Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-08-14

9 s1ErEnoON AND MERRY
iil ltso chaneed thatth British Minister fro
r. 1893 TO 1909. with whom Jefferson n,
., most to do. Merry BY name bat not he n,
sure, vas fanatic Of etiquette; and L !,
pears that previous to his presentation !,
. the President he had not heard of n
. ounness-like manner in which the ,ff.i1
o. the White House were coudo docted. n
= wa stunned at the manner Of his rece,
eloe: u made IN Impression unon 4;
ID mind which neither explanation no, ~
Is lapse OF years could even soften, much Ia,
obliterats. And. really. when we cons;d
g er that ne had passed bis life at court
l. where the nod. the smile, the frowp. th
glance, the tone. the silence, the presence
: the absence Of the head of,he eovernmen
y were matters of importance to be notec
u recorded. transmitted, and weighed. y,
ought not to laugh at this Mr.. Merry a,
= We do. Besides. as Mr.. Jefferson r..
marks. Poor Merry had learned moth.
ing OF diplomacy but its suspicious, with.
out head enough to distinguish when thew
were misplaced" Nevertheless he come.
Gown to US borne on the billow of laugh.
Ter ana ne remains to this day one Of the
STOCK Jesfs OF Washington. Thus he re-.
counted his woes. three wears after IN.
event. to Mr.. Josiah Quincy. of Massa.
chusetts, the ablest Federalist in CONGRESS
.. and one of the wor,hiest:
81 called on Mr.. Madison. Vim ,ccor,
panied me officially to introduce me to the
President. We went together to the man.
s'on-house. | being in full official costume.
as ,he etiquette Of my place required on
such formal introduction of a Minister
from Gress Britain to the Presiden. of the
United States. On arriving at the hall of
audience we found it empty. at which Mr..
Madison seemed surprised, and proceed.
ed to an entry leading to the Presidents
study. followed him, supposiup tho in
PRODUCTION was to take place IN the adioin.
ing room. AT this moment Mr.. Jefferson
entered the entry at the other end, and ali
three OF us were packed in this narrow
space. from which, to make room. | was
Obliged to back out. In this awkward
position my introduction to the President
was made by Mr.. Madison. Mr.. JET r.
sons appearance soon explained to me that
the general circumstances of nv recen,;on
had not been accidental. but studied. 7
10 my ofhcia! costume. found myself. at
the hour of reception he had himself an.
pointed. introduced to a man as President
OF the United States. not merely in an
nndress. but actually standing in slippers
down at the heels. and both pan,aloons
coat. and underclothes indicative of an nj.
ter siovellness aud Indifference to appear
ances. and in state Of negligence actu-
ally studied. l could not doubt that the
whole scene was prepared and interded ,s
an Insult, not to me personally. but to the
sovereign | represented"
1t Is just possible that Mr.. Jefferson
thought that morning of the. time when
Gouverneur Morris kicked his heels four {
months IN London waiting for the bro.
missed answer to the British Government,
to as reasonable and urgent a commu-
n'cation from President Washington as !
one government ever made to another. and c
then had to leave England without get. $
ting it. Possibly. also. it did happen to 4
occur to his memory that Mr.. Adams had S
heen kept vainly waiting three years in {
England for reply to the same proposals.
Perhaps. too. he remembered the period h
when he himself was presented to the c
King of England By Mr. Adams. and the '
h'ng froze to them both-an example which II
was followed by the Kings friends" and q
society generally. 80 that it required cour- a
age for courticr to show them more than e
rold civility at an evening party. And q
this. while they were only asking the Kino I
70 stay the bloody ravages Of the Indians d
BY giving up the seven posts within the e
OF their country. He NAV, IL
too. have thought of the time when he. t
Is Secretary Of State. would send an i'm. r
oortant communication to the British Min r.
ster at Philadelphia, and wait manv v
months for an Answer; but If he failed to G.
answer letter within three or four DAYS o
ne would be ''goaded" by second. Per. Al
iaps he thought the time had come 10 "
show the federalsts that he did no, accep. d
treat Britain at her own valuation, and 81
lid not believe that she was fighting the b
battle Of man and liberty against Bona. x
,ar'e. 1t may be. too. that he, knowing u
he childish politics of Europe and what d
ridiculous importance was attached there
o trifies. may have paused before ringing &C
or pair Of shoes not down at the heels, NJ
md wondered if his old slippers. duly re. 10
'orted to Bonaparte. might not drive an. e'
'thcr nail into the bargain for Louisiana. m
ust concluded by Mr.. Livingston and b.
1r. Monroe. to the great joy of President al
nd people. All these thoughts NAV have m
lifted through the Presidents mind and tf
leid back his hand from the bell-rope: but Is
a all probability he had no thoughts of 10
he kind. and only wore the clothes he US g
lally did while at work. b!
A few weeks after arrived in Washing. e.
on the young Irish poet. Thomas Moore. b
rho had crossed the Atlantic in the same X
hip with Mr.. and Mrs Merry. To him p
lso. the affronted Brison related hi. sor. "
ows. and even exhibited the Prcsiden. Ii
lad in the same style. Mr. Merry pres. IN
nted Mr.. Moore to the Presiien. at the in
White House. II found kim.- the noe, p
ecords. ''sitting with General Dearborn d.
nd one or two other officers, and in ,b. ly
ame homely costume. comprising slippers tt
nd Connsuara stockings. in which Mr.. o,
derry had been received BY him. much in
that formal Minister'S horror, when IN
rating on him in full dress to deliver hi. in
redentials. My single interview with ic
h's remarkable person was Of very short
uraiion; but to have seen and spoken tn 3,
he man Who drew up the Decisn,iou of N
Independence was an event not 70 BE- fur. :,
often" The Poes did no. approve of 81