The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-04-13
The Ladies Of the White House.

The present is an era of kindly senti-
ment, and, as one token OF it, we are
happy to observe in more than one jour-
nal pleasant notices of the late lady of
the White House. Mrs. Grant seems
TO retire from position of considerable
responsibility with the best wishes of
all who knew her. Undoubtedly she is
not sorry to go. AS a good housewife
she has not probably found the execu-
tive mansion a very convenient place
of abode. All reports concur in repre-
senting that renowned edifice to be in a
condition somewhat dilapidated and ac-
tually verging upon the shabby. In
fact, for eight years Mrs. Grant has had
no house of her own, and has really
been at the head of large Office main
tanned for the use and benefit of the
American people. The modest little
structure which she had left at Galena
was doubtless far pleasanter aud in a
great deal better repair. We are in
clined to believe that Mrs. Hayes will
also think with some regret of her snug,
elegant aud commodious Ohio home, as
the auction advertisements say, "with
all the modern Improvements" We
know at least from her correspondence
that such was the homesick feeling of
Mrs. John Adams, who was always
longing for the old-fashioned residence,
half villa and half farmhouse, which
she had left in Massachusetts.
Both the eX-President and the Presi-
dent are married men. Several of our
Chief Magistrates have not been so for
tunate. Mr.. Buchanan, for instance, a
bachelor of the oldest kind, would have
found his domestic arrangements sorely
trying but for the tact, grace and ele-
gance of his niece. Jefferson, when he
became President, was still mourning
his beautiful wife, too early lost; indeed,
he never ceased to mourn for her. The
charming manners and personal ele-
gance of Mrs. Madison are matters OF
history. When Mrs. Jackson, in the
quiet of the Hermitage, heard of her
husbands election to the Presidency,
she said simply, "Well, for the Gen.
erals sake l am glad; for my own part
[ never wished it," She was dead soon
after; she went to a narrower home
than the White House, and it is told
that the General was never the same
} man afterWard-one of his friends SAID
that he grew twenty years older on the
! night of her death. Mrs. Tyler came
) by the accident of death to the White
, House; and she died there, leaving it!
8 domestic arrangements somewhat a
, hap-haZard for the rest of the Officia
term of her husband. Mrs. Pierce ar
rived at Washington under the SHADOW
of a great and recent bereavement, he
r only child, a fine lad of thirteen years
s having been killed by a railway acci
s dent the preceding January. Mrs. Fill
8 more, it will be remembered, died jus
! after her husband went out of office
8 and political disappointment and do
nestle grief clOuded his last officia
= days. We have not mentioned tn
stately lady of the true aristocratic Vir
, ginian blood, who was the wife o
e Washington, and who will always b
e remembered with him. She was neve
: lady of the White House. OF tn
D wives Of other Presidents there is littl
: known and nothing of public interest t
be said.
q We think it creditable to the cbarac
II ter of American women, and an evidenc
s of their tact and ability gracefully t
d adapt themselves to circumstances, tha
j no Presidents wife has shown any par
e ticular incapacity for the position
through want of. good breeding an
e dignified manners. Usually all the la
:, dies of the Presidents house have bee
!, respectfully treated by the press an
!. the public, and there has been littl
+ scandalous tittle-tattle about any c
It them. Two or three of them have bee
o remarkable for a deeply religious chaI
e acter. We are sure that the best wishe
n of the nation attend the coming of tn
b new mistress of the White House, an
= that in her hands its traditional dignit
u and decorum of life will be preserved
: N. Y. Tribune.