The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-12-04
SELECT LITERATURE.
"REMINISCENCES OF WASHINGTON.
The Polk Administration from 184s to
I84e.
From The .1tlautic Hoathly.

tNuoA YIN WIS 'tS
the eleventh President of the United
/ States on the 4th of March, 1915, rainy,
unpleasant day. Had any method of con-
! testing Presidential election been pro-
vided by the Constitution or the laws,
the fraudulent means by which his cleo
| ton was secured would have been brought
| forward to prevent his taking his seat.
/ But the Constitution had made no such
provision, and Congress had not been
! disposed to interfere: so Mr.. Polk was
duly inaugurated, with great pomp, I'M
| der the direction of the dominant party.
! y prominent place was assigned in the
/ inaugural procession for the Democratic
associations of Washington and other
cities. including the pugilistic Empire
! Club from New York, led by Captain
Isaiah Rynders.
The chief marshal of the procession
having issued an order that no carriages
should enter the Capitol grounds, the
dplomates were forced to alight at a side
gate in the rain, and to walk through the
mud to the Senate entrance. damaging
their feathercd chapeaux and their EN-,
brodered uniforms. to their great dis
pleasure. Conspicuous in the group
around the President when Chief Justice
fancy administered the oath of Office was
Vice President Dallas, tall. erect. and
dignitied, with long snow-white hair fall
ing over his shoulders.
President Polk was nearly fifty years
of age when he was inaugurated, and
was no novice in public life, having served
for fourteen consecutive years in Con-
gress, and for two years as Governor of
the State of Tennessee. He was spare
man. of unpretending appearance and
middle stature, with a rather small head
full, angular brow, penetrating dal k
gray eyes, and firm mouth. His hair,
which he wore long and brushed back
behind his ears, was touched with silver
when he entered the White House. and
gray when he left it. He was worth,
and well-qualified member of the frater-
nifty of Freemasons and a believer in the
creed of the Methodists. although, our
Of Difference to the religious opinions OF
his wife, he attended worship with he,
at the Rev. Mr.. Sprole's Presbyterian
Church. Calm, cold, and intrepid in his
moral character, he was ignorant of the
beauty of moral uprightness in the con-
duet of public affars-ambitious of power
and successful in the pursuit of it. He
was very methodical and remarkably in
dustrious, always finding time to listen
patiently to the stories of those who came
to him as petitioners Of patronage and
place. But his arduous labers impaired
his health and shortened his hfe Be-
fore his term of office had half expired.
his friends were panied to witness his
shortened and enfeebled step and the
air of languor and exhaustion which sat
upon him.
Mrs. Polk was strict Presbyterian.
and she Stunned what she regarded a.
1.-THE vanities of the world" whenever it
was possible for her to do SO. She did
not possess the queenly grace of Mrs.
Madison, or the rm-hearted hospital
ity of Mrs. Tyler, but she presided over
the White House with great dignity.
She was Of medium height and size,
with very black hair, dark eyes and COM
plexion, and formal yet graceful deport-
ment. At the Inauguration of her hus-
band she wore black silk dress. long
black velvet cloak with deep cape,
trimmed with fringe and tassels. and a
purple velvet bonnet, trimmed with satin
ribbon. She would not permit dancing
at the White House. but she did all in
her power to render the administration
of Mr.. Polk popular. One morning q
lady found her reading. Il have many
books presented to me by the writers,
said she, land | try to read them all; at
present this is not possibly: but this
evening the author of this book dimes
with the President, and | could not be
so unkind as to appear wholly ignorant
and unmindful of his gift At one OF
her evening receptions a gentleman re-
marked, Madam, you have very gen
teel assemblage tonight Sir" re
piled Mrs. Polk, with perfect good hu
NOR, but very significantly, Il never
have seen it otherwise"
John {. Calhoun had expected to re
main in the Cabinet as Secretary of State
and he did not hesitate to say that he
was sacrificed to appease the wrath o
Mr.. Van Buren,. Accordingly James
Buchanan became Mr.. Polk Secretar,
of State, and Mr.. Calhoun soon returned
to the Capitol as Senator from Soutl
Carolina, to engineer the extension o
slavery, free trade, and State sover
eighty. His appearance indicated tina
he was over threescore years of age
Bushy eyebrows overshadowed deep blu,
eyes, which CLEANED like stars; his fur
rowed forehead and gaunt checks showed
great mental activity and care, and hi
thin lips had the melancholy look seel
in the portraits of Dante. His long
coarse hair had become gray, and h
wore it brushed back in masses from hi
high forehead. One morning, as he wa
sitting for his portrait in the studio o
Mr. Kellogg, he said to the writer O
these "reminiscences, 81 have always en-
deavored to dress with simplicity tina
yrfI,ll ot and | hora
ceeded, with the exception of my hair
When | wore it short the letter writer
used always to have something to sa
about it. and now that it is long fe;,
that it attracts equal attention. Speak
ing of autographs, lie remarked that hi
original handwriting was round and clear
but that when he was at the Litchtiel
law school his haste in taking note
changed it. 1t was then as erratic an
bold as were his movements in the day
of notification.
Mr.. Buchanan was then in the prim
of life, and his stalwart frame, fair con
plcxion, light blue eyes, courtly MAJ
ners, and scrupulously neat attire promp
ed an English visitor-MrS. Maury-t
say that he resembled British noble
man of the past generation, when til
grave and dignitied bearing of men
power was regarded as an essential attr
butte of their office. Although a bach
lor, he kept house on F street, next
4 ,l,o,