Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-03-06
A Century Ago.

Colonel T. W. Higginson thus writes
in Harper's Magazine: Mrs. Wash
ington's receptions were reproached as
inductory to the pageantry of courts,
but it was very modest pageantry.
Nothing could have been less festive
Or more harmless than the hospitality
of the Presidential abode An English
manufacturer who was invited there to
breakfast reports meal of admirable
simplicity-tea, coffee, sliced tongue,
dry toast and butter-'but no broiled
fish, as is the general custom, he adds.
At her evening receptions Mrs. Wash
ington offered her guest tea and coffee
with plum-cake; at she warned her
visitors that the General kept early
hours, and after this remark the guests
had no choice but to do the same.
AT these entertainments of hers the
President was but guest-without his
swOrd-and found it necessary also to
retreat in good order at the word of
command. His own receptions were
for invited guests only, and took place
every other week between 8 and p. M.
The President stood before the fire.
place in full black velvet, with his hair
powdered and gathered into bag; he
wore yellow gloves and silver buckles,
with steel-hilted sword in a white
leather scabbard; he held in his hand
a cooked hat with feather. This is
the description given by William Sui
Ivan in his Familiar Letters on Pub
lie Characters
If it was the object of Washington
To, ,ol- 10, =
drawing-rooms of any crowned poten-
tate, he succeeded. Names were an
nounced, gentlemen were presented,
the President bowed but never shook
hands; at 3:15 the doors were closed
and the visitors formed a circle; the
President made the circuit, addressing
few words to each; they then bowed
and retired. 1t is hard to imagine that
these mild entertainments could have
been severely censured as eXtravagant
or monarchical; one can better compre-
bend how the censure could be applied
to the street equipage of the new
President, the cream-colored car
rage painted in medallions, and
the hveries of white turned up
with green. Yet these were, perhaps,
more readily recognized as essential to
the dignity of his station. 1t was with
the desire of promoting this dignity
that the senators of the new nation
were anxious to give the President an
official title. The plan was said to
have originated with John Adams,
who believed 'splendor and majesty to
be important in republic; and there
was joint committee Of congress to
consider the matter.
This committee reported against it,
but the dissatisfied senate still favored
a title, as it well might, at 9 time when
the senators themselves were habit
ually called Most Honorable They
proposed to call the Chief Magistrate
United States of America, and Protect
or of their Liberties. The House OBJ
jected; the country at large was divid-
ed. Chief Justice Mexican proposed
His Serene Highness;' somebody else
suggested The President General, and
Governor Sullivan thought that His
Patriotic Majesty would not be map
propriate, since he represented the
majesty of the people; Washington
himself, it is said, favored His High
Mightiness, which was the phrase
used by the Stakeholder of Holland.
1t was the common sense of the nation
that swept these eXtravagances aside;
it was one of the many occasions in
American history when the truth of
Talleyrand's saying has been vindi-
Gated that everybody knows more than
anybody"