The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-01-06
MAShIN0ToN ] anuary Z, I610.

cial, DIPLOMATIC and Rustic--
An Occasion OH which the Gen.
tIemcn OutdreSsed the Ladies.
- WARRINGTON January4, 1875.
Correspondents Of the Wheeling IntellIgeneot.)
The customary receptions were held
and attended by an unusually large NUM-
Der, in this city on the first day OF the
Centennial year. In the morning we were
threatened with longer continuation OF
the six days Of mist, mud and RAIN but,
ut noon, there was warm and bright as
surance that the sun had not gone the
way OF Prof. Proctor's moon. Such balmy
weather as We have had since is rare ut
this season, even in Washington. 1tgave
the ambassadors and attaches OF the for
eign legations, as well as our army and
navy officers, an opportunity to display
in the streets, unclOaked and unoyer-
coated, the gorgeous uniforms OF their
several natiohalities. Throughout the
sunny day they could be seen epauletted,
padded, belted, corded, laced and be-
dizcned, on foot, or in open carriages, en-
route to pay their respects to the Presi.
dent, Cabinet ministers, people in official
life Including foreign ministers resident
here, as well as to many families OF pri-
vate citizens who are "in society,"" as the
saying ia. The new regulation uniforms
are tasteful in style and decoration, and
compare very favorably. with the uni.
forms OF the various foreign powers.
These far excel ours in width Of gold lace,
gayety OF color, and profusion oipectoral
decoration. But ours is gay enough, and
think We have succeeded pretty well in
making compromise between the osten'
tatious plainness Of the Quaker and the
gorgeous ostentatiousness OF the rooster.
OF course the pivotal point in the
Washington New Year ceremonies ia the
White House. The members OF the cab
met and justices Of the Supreme Court ar
range their hours of reception so us to
avoid conflict with the programme OF the
Executive Mansion. At II O'Clock the
President with Mrs. Grant, Col. Fred.
Grant and his wife, received the members
OF his cabinet, the foreign ministers and
attaches Of legation; at 1880, tho Judges
Of the Supreme Court Senators, and Rep
resentatives IN Congress; at II NJ, the
officers Of the army and navy; at 1890
the assistant secretaries OF Department,
chiefs OF the several burcaux, veterans OF
tho wars Of 1912 and Of Mexico. AT one
o'clock the gates OF the White House
grounds, which till then had been guard.
ed, were opened and the large mass Of
every age, race, sex, color, possible con-
dition OF toilet and bodily uncleanliness,
rushed in to take their annual pull at the |
Presidential hand. Country bells and
beaux were there, from Maryland and
Virginia; and proud young married
couples who had brought their first and
as yet only little tottercr to shake hands |
with the President. observed in this
thoroughly representative and democrat
ic throng an ex.cabinet officer, ex-mem-
bers OF Congress, common laborers, mer-
chant princes, and sailors with the pecu-
liar gait taught them by the waves.
The crowd was too large to be admitted
all at once. It was formed in IN irregular
column, about six abreast, and admitted
by policemen in squads Of about forty at
a time. As each installment passed
through the ante.chamber, it approached
the reception room OF the President be-
tween n double file OF policemen facing in
ward. These, withoutappearing TO do 80,
very closely and intently scrutinized each
caller rs he passed in. It, Of course,
proved an unnecessary but itcould hard
ly be called foolish precaution. 1t
would be quite easy, on an occasion like
this, for fanatical patriot to whip out q
bodkin and make quietus OF the third
term spook, ifa detective should not see
it in his eye, before he entered the pres
cnCe.
The Marine band played in the ante
cha mbcr as the interminablc column,
with constant accessions TO its rear, filed
into the presence Of the President, who
had stood for three hours, without ci-
gar, herOically smiling, and shaking
hands. He was in full dress, black vest
and neck-tie, his originally white kid
glove showing evident signs OF fatigue.
Tho representatives Of the press had been
early favored with positions from which
they could observe this pageant, with
its foreign and domestic, patrician and
plcbeian features. To your correspondent
the most interesting portion Of the spec
tacle was not the representatives OF the
foreign governments, in the uniforms Of
their respective courts, for once outvicing
the ladies in gayety and variety OF cos
tune; it was not the President, whom Gus
tom has made something OF courtier;
nor pseudo Col. Fred Grant, his pretty
wife in pink silk; Mrs. Grant in brim-
stone silk, nor Mrs. Fish in black silk.
Thespectacle most interesting to him, as
It would have been 10 you, was that which
he has described at greatest length-the
reception Of the plebs, the "profdnum ruI-
gus" the people,! Tho admission Of the
humblcst citizen, as it were, to the court
circle, his feership there, his right to as
pire 10 the highest place there, is q step
that it has cost something to make, and
which, in the retrospective annals Of tho
wonderful future, will be deemed well
worthy to mark nm epoch and u century.
There were many other receptions, Of
fetal and non-oilicial, in Washington,
where grace and beauty received, and
from which incipient manhood departed
with an intoxication more subtitle, softer
and perhaps less pernicious than Of wine.
But philosophers are not agreed on this
point.
It is said there was less drunkenness
than usual; the man who has an intoxi-
cometer and the statistics, perhaps,
knows.
The addresses Of fifteen hundred homes
that would be open on that day, with the
names of the ladies who would receive in
each, had been published in the papers,
but there were not half the number that
had their latch strings out to their friends.
And now may not your correspondent
pay his respects to your readers, and
wish them the compliments oft the season?
Perhaps every writer, however obscure,
may have two or three readers who do
not shun that portion Of the paper that is
over his name. Perhaps these have OBJ
served beneath his not very happy efforts
to write something gossipy and interest
ing, u deeper purpose to hold up Tor
them mirror of our government rs it
appears here at thecentre-ag government
with which We as citizens arc too little ae-
quainted, and which fatal national ego