The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-04
THE EXECUTIVE MANSION.
Its Plan of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of an Irish
mans Distress-Portraits and Decorations
Mashinrtnn L.etfer in Now York Hernld.

Washington Letter in New York Herald.
1t is said that the White House is an exact
copy Of the Carton House. in the county of Kill
dare, ireland, and the residence of the Duke Of
Leinster The plan of the Presidents house
made by Captain James Hoban in lI92, and
on October l6 the cornerstone was laid 1t was
wholly constructed after the designs and under
the direction of Captain Hoban, and the interior
was rebuilt by him after it had been destroyed
by the British in 1914. Whether the design was
borrowed by Captain Hoban from the plans OF
the Carton House is not known, but story is
told by one of the police force about the White
House that one day he found an Irish gentleman
sitting in the park to the south of the building
weeping and moaning When asked what was
the matter he replied:
"Only momentary feeling of inconsistencies"
"What causes it, asked tho officer.
The stranger dried his tears and said: 1he
sight of yonder building 1t looks so like my
fathers barn in Ireland"
The impression strangers formerly had was
that the executive mansion was indeed good
sized barn. The rooms, with the exception OF
the Blue Room and the library over it, are
square cornered with very high ceilings and the
walls, until recently, have been as devoid OF
enumeration and art as the walls of city
warehouse.
In what might be called guide book of Wash
ington, printed here in 1880 by Jonathan Elliott,
is paragraph the Presidents house which
illustrates the paucity of decorations. He says
"Some persons under every administration,
have objected to the style of the Presidents
mansion as bordering on unnecessary state and
parade. 1t is the house provided by the people
for the residence of the chief magistrate or their
choice, and he is the tenant at certain seasons
for four, or, at most, eight years. it hardly
equals the seats of many of the nobility and
Weather commoners of England, and bears no
comparison with the residences of the petty
princes of Germany or the grand dukes of Italy
1t exhibits no rich marbles, fine statues nor
costly paintings. 1t is what the mansion OF the
head of the Republic should be, large enough
for public and family purposes, and should be
finished and maintained in a style to gratlty
every wish for convenience and pleasure
Now this was written during the first year of
Andrew Jackson's term, when the decorations of
the White House were of the most ordinary
character, when the Blue Parlor was papered
with crimson flock paper. with deep gllded Dor
ders. 1t was during Mr.. Jacksons term that
marble side-tabes were added to the halls and
marble comfortable was supposed to be work
of extraordinary beauty. Up to this time but
| one painting adorned the house-that of Wash
| ngton. This portrait, of the first President
concerning which there has been so much con
! troversy is, matter who painted it, an abort
i've and wretched affair. Assuming the argu-
ment Of those persons who advocate the Gilbert
Stuart theory" land that is all that anybody pre-
tends in its favor to have any merit, it must in
| charity to that excellent artist, assume that 1T
| was painted by him during one of his customary
| indulgences The bad drawing of the figure one
must admit is one of Stuarts characteristics,
seems as if those who claim it as the work OF
| Stuart had looked all over the canvas, back
stretchers, tacks, etc, and listened to stories of
how Dolly Madison cut it from the frame to save it
| from the British in 1914, and how it lay in
! Georgetown so long unrecognized, and then de-
rive therefrom the evidence that Gilbert Stuart
painted it. The guide who pilots visitors
through the East Room of the White House
points to the picture of Washington as
! thing extraordinary, because 1t has been so
| long an occupant of the building and also be-
cause it is said to be an original by Stuart. Has
it ever occurred to the visitors to look in the
| face Of the portrait to find evidence most palpa-
BILE to any one who has the slightest acquaintance
with the mastery handling and tender color of
! Stuart that he never could have painted such
| head Of such man, and especially of man
| whom he so thoroughly admired and worshiped,
and to paint whose portrait was his great incent-
i've to come to America2 1t is certainly plain to
every one that this picture is a libel on both
| Washington and Stuart Yet this full length
portrait is the idol of the house, at least to
itors But it is not so highly esteemed by those
who live in the White House four years. Mrs
Hayes used to say it gave her the horrors, for
the face had the expression of a man who had
imbibed freely and was trying to stand erect and
| look wise.
The next portrait that was permitted to come
into the White House was that of Mrs Tyler, ny
Anelli an Italian artist, which was painted in
lS4S in real Florentine style, with complexion
and deicacy of finish that made the remarkably
handsome bust of the lady look like alabaster
itself. Like the picture of Washington, it had
to have long exile in the garnet, and is now in
the hands of an artist Of national reputation re-
ceivng treatment to restore it to its former
beauty, preparatory to again adjoining the White
House. Not long after Fillmore became Presi-
dent, Mr. G. P. A. Healy, who has painted
many historical pictures, made full length por-
trait of him, which now hangs in the lower hall
near the East Room The companion pictures of
this style which also adorn this hall are those of
Lincoln, by Coggswell; Garfield by b. A An
drews: Arthur, by the late Thomas LIE Clerc, and
| one of Grant in the Red Room, by the same art
list. With the exception of that of Lincoln these
full length portraits very excellent works of
art, and give one a very good idea of the appear
ance of each as he occupied the presidential
office, That of Mr. Lincoln, however, is I'M
worthy of the man and place 1t is wretched
affair, not like Lincoln or any other man; and if
it did resemble any man, that man is very
much under the influence of wine, for it
depicts an inebriated person both in coun-
tenance and attitude. Without support from
the chair he must evidently fall Besides the
portrait is lacking in artistic quality. Compare
son with the erect and manly form of Garfield,
the gentlemanly and scholarly look of Arthur, or
the heroic frmness of Grant shows at once that
the willowy body of Mr.. Lincoln did not have an
artist of experience to portray his characterize
les on canvass In this same hail. which divides
the vestibule from the entrances to the three re
ception rooms, are half length portraits of Ty
Ter, Pierce and Polk by Healy, and jackson and
Buchanan, by Andrews All these, with the ex-
ception. perhaps, of Tyler, are very good. That
of Jackson is copy only of Sully's celebrated
picture in the Corcoran Art Gallery represent
ing Old Hickory wrapped in his martial cloak
and wearing the grim visage of war on his coun-
tenance. That of Mr.. Buchanan, by Andrews
was painted, the artist says, from photographs
and most exquisite miniature loaned him by
Mrs. Johnston Harriet Lane). Those who
member Old Buck pronounce this one of the best
portraits in the White House, compliment
which Democratic senators and congressman who
knew him we'll never fail to emphasize when
they visit the mansion. In this hall are also
Bright and Chief Justice Jay. Recently Pres-
dent Arthur has received as present for the
House portrait of Mrs. James K. Polk, who
succeeded Mrs. Tyler as mistress OF the Pres-