Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-02

Yesterday had several characteristics which
caused it to differ from other New Year DAYS +.
While the visiting and receiving was general,
the city has spread to such An extent, even
since the last anniversary, that the streets
looked more like Sunday in their quetness
than the great social day of the year, for in no
one place was there the crowd of carriages or
pedestrians as of yore. The hours were so Inn
tied for the Cabinet receptions, and the resi-
dences so far apart, that IL was difficult to make
the rounds in the prescribed two hours.
The table of refreshments at the house of
the Secretary OF State was sumptuous. The
diplomats made their call upon the Secretary
and Mrs. Fish before removing their court dress.
After this ceremony was over they donned then
customary attire and visited generally.
- The President made round OF calls after
his own lcree was over.
Among the large number of callers upon
Governor Shepherd yesterday was President
Grant.
- 1t is impossible to partcularize concerning
the many brilliant receptions and the eleganl
toilt ties of the ladies. The gentlemen observed
that they never remembered time when the
ladies seemed SO bent upon making it pleasant
TO all their visitors.
Last evening music and dancing was the
order OF amusement in most of the gay houses
where there were young people.
Some of those who called yesterday accom-.
plished over two hundred visits.
The refreshment tables have never been
more bountifuly supplied than they were yes
terday, and no idea of hard times was suggested
by the dinng-foom displays to be seen on every
hand
In our notice of the entertainment at Mrs
Bryan's, few evenings since, an error occur
red, through mis- announcement at the time
in attributing to another lady the authorsh lip OF
the beautiful little poem, Pas EHcore, which
was really the production of Mrs Jeffrey.
We dislike to say anything unlavorable in
regard to the arrangements OF Gen. Babc1ck ,
which are generally so admirable as to win uni
yersal praise. But 1t is said that even Homer
nodded at times; that ii Gen. b. misses IL oc-
castOnally IT Is perhaps not to be wondered at
And miss it he did touching the treatment OF
the fourth estate at the official reception at the
executive mansion, yesterday as well as last
new year day. These occasions are purely of
fetal affairs, and are go announced. They are
not in any sense OF the word private, and the
custom has always been that they should be re-
ported in the public journals just as are the
proceedings in Congress or other events OF pub
lie interest. Yet the members of the press OIL
me last two occasions have been simply admit
ted to the house, and then forced to occupy only
such positions as would etiectuaIIy pre- vent thei
seeing anything Of the ceremonies of the day.
Newspaper representatives, do not attend these
eNh bItiOns from morbid curiosity, nor from auy
love of the thing but solely in the interest OF
the participants aud the general public; and il
they are admitted on such an OCCASION at all
they should be placed where they can see and
hear what is. going on, in order that they may
report proceedings correctly. Yet yesterday
they were forced TO remain with the lackeys and
cloak holders of foreign ministers, etc, in the
outer yestibule or common hall of the building
where they were no better off, SO far as their
professional duties were concerned, than II they
mad held promenade tickets for the front por
1co. As members of an honorable profession
in discharge OF their duties in the interest OF
the public, correspondents and reporters are
entitled 10 cvility and consideration wherever
they may he legitimately called by such duties
and we trust that there will not be any ground
for complaint on this score in the future They
should either be excluded altogether or be al
lowed such facilities as will enable them to do
satisfactorily what they undertake in the way
OF furnishing intelligence of public affairs.