National Republican., 1882-12-26

our business transactions we are century in
advance Of ourselves, and old In our expert
enccs, as well as weighed down with the
responsibilities of having all the world
Knocking at our commercial doors.
SOUTHERN CHRISTMAS.
1t has been the good fortune of your cor
respondent to be south on two Christmas sea-
sons, once in the Gcorgias, where life was
beautiful idyl and once in Washington city,
and the genial hospitality, the natural out
going of thorough kind heartednc4s win
always be remembered and particu-
larly so, in contrast TO Calcula-
tion and interest which marks per.
haps, necessarily 50, all of humanities ac-
tions. That was the time when Francis Blair
controlled and edited the Washington GiOJe
and kept open house from Christmas TO twelfth
night at Silver Spring; when Joseph Gales aud
Seaton owned and edited the IntcUigeRccr, that
most respectable journal, which would not per-
nit personals" or interviews in its col
umns, and when a dinner in either of the two
mems houses meant n feast of reason ms well
as of liberal good cheer. Then Mr.. Seward
was senator from New York, and gave his
first seasons dinners, those famous dinners
which always characterized his house as one
where the owner was on good things intent,
to the party of noble Hungarian exilcs, who
came ont with Gen. Uhazy aud became col
ony in southwestern Missouri. Then the
wassail was brewed at Halloween in the houses
of southern residents, and the bowl kept
filled until after twelfth night. Mr.
Oule Tayloe, Secretary Meredith. the twoKing
brothers, members, one from New York and one
from New jersey, and Mr.. Corcoran, dis
pcnsed most generous hospitality in their sew
eral houses on Presideuts square. Hosts of
representatives flockcd to the city from north
aud south, west and east to he on in time for
the Christmas merry making. Daniel Web
ster lived most unostcntabously on Judiciary
square, and Mrs. Webster We'd with Mrs
Bell, of Tennessee, in winning golden favor
from the people for those courtesies of life
which made them so popular in society, while
Mrs. Hamilton Fish, and Lady Bulwer, did
the stately and elegant on unlimited incomes,
at the west end of the town. Betty Bliss
then lady ut the white house, in brief reign,
showed the world u native born lady, and
Nine. de In Barcl, as high oracle in all CON
tested matters of etiquette, was leader in
Washington diplomatic and constitutional So
cicty. Henry Clay kept the parlors of the Ma
tional filled, and the famous society BELLE Mrs
Ashley, aftcrward Mrs. Crttcndcn asstscd
him in entertaining everybody until after
Christmas time. In the common walk of
life an immense colored population, the
pctted slaves of indulgent and wealthy mas
tcrs, made a mcrrimcnt peculiar to the blacks
and were an element i'll social life unknown
to this generation.
With the lapse of more than a quarter of
a century, many and noticeable changes have
been made in Washington, and those poculi-
arities which make Washington at Christmas
time like the far south have passed away with
those who have their homes when times and
seasons are unknown. But always Christmas
in the south is totally unlike that season
north partaking more of the patriarchal
usages of large landed proprictorS, who are
liberal and hOspitable because many depend
upon him, and the merry abandon of the nom
responsible negro race. For fun and COM
fort and also retrospective enjoyment the
south furnishes the most enjoyable Christ
mas. FRITZ,