The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-05-26

WEDNESDAY NORM
TIE GRANDEUR OF MEyTALs.
Unapproaehabil1sy OF tho Warrington
Omcials.
WASHINGTON letter to the Cinc;rnati Com
mercial says:
A stranger coming to Washington the first
if he is OF tender sensiblities, and Of a retiring
nature. What with impertinent hotel clerks.
airy messengers, aud the grandeur Of all per-
sons here holding menial or subordinate posi-
tions, added to the extortion everywhere prac-
ticed, II Q stranger deslres q seoondWisit here,
he must be OF slow perceptions and cast IRON
endurance. have seen aentlemen from North
with the intention Of staying two or three
days, for the purpose Of transactlng business
in the departments needing their personal at
tention, take the return train, down-spirlted,
treatment by lackeys and suberdinates:
Not men who are in the habit. Of
taking Of their hats to. you, when they
they tremble at the sight of u Congressman;
but those who rush into the Stock F~cnange,
Gold Room and Brokers Board, and Rght, and
yell and bluff and frighten less reckless gamb-
cred with coat OF mail, cannot succeed here,
you may we'll inquire what becomes of O per-
son who tries to use the manners Of gentle
MAJ man IA and the accent Of Christian. They
loftiness or sneering condesceDsion Of the
hotel clerk does not do it the first night, let
him the next morning go into one ofsthe de-
partments and accost q messenger sitaing out
side the door of an auditor, chief Clerk, or
some other big-feeling subordinate, aid he is
bound to take the early train for homss II by
chance he escapes the messenger at the door,
he is sure to surrender to the first clerk with
whom he attempts to do business. Z
AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT..
have vivid remembrance OF visit to the
State Department, when was younger and
greener than lam now. I remember 1t was on
o Thursday, and q card was hung upon the
door knob, warning the visitors that none but
members of Congress, foreign ministers, and
secretaries OF legation were admitted on
Thursdays. tried to pass the messenger in
the hall by assuming brusque air, but his
keen eyes and dignif1ed bearing quite unnerv-
ed and belittled mo, and he turned me out
doors with manner that charmed while it
Re next day. the
me go up stairs. There founl g man who
could gain poeaAQp in society at anycourt in
the world merely On his appearance. I felt
Inundated in his presence. He observed me
with great composure, and he new in minute
that was not q member Of Congress, nor Sec
retary OF Legation, and he knew, therefore,
that was OF no consequence. He turned me
over to another man, who ALSO put on scollops
and treated me something like convict. He
looked me over, and then transferred me to
another. 1 spent two hours in tnat depart
ment. trying to do what ought not to have
taken ten minutes.
AT THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT..
!, You are rather better treated here, merely
because nobody pays aiy attention to you. You
ask the cluster OF messengers about the table
10 the ball fronting the secretary's cfice il the
n Wit Cv
the case may be-, and continue scr1bbling on
scraps Of paper. They give no further notice
to you. and the stranger is left in ignorance OF
further inquiry. " You Wi Will probably be @ slapped @
OF with short word, or receive no answer
whatever. II you produce card, and ask to
see the secretary, one Of the messengsrs will
10 such way as to make you wish he had not
done it.. You will get along well enough with
boutwell,, il you get TO him, but pity you ii
are referred tU some clerk OF subordinate.
Then you will see where the laugh comes in.
You will not only be required to give your
name, residence and the extent Of your family,
sire the information, and the business you fol-
low. The humiliation you suffer before these
autocrats is something beyond conception.
You approach them with hat in hand. and re-
they are ready to talk to you. They will then
look up at you disdainfully, fro wing an in
qulry as to your reason for troubling them.
in such presence, to tell your business intel.i-
gently, and you are only too glad to leave them
when they have given you anything like an
answer. As for transacting business with some
thought of They have only to cast tn their r. eyes e
ON you, and they can tell the texture or your
cravat. the cost of your coat. the material of
your pantaloons, and the maker Of your hat.
The more broadcloth you have on, and tho
larger the diamond in your shirt-front, the
better will be your treatment. The same is
true Of every department here.
AT THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
Before the door of the Secretary stands q
His calm and elegant manners, bis accomplish
ed articulation, his graceful attitudes, his
snaoothness OF tongue, and the easy politeness
nnortify you. You feel at once your own short
comings, your poverty Of manner, your back
ward tongue, your shrinking courags. Beside
this gentleman you feel yourself to be child
in the noble qualities that make the man. You
are ready to tell your business to him instead
of the Secretary. You wonder, if the Secre-
tarys colored messenger is such man, what
must be the Secretary. But the Secretary,
than the messenger. You feel that he is not
quite 80 far above you as he. You must give
your card TO- this messenger to Jake to the
Secretary. and yet you feel more like chang
ing places with him and taking in his card.
He looks at the card very critically, for he
is . connoisseur in cards-a most admirable
70 seat, and he waits. and waits, and waite. t.
To rest yourself, you take q few turns about
the hail; he still holds your card, but says he
will take it in presently" Again you set
ding advertisements and Washington letter,
and again venture to take o look at the mes.
senger. He etill has your card in his hand,
but it he should tear it up before your eyes
you wait and wait. This is kept up day after
day. the result each time being that he keeps
your card an hour tefore taking IL in. or the
Secretary keeps il an hour before sending for
you. This is not peculiar to the Interior De-
partment; these delays are perpetual, and per-
baps are unavoidable. It is just this state Of
affairs that makes the doing OF BUSINESS in
Washfu0 u0tOn srlch a tsxsnl,la and DELAY. This ia