National Republican., 1883-08-20
A French Minister on Washington Forty

Years Ago.
In 1910 and 1871 NJ. de Bacourt was the
minister of France to tho United States. This
included the last year of the administration
Of Mr.. Van Buren, and the beginning of Con.
Harrisons administration. NJ. dc Bacourt
left the manuscript of book giving his
impressions of his residence in this country,
which has recently been published. NJ de
Bacourt arrived in Washington in July. 1870
and recorded as part of his first experience
that ho regarded Washington as peniten-
tiary to which he had beon condemned to
serve term. lie says that the town had
really but one street. that is, Pennsylvania
avenue, which he thus describes:
1t is three miles long. At one of Its extromitles
stands the capitol, the finest edifce in the United
States at the oherC end is the presidents mansion,
surrounded by the department buildings. Penn
sylvanla avenue is cut by transverse Streets in not
one of which have moro than five or six houses
yet been erected other streets radiato from the
presidents mansion, but they are no further ad.
vanced in tho way of building than the Others
that you walk n few hundred PAGES In any
direction you find yourself In the open country.
The avenue is half ns wide again as the Rue dc Ia
Paix IT is planted with trees aud bordercd with
brick sidewalks; the middle is macadamizel,
but being never sprinklcd, is terrible mass Of
dust in summer and a sewer in winter The
other streets are not paved either, but they also
have sidewalks. The aspect Of the town is pretty
enough at this season Oulyl by reason of the YER
dure, but when the trees have lost their leaves
it must be even more dismal than Carlsruhe; the
houses, being but two stories high and all of red
brick, have u mean look. &" The exterior Of
the presidents house is the best thing have seen
in the United States; the pleasure ground is well
shaded well kept, and open to the public; the
whole makes an exceedingly good impression.
From 1t, luckily, you SEQ very little of the sham
city of Washington, which in reality is neither
city nor village. but heap of houses stuck right
and left, in accordance with plan which exists
only on paper"
This picture of the mercurial Frenchman
gives but little idea of the Pennsylvania ave
nue. of to-day. The minister was greatly i'm
pressed with Mr.. Van Buren, as u man of fine,
courtly manners and superior knowledge
The minister thus speaks of his first dinner
at the executive mansion:
We sat down to the table ut and got up at 10.
As the dinner was gwen for me had the seat Of
honor, although all the diplomatic corps was
present; tits courtesy they pay to the newcomer.
When dinner was announced the president took
my arm and conducted me into the dining room,
an extremely handsome apartment, suitably
equipped, aud made me sit down at his right.
The service, for America, was admirable, and the
dinner good The French cook told my valet dc
chambre IL curious story, namely that for some
months past, aud in fact ever since the election OF
president has been the great question of the
day, there pours into the white house au inces-
SAINT stream of people who, in so many words,
call for breakfast or dinner and threaten to vote
against Mr. Van Buren If their demands are dis
regarded The cook says that ho has the greatest
difficulty in the world in pleasing them, aud that
they sometimes send back to him what he has
served and order something else upon the preteXt
that the first dish was bad.
This story, which the valet got from the
cook and related to his master, is fue
specimen of the marine yarn. OF Mr.. Gadsby,
who kept the principal hotel in Washington,
NJ. dc Bacourt says;
He is an old rascal who made fortune in the
slave trade, fGCt which does not prevent WASH.
ington society from rushing to his house, and !
should render my government extremely un-
! popular If refrained from mixing with people OF
| this species This gentleman's house is the
hOndsomest In the town. very well furnished
and admirably arranged but mon Dicu, what
company.
And of the company he found there he
says:
1t gives me q kind of giddiness to find myself in
the midst of such men and such women, all Of
whom vie with one another in bad breeding.
had never reflected on the importance of the rolC
played by politoness in social relations, but nov
pronounce it their fundamental basis and indis
pensiblc condition. The married women, ridicu
lousy dressed, stand in ring around the walls O
the drawing room, each clinging desperately t
her husbands arm. This may be highly moral
but assuredly 1t Is grotesque; even the common
people in our provincial towns manage to make
better figure.
NJ. dc Bacourt thought Con. Harrison an
ill-mannered man; Mr. Webster pompous anC
not by any means great man. Mr. Rober
c. Winthrop of Massachusetts; Mr.. Bancroft
Mr.. Kennedy, of Maryland, and Washington
Irving he speaks highly of.