New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-01-24
THE PRESIDENTS LEVER.
WHO GO AND WHAT THEY SEE.

WHO GO AND WHAT THEY SEE.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2l.-One is inclined to
think at every Presidents Levee that the OF that
ndscrminatc throng must have arisen in very rebound
from the secluson Of the Grand Llama However It came
about, though, 1t Is of the few purely democratic
institutions in our ostensbly democratic counry-no in
its appearance, which is magnificent but in the fact that
all made equally welcome there. In lands where
royalty stn maintains sway, the masses Of the people
have to majesty under its own roof; and II Is
only the jcweed and decorated nobility who have the
privilege OF summing themselves in the chlgenco OF
power But in land things reversed; and it is
thought necessary In the political scheme OF free gov
eminent that the citizen should be able to reach the
administrator TO whom he las entrusted public affairs
socially we it is considered OF Importance that the
Presidents house and hours should be at the disposal Of
the people. Here, them every throngs and enjoys
the much may be and, except in the Blue
Room, the Immediate Presence, there is distmc-
ton OF persons Early on the appointed evening OF
such ceremony the White House blaze the Government
bands begin their sturdy music carriages thunder
through the gates, policemen yell, cOachmen baSpheme,
ushers tear escort and escorted asunder wraps
rendered as the Sadducee bures his friends expected
to be again. and suddenly crowd has seized
you with a hundred hands, and fr and furbelow, lace
and ribbon, are crushed in the gigantic grasp which
drags you through four doorways till YOU work yourself
free in the Red Room, where immense portrait Of the
Presidents family solaces you till you can look at the
real article in the Blue Room.
The Blue Room is glare OF glory, azure and gold
and white multiplied from mirror to mirror, and wonder
full shedding light over the soft blue carpets the
upholstery, the stands of flowers and the splendid mass
below. Your name is called your hand touched pair
OF eyes look you TO the next behind, you
have passed the President appartion Of Iiamlct's
mother in red velvet and jewels Is the Presidents wife,
presented array ladies appal you with emerald
satin. and pearls, witha "Worhs" dress OF dovecoored
silk point lace and diamonds with rainbow CT blue and
black and rose and gold fabrics and Miss Nellie Grant,
who last year. with her pretty hair down her back,
capered around the parlors confons You with pus
and rolls and pink satin paners You borne along
by the crowd through the gloomy Green Room to the
magnifcence OF the East Room This is the only paror
! the mob have. They make the most Of 1.-THE Goody
share OF an acrcthey have the relGes OF red curtains
| at the windows the broadest Of gold cornices above
them they have hung the portraits OF all their chief
public servants in the panels between tie squarerOds OF
looking glass that reflect themselves; huge chandeliers
| shine with thousand pendants and thousand Jets
above them, and because basCborn foreign crowds tread
on marble floors they have theirs ufted velvet
woven on a special loom covered with an inhnitude of
all the imposs bic scrolls and leaves with which designers
know how TO torment the and walk rejoicing 2n the
biggest carpet in the world. Thus reyoves, like the
medley In vast Kaleidoscope throng that might puz-
ze any celestial observer to its obiectn circng round
| and round and round TO the bare Of the buges and
ophclcides in the hall. Old people totter by With
foot in the grave; % child in follows; presently
comes rural bride in all the fairness Of her inarpropr
ate vail and orange blossoms crppes, dwarfs, heroes,
beauties elbow her.
OF course, the Presidents levee the diplomats are
out in force-the whe-whiskeTed Mr. Edward Thornton,
tne little astute Baron Gerolt, with his future sJninaw
the Greek Raucabe and Madame Ccro!t hcrsel who has
just the world magnaHmOus an example in giving
the French Fair the unused articles Of the German
one the dark Spanish Minister; perhaps the browneyed
| NJ pp
color and black-he name-coor strange admxture Of
fire and blood-hafyaied by her rich Chantly and sub
dued By the luster 81 her diamonds here Il the Count
Turenne beloved OF the young ladies; here are cluster
OF youthful German mobiles; here tho Batazzi Ehend
does duty for lis whole legation here Is Madame la
Marquise de ChambruD, pale faced, calm, looking like
prints Of her great ancestor Lafayette enoIgh to endear
her to all our hearts; here Madame Catacazy moves
along, superb piece OF Northern grandeur, golden
haired bueeycd, highcOOred, her waXen shoulders rms
ing from the sumptuousness OF black velvet and web
Of black illusion gathered beneath in her hair and
alling all around her like shadow.
Here the Secretary of the Treasury qnet, hand
some graye-wth him his pretty daughter Miss George
| Boutwell, proudly exhibited by her cOuntTymen as a
type the NewEn gland girl yonder passes Gail Ham
nton Iosy and happy, with Sydneyiiyde whose great
ovecolored eyes have danced just as gayy over Euro
pean crowds. II you wait long enough all the Senators
and Members will pass In review before you-picturesque
Fenton the bluff Chandler, the AtheEian Conkhng, and
host OF whom the sight is common that strangers are
more distinguished but all OF them provided with the
preest partners they could find Here come some Cuban
ladies, lovely patriots. their jewels flashing less than
their eyes, their silks pale beside their checks as they
work their Island in the midst OF pleasures and here
Mrs Senator Ames in her radiance moves before you
She wears white san shoulders and train edged with
deep swansdOwn; a cluster Of oriental pearls Is
in the lace at her throat and high in the masses
of golden hair that and glitter around II great
white lily trembles. She passes, and others take her
place ruddy admirals roll along; here ramps the
General Armies finding something before him OF
which he really is afrada lady's train; here stands
Morris who sunk the Cumberland, her guns firing, her
colors flying here Gen. Cushing keen dark alive with
nervous energy talking with Cushing OF the Abcmale,
whose Wild eyes looking out for fresh danger and ex
ctement into which to punge and hcre-here the band
put up their instruments the crowd suddenly derses
TO the winds and chaos regns In dress
ing room and vesbue and out OF the silence or the out
side night chorus OF shouts and outcries resounds OF
CALI for coaches oahs and answers-and the Levee Is
a thing Of the past.
FISK JR., IMPOSED UPON-BUYING FALL RIVER
STEAMBOAT.