has i
a jured the public welfare, If the suprer
n acy of the party, as the Republican allege