The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-01-21
VOL 28
SOCIETY AT THE CAPITAL.

A Prevailing but Mistaken Belief-DOwn
the Heightened scaIe-The Legation"
joaquin Mnler's Letser.l
Leaving the body and looking into
the soul of our capital it may safely be
said that that indefinite term society"
is Just now about TO find higher and
nobler definition here than in any part
of the world This is said advisedly
and by one who has seen the world
fairly well The social world that you
have read of, however, is not the soul
of our federal city by a great deal.
There is a prevailing belief that the
army and navy make up the center and
core of social life here. But you must
reflect that the army and navy of
America are not made up as in Europe
of men born to social eminenee. Not
that social eminence" is a thing for a
man or woman who can do anything to
thirst after at all. To be an idle
gentleman about town is certainly
no great attainment and no al
lurement to a man of brains.
But to put it frankly, the young army
officer who left his fathers farm or coun-
try store to enter West Point, and sees
little else till he airs his buttons in
Washington is certainly the peer and
master, only in manhood, of the effem-
mate French marquis or German baron
to be met at his first introduction. The
young American soldier could probably
meet the German and Frenchman, too,
both together, let US venture to assert,
in fight, and win the battle bravely.
But it will be frankly conceded that
the American is not at an advantage
with these men from over the sea in a
contest for social eminence" in the
cultured foreign circles here.
Perhaps the man who stands highest
in Washington of all our own people in
the eyes of those who form the head Of
foreign legations, and make up what is
thus far the real core of social life, is
the cabinet minister; the senator next,
and so on down heightened scale be-
fore the American soldier is reached.
Our scientific men are greatly re-
spected by this large and influential
foreign element at the capital. Our
literary men, if we except such Nesters
as Bancroft. are held in but little bet
ter. if any better, esteem than our sol
diers. The secret of this is found in
the tendency of American letters to
spill over into careless newspaper work.
Set it down as a notable fact that the
American soldier is not sought after at
all socially by the cultured foreigners
comprising the Legations" in compar-
ison with our civilians of equal dis
tinction! however, the tradition runs to
the contrary. These foreigners, rightly
or wrongly, seem to think our military
men. in too many cases, illiterate and
boorish. AS to what ladies or what
class of ladies take first rank IN the
esteem of these cultivated men from
over the sea, it Is not easy to
decide. Beauty, however, ana
vivac1ty seem to be the first req
uisites. Back of these, of course, the
t'attache' turns an inquiring eye for gold.
Yes, it is to conceded that our ladies
are greatly sought after at the federal
city. Let us hope, too, not all the time
for the sake of their money. In truth,
the cultivated attache sees more beauty,
more real heart and life and soul in the
American girl than he can see in the
other sex at home, because they are here
to see. This must in a measure excite
his ardor, which we may be permitted
to believe is not always mercenary. For
some of these cultivated and apparently
frivolous foreign gentlemen are not
only sons of wealthy fathers but men of
hich honor and integrity.
The colony of the Legation" is a
large one. 1t is clannish, too it is very
select, and, in its way, absolutely ex-
elusive You may cometto Washington
and spend the winter, and imagine you
have seen society from top to bottom,
and yet go home without even having
seen the front door of this most aristo-
cratic portion Of it,