Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-04
WHITE HOUSE DINNERS.
Style ia Invitations as Set Or the Prest-
demts--A Dinner aUtth Washington.

| UtIS0--1 DtItstOT tCtbS pNSHst0SOs"
Washington Cor. Philadelphia Times,
President Arthur, whose dinner partie
will begin soon after New Year, will US
the same style of invitation as last year
which was on a large card and read:
The President requests the honor of th'
company of -, at dinner on -.
Thursday was usually the day of thu
week he chose last year for his dinners
which was the day Washington preferred
when president. I have before me copies
which 1 have made from the origina
invitations of several presidents.
First, of course, comes one of Gen
Washington's. This 1 have copied from
one in the possession of Mr.. J. @. G. Ken
nedy, whose grandfather, Major Ellicott
was one of the engineers who laid out this
city. The invitation reads:
The President of the United States and
Mrs. Washington request the Pleasure OF
COMPANY to Dine on--nexti at
o'clock. An answer is requested.
-, 49,,
Mr.. Fillmore, while president, had one
style of invitation on note paper and an
other on large card. Sometimes Mrs
Fillmore's name appeared with his and
sometimes not. One style was worded:
The President requests the favor OF
IS company at dinner on Thursday
next at o'clock.
An answer is respectfully requested
Another style used by him substituted
the word honor for favor. One of Mr.. Blu
chanan's, which Judge Blacks daughter
Mrs. Hornsby) has, reads much the same
as Mr.. Fillmore's:
The President requests the honor of Miss
Blacks company at dinner on Friday, Jan
uary the 9Th, at o'clock. An early answer
is requested:
Gen. Grants dinner invitations general
ly read: "The president and Mrs. Grant
request the honor Of" ETC., but when they
gave the reception in honor of the king of
the Sandwich Islands, the invitations were
worded:
The President of the United States re-
quests the company of - at the recep-
ton in honor of his Majesty the King of
the Hawaiian islands, on Thursday even
ing, Dec. Is, at o'clock.
This the only invitation of president
which L have found, except that Of Gen.
Washington, where the form president of
the United States" is used. As has been
mentioned, Gen. Washington invited
guests to dinner at O'Clock, Mr.. Fillmore
at o'clock, and Mr.. Buchanan at 6 o'clock.
President Grants dinners and those of
President Hayes were at o'clock,whi for
all that President Arthur had last winter
1870 was the hour named, and the diRnel
usually began at 8.
Gen. Washington's invitations were got
ten up in very nice style for that era, but
he frequently, as I find from the writings
of his contemporaries, extended verbal in
v1tations, either in person or through one
of his secretaries, to 'oficial characters,
members of congress, strangers, or citizens
of distinction" John Adams, when con-
suited by Washington as to rules of ETH
quette soon after their inauguration, rec
commended this, and said that "such invi-
tations should always be extended without
formality." Nevertheless it was considered
during the very first year of WashingtoRs
administration a mark of his favor when
any one received an invitation to dine with
him, and an intimation that the course of
a public man had excited his displeasure
when no invitation was rendered.
For instance, Senator Maclay wrote Dec
16, 1889, that Mr. lizard gave him ''clear
hints of his loss of character at court, and
of the direct influence of the president
with members of congress-" instanced in
extending invitations to them. Maclay
had lost favor because he wanted votes by
ballot in the senate on Washington's NOM
nations, and Senator lizard told him that
all the other senators had been to dine
with the great man. A week later Washing
ton attended a session of the senate in per-
son, accompanied by Gen. Knox, the
secretary of war, to advise with the SEN
ate about treaty with Indians; and
the day of his second visit to that
body Senator Maclay was called out
by the doorkeeper to speak to Col.
Hum phreys, one of the presidents house
hold, and was by the latter verbally in
vited to dinner with the president on the
following Thursday at o'clock, that be-
ing Monday. Senator Maclay writes: 81
really was surprised at the invitation. 1t
will be my duty to go; however, l will
make no differences whatever. l am con-
WINGED all the dinners he can now give or
ever could will make no difference in my
oonduct"s
wv men Inc Qluuor OCCuTT0O Lu0 company
we're President and Mrs. Washington, Vice
President and Mrs. Adams, the governor
and his wife, Mr.. Jay, (chief justice) and
wife, Mr.. Dalton and lady, perhaps his
wife, and Mr.. Smith, Bassett and Maclay,
Lear and Lewis, the presidents two sec
retaries. The President and Mrs. Wash
ington sat opposite each other in the
middle of the table. This custom has
always been followed at a dinner
given by president who has wife, but
presume few know how far back the prece-
dent for it goes. The two secretaries, Lear
and Lewis, each sat at one end of the table.
1t was grand dinner, and the best of the
kind 1 ever sat at. The room, however, was
disagreeably warm"
President Arthur has revolted against
following this precedent, though it is the
general complaint that other hosts and
hostesses here do have their rooms, even in
winter, too warm. 1 heard President Ar
thur last winter, when giving orders just
before one of his dinners was ready, to
open the windows and cool the house. He
added, laughingly, turning to another lady
and myself: "There is an engineer here
who has been so accustomed to overheating
the rooms that, having demonstrated in
vain, feel tempted to order him to be