The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-01-02
THE WHITE HOUSE.
Its Social History of the Past
Eighty Years-Some Curious
RecollectiOns.
From Washington to Hayes.

Col Forney's Progress, in q
Washington letter, gives the follow
ing brief but interesting account OF
the social history of the White
House:
Fashionable people, as we'll as
statesmen, like the excitement oil
political capitals. In our own coun-
try a simple President is a sad
damper on shoddy visitors and
speculative residents. President
Jefferson, more than eighty years
ago, grossly outraged polite society
by refusing to continue or counte
nance. weekly recepLions, and every
body remembers how he offended
the ladies, when Washington had
not a decent hote! within its ten
miles square, by walking into the
President ial mansion IN muddy
boots, after they had called to see
him. Madison followed with his
jolly Dolly, who established a sort
of dangerous sentiment in her re-
ceptions. The next President, Mon
Quincy Adams was the embodiment
of unresponsive New England hdu-
tear.
sOld Hickory" came in 1889,
and although by no means a ladies'
man, wrecked his first cabinet on
account of Mrs. Undertake. Mr..
Van Buren, succeeded him, and
made Knickerbocker society in the
White House; but he was so genteeI
that even his naughty son John
could not eXtempOrize scandal
tor him. Then we had Gen. Harri-
son, who died before his regime was
month old, giving way to John
Tyler, with his airy son, Robert,
and they went out in row with the
Wings, so neglected because they
had no party of their own, that no
body seemed to care if they were
bad or good. James X. Polk and
Mrs. Polk came in 1915. At last
we had a real lady in the White
stately, Southern and safe;
nothing could be more attractive.
All their four years reign was so
cially blameless and respectable.
They were followed by Gen. Taylor;
his household, Col. Bliss and his
handsome wife, looked like a long
season of very good society. But
as old Zach died at the end of his
first year, that dream was soon over,
leaving Mr.. Fillmore to exc out the
term; cold. conservative and selfish.
Along came dashing Frank Pierce,
but his wife was an invalid, and as
his only son was killed in railroad
accident a month before his father
was installed, that administration,
like nearly all the rest, was con-
Quoted almost without a woman.
When Frank Pierce left, James
came in with his niece,
Miss Harriet Lane, as mistress of
the White House. Nothing could
have been more cheering; her reign
was one of roses, and she was i'm
medIately esteemed. She lives to-
day, much loved as the handsome
wife of q Baltimore banker. Mr..
Lincoln succeeded, but the rebel
lion turned the White House into a
semi military barrack, and his ad
closed with his assas
leaving Mrs. Lincoln, his
widow, a living ruin. Nothing
could have been more reputable
than the ladies of Mr.. Johnson's
family. Gen Grant, of all his pred
ecessors, seems to have been most
fortunate in his wife and children.
He had eight years of civil and do
nestle comfort. His successor,
Mr.. Hayes, is having an equally
pleasant experience.
Such is the brief domestic record
OF the Presidency since the door of
the nineteenth century was opened.
The first and second Chief Magis-
trates, Washington and John Ad-
ans, had DO special domestic happi-
ness to exempt them from the gen
eral rule.
The retrospect is curious and in
teresting. During these eighty
years the Old World has been
in blood to maintain its
several governments. England
alone has held her sway without al
iteration. France, Spain, Germany,
Italy, Austria, Belgium, and Hol-
land have all been the alternate prey
of revolution and anarchy. All
have been swept by war or subject
ed to change. The social element
has suffered conspicuously. Queens
have been deposed with their kings.
Courtiers have fled for refuge to
foreign lands. AssassinaLions have
preceded and supplemented great
wars. Fashions have passed away
with dynasties. But through all
there is one profound truth, that
mankind is happier in the mass in
the sunset of. the century than it
was in the dawn. Certainly, the
most stable government is the
Where the English
language is spoken, and English
laws administered, there has been
a greater aggregate of human hap
piness. Such is the retrospect of
ninety years, or rather, since the
election of George Washington,
in 1889. The aggregate is before
the world, and there is no place
where it can be more profitably
studied than in the city of Washing
ton, and no page of it is more inter
esting than that which records the
inner life of our sixteen Presidents.
Al Aid Paeh i, TroF1hia