The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-03
A Senatorial Opinion of the Pur-
pose of Good Society.
"REMINISCENCES OF JEFF DAVIS.
Disappearance of the Old
Resident Families.
Receptions and Parties-Mrs Freeman's Party
General Burnside the Ladies' Pet-Mrs.
Conkling's Reception-Secretary Delano-
The Strange Story Of General Paul.

Auo SGuu6o osoIy Va O0AOAoA
WASHINGTON, Jan. 81, 1879
Reflections upon the decay OF social life and en-
Joyment at the capital are not cheerful at any
time, and at this time, having regard for place and
season. may not even be profitable; but they are
the unbidden spectres who come in and seat them
selves at the dreary banquet that society has this
Winter spread and they Will not be waved away
The early promise OF a gay season at Washing
ton has not been verified, and murmurs of discon-
tent are heard on every side from tired and dis
appointed votaries of pleasure They find that the
growth OF the form Of society has oil but quenchcd
the spirit that gives zest to the pursuit of social
joys, and though they may not stay to reason
from the cause the effect is palpable to the least
Observant eye. The veterans begin to sigh for the
old days, and listen in sullen silence to those who
would assure them that the cold days. are never
more to be new, and that such Is the memorable
logic OF events They do well to mourn Here, as
elsewhere, ''modern ideas' have entered upon the
stage. They are ''practicaln and "prOgressiven in
tendency, and tradition finds no place or welcome
in the current order of affairs In society
ExTRAvAGANCE AND DISPLAY
have taken the place OF economy and comfort, and
money-that all-pervading innuence-has sent
character into exile. Doubtless such style of ex-
tedious by too frequent use in painting the
decadence of public and social life, but it is be-
cause the same agencies are at work here as every
where that the stereotyped forms OF expression
called IN to describe their results Two OF the once
nourishing arts of polite fe-social conversation
and correspondence-have fed before the intro
ductiOn OF 1.-The shop" into the family and social
circle, and the ubiquty of the modern newspaper
In social as in other concerns, and now the con-
Iinued and exclusive devotion OF all classes to the
'useful arts threatens the extingushment OF the
poor remainder OF the arts polite that are the
foundation and cement OF a truly social Organlza-
ton. AS 4 bay window philosopher, of Senatorial
rank, remarked to your correspondent at recent
afternoon reception on street,
"THE PLACE AND PURPOSE OF GOOD SOCIETY
In the future civilization of this people IS much
matter OF uncertainty the place and influence OF
Richard Wagner in the music OF the future. 'Ts
no disrespect to Wagner that prompts the sugges-
ton that the social Is OF TAR greater consequence
than the musical problem"
Nothing is more noticeable to the keen observer
OF social events in Washington than the gradual
disappearance OF the old resident families from
what by general usage Is called society. The pres
ent standard OF genteel Lille is marked TOO high Tor
them; and-too poor To rival the later generations
and too proud to expose their poverty where pow
ample to those who know and fear not TO travel the
road they learn to keep themselves of
THE HIGHWAY OF FASHION
and spend their days in secusion. Young Society
sees them CO. and, pansing a moment to stlgmatize
'oll families" rs huulbug and sold houses" AS q
fraud goes on with the glitter and the noise that
make up modern miscaled pleasure"
To return to our lnuttons, there Is nothing to
say oil last week except that Its record Is but q
bare repetition OF the week before. On the same
days OF the week the same people have been at
nome in full reception dress, and the same people
have rolled up TO their doors in carriages and
stalked into their parlors to repeat TO them the
things already said ana exchange the old formulas
wi ha her nlpft Va fnav ma
met on the old reception rounds The reception
rooms bore the seli-same appearance, even the
Neral decorations being as scentless and slightly
as OF Old. still, there were changesl In botn
saloon and carriage toilets there had been ut least
hall turn Of the Kaleidoscope, resulting IN new
and those who received had another weeks weari-
hess OF the whole thing added to their lmmobe
faces, and the gasghts-Washington gasghts,
which have been III a slow decline since the cual
famine IN England became epidemicmwere per-
ceptibly greener in hue and ieebler In illumination
than when last lighted up Tor company.
LARGE PARrYlAND MRS. FREEMAN'S.
Large parties, or parties OF any Kind have been
being given up to the. outer formalltes, and they
only tempered by the Introduction OF lunching and
given at the noted house OF Mrs. Freeman, on
street, near the Arlington bringing together COM
pany not often seen in these degenerate days in
Washington drawing rooms. just enough OF the
better KIND OF society people OF the present era
were invited to inform the outer word that the
snowy and formal gayeties that now prevail
are but sorry substitutes for the real and
hearty delights OF bygone school. aud
70 show how different from the insolent
lords and subsidy lobbyists who haunt their mag
nihcence at the West End and on Capitol Hin Is the
simple grandeur OF former days The Freeman
House, built many years ago 10y Colonel Freeman
Of the army. and still occupied by his widow anu
daughters, Is yet the largest and finest house in
town, and Is more imposing in its simple elegance
than the latest OF the late architectural trumphs
excepting, perhaps, the house OF Quartermaster
General Melgs, on vermont avenue, built nom his
own designs after personal study OF the hnest
edidccs oi'every part OF Europe.
Another relic OIL "a house has been brought into
notice through the medium OF "kettle-,rulnr
given by Mrs. Wise. the widow OF Captain Henry
A. Wise, nephew and namesake OF the eccentric
the mead OF the Navy Ordnance Bureau and Of
very distinguished talent IN science and ntera-
ture Mrs. Wise Is the daughter OF Edward Ever
EFT, OF Massachusetts. and on her return from
EurOpe--where she went as wife and returned
rs q widow--she bought back her fathers house.
Just westward OF the Navy Department, as u home
for herself and two lovely daughters. In IL had
ved, after her father, Jefferson Davis, when Score.
'tary OF War and Jacob Thompson when secretary OF
the Interior While occupied by Davis the house
was alive with entertainment. but Thompson,
whose term or Office was heavy with plots and
schemes OF disnnion, kept quiefer state. These
men are both MJssissippians; but the naughty lords
al tue cotton heds were never VOL opposed TO-
ward DAVIS, whom they were fond OF affectedly
tnespising plebeian. and debased and ruined as
hey now are in position and fortune they AFFECT TO
sAowereo on 'Jefi-i by the state and the coned-
ersley the honor Of being gentleman was grudg.
n my accorded trd 70 him at home. II is
nations may iail TO lind appreciation "up North"
Dut Due southern gentlemen has little but
his traAlbons lett, and TO them he cings with an
energy Dofu OF the despair of finding anyLhing bet
ter for hu an the present state OF affairs IL only
needs lev lree conferences with these gentlemen
In gray as.fdGy wander up this way now aud then
TO look at Che Yankee capital and see the 4nig-
gers" In Col,gress, TO understand the whole SOUTH
ern question qna 10 lose hope for anything better
I'LL those OF the departing generation sleep with
their fathers
B,vHbSJDE IN SOCIETY.
The round baln, head and big whiskers Of Cenero,
Ambrose Burnside have been conspicuous n, |
societys saloons OF Jase, the General being here on
y "missionn Tor son.N steamship men who want a |
host OF "reminiscences Vfiow the man as he moves
through throng OF bla ek and white shoulders his