The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-09

Points About the Book Which She Is Writ
ing-Thomas BentOn's Ideas.

-ing-Thomas Benton's Ideas.
Washington Special.
Mrs. Jessie Benton Fremont, wife of General
John c. Fremont, is one of the best known and
most popular women in this country, Nearly
every winter she pays a visit to Washington,
where nearly every one who is worth knowing
pays her the most marked attention. She IS IN
Washington now, and will remain here for sew
eral weeks vet. 1 called upon Mrs. Fremont
Yesterday morning, and was received by her
while she was engaged in receiving a call from
the ~favorite niece of her father, the great Ben
ton, with her yiyacious daughter-in-aw at her
right.
Mrs. Fremont accorded me a portion OF her
time and attention with great impartiaity. Her
manner is one of great simplicity and ease.
She has a strong, bright, handsome face, indica-
tive of high courage, great resolution, coupled
with a look of untiring kindness and good ma
ture. Her eyes are very bright and clear, with
as fresh a look as that of a young girl. The
crown of her head and her good looks is her
luxuriant white hair. Its vigorous growth and
soft, gray color bring out in strong relief the
healthy color of her wholesome-lo looking face.
She has great vivaclty of manner in converse
ton, If she had been born and reared in
France. her social powers would have put her at
the head of some political salon.
She is now engaged in writing a book, cover
ing her "reminiscences of the political periods of
Benton and Fremont, with notes up to the pres
ent day, for her past relations with prominent
political readers gives her to day a footing with
the leaders of the present, which her knowledge
of politics and social powers enables her to easily
maintain.
What will be the title of your book, Mrs. FIRE.
month / asked.
"Oh, | can hardly say as vet. If could Dor
row a French title | should prefer to call it My
Memoirs / intend to give a fireside study of
the political life of my time. l hope to make it
something better than a mere record of personal
gossip and Renaissance. You know was with
my father when he was writing his Thirty
Years in the United States Senate, and was the
confdante of many of his private papers. He
made his Thirty Years book much more com
prehensive than he would if he had been pre-
pairing it simply for public men. But he in
tended that it should be a political bible; it was
especially prepared for the instruction Of young
men just entering politics. This book has GER
tainly reached the place in public consideration
for which it was originally intended"
Mrs. Fremont then said; Il think there is one
thing lacking in the history of our times that
historical literature, and that is the lack of re
cording the personal observation and gossip of d
period which is so fully covered in France by
the memoirs of noted people"
How do you like Washington and the life
herel' was asked.
ooh, Washington is the parlor of this country.
1t is the one place that is kept swept and gar
nished and free. 1t is set aside from all cities
for social enjoyment. It is the one place where
money does not have preponderating influence.
The humblest member of the Cabinet, however
poor, takes precedence over the most arrogant
millionaire.
But the hurry of everything in this Ameri-
can life of ours. In other cities business alb
serbs. Here society claims you quite as relent-
lessly. There is no time for work here"
l asked Mrs. Fremont to tell me something
more about her book, but she replied that she
could not talk about her book. except when she
was i'll a work-day mood and that was an impos-
sible one in this city.
Mrs. Fremont was asked what she thought of
Washington society of the present"
She said; Il belong to the present, too. ] do
not belong to the past enough to institute COM
PARSONS. 1 fancy that the society has not
changed very much. 1t may be a trifle more
refined and may understand better the art of en-
tainment, but the great change must be in the
rush and hurry of everything. In the times of
my father it was hard work to get to Washing
ton, and people were 10th to go away after they
were once here. Then there was less here to oc-
cupy and amuse them. The debates in Congress
then attracted great crowds, and public men
were stimulated to the highest by the great at
tention paid them. Now no one has any time for
a debate"
docs this explain to you the falling-off in the
grade of men in Congress-
II hardly know. There has been a gradual
raising of the general masses in point of intelli-
gence and information. The world has been
brought together with its railroads and tele-
graphs until the wheat-raiser of Minnesota is
affected by distress at Odessa. The general rails
ing of the standard of intelligence has not yet
produced a corresponding grade of public men,
but it may when the American mind once more
turns it real attention TO politics-the noblest
science of all, embracing as it does the art Of
human government, everything relating to the
happiness and protection of the rights of the in
dividual.n
Mrs. Fremont thought there was too much
ignorance of politics among the so-called better
classes. They must take hold of the art of gov
eminent if the cities are to be freed from dis
honest rule and republican institutions stand.
Mrs. Fremont says that her father always
looked to the West for the salvation of the
country. Benton thought the worst elements'of
the foreign arrivals would remain upon the
Eastern coast. 1t would also be more accessible
to the influence Of foreign customs. The broad
eXpanse of the free and hberty-loving West was
reason Benton always faced the West in the dis
cussion of any public measure.