Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-12-24
THE GRAND DUCK.
Alexis at Washington.

|
Alexis at Washington.
The Washington Capital in a satrical
report caricatures the shabby-genteel and
se1ni-formal manner in which the Russian
Grand Duke was received at Washington,
His arrival in the city is thus described:
/ "There was no crowd about the depot
gathered to meet the Imperial bird save the
reporters, and they looked ashamed. 1t
was their painful duty to be present. And
our friend Robinson says it was amusing
to hear these pen-drivers making excuses
and apologies to each other for being on
hand. gone was expecting an aged aunt by
! the train. Another had been sent for by a
railroad official assistant bootblack, we
suspect) TO look into the vexed question of
grading streets. Another was passing and
| Just dropped in, ''didn't care cuss about
the Imperial goslin, bat as he was on hand
thought he'd take a look;n1 and so the ex-
cuses ran. ~
1t was intended to have out the volun-
teer companies and the marines to give
this youthful representative formal well
come. We did not grieye, however, that
this was omitted, for we detest such misera-
4 DtC oiiODUCl1s DGo bllO L1ObIC lndS hlSb1eC0
| the omission is not so pleasant. 1t leaked
! out that such demonstration would be Of
/ fensive at the White House, and so it was
dropped. The Russian government having
| declined TO recall Old Cat, our President is
! in the sulks, and when he sulks all the sub
ordinates and-we are sorry to write it
many citizens sulk like the Old Scratch,
! and 90 about looking as if their mother-in-
law were dead"
When the Duck came out of the depot
house he looked six different directions for
| the City of Washington. At last he was
given powerful field glass, and fixing it
| on Arlington Heights swore that he could
see it distinctly. He was conducted to one
! Of Majors best hacks, an elegant carriage,
with driver and footman in livery, made
! three years since for this occasion, or any
other that might arise, such as an inaugu-
ration of a President OF the burial of any
of our distinguished colored follow-citizens
who die on purpose to have Majors carri-
ages and the Marine band. A procession
was improvised that was very impressive.
| 1t consisted of
A Nailor carriage, containing the Duck and
Old Cat.
A Nailor carriage, containing Imperial Bar
OCA dllN 1lis.h LACOpCl VI Viz DOONS'
A Nailor carriage, containing Count Londo-,
whisky.
A Nailor carriage, containing the Imperial
Lap-dog and the Family Bible.
Adams Express Wagon.
A Common Hack.
A Furniture Wagon.
A Drunken Darkey, fresh from the polls,
and cheering for the "Bud OBJ
Public Wucks."
Describing the progress Of this procession
up the street, the writer continues:
sThe bonfres that were burning on the
corners in honor of our late victory at the
polls were made use of by old Cat, in
most diplomatic manner. He informed the
Grand Duck that those were built by low
ing people in honor of his arrival. The in
formation was conveyed in the Russian dia-
lect, and made the coachman and footman
believe for few moments that the springs
of their carriage were swapping. As it was,
at every bonfire passed the Imperial Duck
took off his tile and bowed solemnly, much
to the amazement of the crowd, who, not
recognizing his Highness, thought it was
our honorable delegate TO Congress in
state of intoxicatioD.
At last the cortege arrived at the Russian
lSkddO11 hClO do bAAO LII
perial barber-shop, and was received by the
American people without regard to sect,
party, age, color or cleanliness.
The reception of the illustrious visitor at
the White House is reported as follows:
The house appropriated to our refined,
cultivated and beloved Presidential called
the Executive Mansion, is a cold, cherries,
barry sort of structure, with hall of en-
trance constructed by running a glass parti-
ton the length Of the room Immediately
behind the front door. This is grand,
gloomy and peculiar, and here Browns
young man, sent by THE CAPITAL, found
himself, with certain other representatives
of the press, in a group of Executive do
mestics-the last done up in swallow tails,
and white chokers, vibrating in resemblance
between Mississippi gamblers and ministers
of the Episcopal church. Members of the
press are barely tolerated by our military
government, they ranking, in its estimate,
next to politicians, and considered necessary
vermin that it would be a good thing to ex-
terminate if possible-and that not being
possible, to treat with lofty contempt on all
occasions. Perhaps we deserve it for toler-
ating, as many of us do, such an Admins
tratiOn.
Here in this ante-chamber, like 50 many
lackeys in that Of palace in Europe, the
representatives of the mighty press cooled
their journalistic heels. While so doing Mr..
Chorpenning- Creswell entered and passed
through. After came the legal luminary
Alderman, known as old Bumblebee. He too
stalked through like a ghost in Macbeth.
Then came old Five-per-cent, Boutwell,,
the famous financial grocer Of Groton, who
entered and passed up the stairway to the
Presidents Office. A few minutes after a
man appeared with a sponge and carefully
wiped up the tracks left by the syndicate.
We learn that this man with the sponge is
kept to watch and wipe after the Secretary
of the Treasury. At last accompanied by
his chief clerk, appeared the venerable re-
preventative of tee State Department, who
strobe by like Forrest in COrOiidnus and
the govt.
Then followed long, dreary waiting,
varied and made rather worse by few old
Jokes from the press. After this came the
sweet Duke, the Imperial Duck, handsome
as q Missouri mule, and condescending,
heaven bless him! as a ring-master in cir
Gus. To the cheers Of the outsiders he
turned and lifted his hat gracefully, and
then escorted by his guide, philosopher and
friend, Old Cat, and followed by the suite,
he passed on--a glorious pageant of two
seconds. The short-haired diplomat of all
the Russias was gorgeous in nightgown of
silk velvet lined with fur, and resembled
Ben Franklin in a state of insanity. As for
the others they were so lost in gold lace
that Browns young man could not tell one
from the other.
And they all passed in, and with them
the swallow-tailed domestics, who shut the
doors with a wooden damn upon the faces
Of the press. The glass partition remained,
and against this the representatives Of the
mighty press 6attened their eager noses,
and as through glass darby saw the swal-
low-tails of the domestics
This is all. If any journalist claims to
know more he draws on his imagination
and Gen. Dent, U. S. A., and High Custo-
dian, etc., who coming out was surrounded
Immediately and pressed with thousand
and one questions.
The writer, assuming serious tone, con-
cludes by remarking that
"The whole affair was shabby in the ex-
IRENE. If the Grand Duke was to be re-