Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-25
THE CLASSIC RAGEyN wAsuuue.-

PERHAPS there will come no change until
sshington rs no. longer the capital. and We
enc under the direction OF that saving commor
: ne tnst y at the root Of true are. The style
CT ulding At Washington grew out OF the pre-
'A ing taste OF the time, but the retiring waves
OF lSe renaissance-fairly retired, in fact and
TO .ongo. any life or n Ovement in them, settling
dow n into dn,! stagnation,-had received new
imI etus, been set epasmodieally rolling again
by the sentimental enthusiasm, for so called
France just before the Revolution. An enthu-
siasm that spread all over Europe, kindling
to, ch-wood Italy, rousing ggish Germany set
c. mmon-sense John Bull To growing, and even
TO singing in a melo-dramic manner about
Liberty-wlth large L-and the Spartans
finally flowed over to these shores of ours in
soItty refuent manner, and made our sensible,
Irosaic revolutionary fathers and mothers strike
great many attitudes, and say and do MANY
things not at all natural to them. or to any hui
man beings, at any time or in any country. It
II q, public and privat to be erected In imi ia
non OF Greek temples, and that imported into
this country, and into England as well from
ffa,ce, the fashion In furniture which We call
's'yie or the Empire" from Its having been in
vogue during the time of the First Napoleon.
who shared to the full the affectation of CLASH
eism which infected a world of people weak and
foolsh, In that befogged time.
This affectation it was that among other
things, made curule-chairs, and sofas a Ia
gTeeqse, and tiffformal side boards and bureaus
garlands and torches, all the Observation-Disclosures
beautifully made, but dull and lacking in
ideas as ever was furniture Old houses in this
country are full of it, particularly in Baltimore,
fhliadeiPhia, Washington and New York and
IN the Older large towns of New Jersey. All the
furniture in the government official houses i'm
", " Washington, darting from the Jefferson, Frank
I'm, Adams times, is in this style--happiiy almost
an of 1t now disappearing, and getting displaced
by something not much better One sees
traces OF this theatric .afectation for Greek and
bles Of that time, particularly in those of
W ashingtOn, who Is Oftenest represented stanl-
ing by an Empire" table with .fasces for legs
having just risen from a curuie chair, and is
that dignity Is attainable I'm powdered hair, lace
rufes, velvet brooches, silk stockings and shoe
onGkies:l, ms noble figure relieved against
how with marble column in the Roman man.
ner! And just as in France at that time we saw
Madame Tallien at her parties, setting the
their beautiful bodies in gauzes as transparent
as those of Cos-because Aspasia and Sappho
lid so, II they did.-and Madame Racamier at
her salons, appearing with her pretty feet quiet
naked, for similar Greek reasons; and homely,
stumpy Madame DE Stael painted bv Gerard
as Sappho-lyre i'm hand, stumpy figure in pe-
plum, SapPho sitting disconsolate on the
Lesblan rocks. and Napoleon getting his coisD-
nation robes designed in theatrical, imaginary,
Roman imperial style, and taking lessons In
posturing Of Talma against the ceremonial day;
we're playing on the French stage, we have
% sensibie woman as plain Abigail Adams
)ne of the best heads of her time, signing her
etters to her husband "Portia," and he him
'eif. the embodiment of strong common sense
and straightforward honesty, signing his letters
IN the newspapers "Cato."
The memories of this era-this queer MIXTURE
II hair-Towder and pQplums, silk stockings and
eurule- chairs-are written all over the Capitol
1T Washington, as over the White House 1--WE
beg PARDON, we mean '.the Executive Man
SONY the Treasury building, and the Patent
Ofiice-oyer these principally, but also over
much Of less importance.-Scribner's for Feb