The record-union., 1891-03-23

the Senate, when that body was not par
tlcularly busy, suggests the query
whether it is not decidedly overdrawn.
He says: Instead of that sedate, easy
air which / would have him possess,
he will look on one side, then on the
other, then down on the knees of his
breeches, then dimple his visage with
the most silly kind of half-smiie, which /
cannot we'll express in English. The
Scotch-Irish have a word which hits it
exactly--smudging. God forgive me for
the vile thought, but / cannot help think
ing of monkey just put into breeches
when l saw him betray such evident
marks of self-conceit.' In an account of
a dinner given by the President he finds
another opportunity for giving
A Pen SKETCH OF THE vICE-PREsIDENT.
'Dined with the President of the United
States. 1t was dinner of dignity. All
the Senators were present and the Vice
President. l looked often around the
company to find the happiest faces. Wis
dom, forgive me if | wrong thee, but /
thought folly and happiness most nearly
allied. The President seemed to wear on
his countenance settled aspect of mel
ancholy. No cheering ray of convivial
sunshine broke through the cloudy gloom
OF settled seriousness. At every interval
of eating or drinking he played on the
table with fork or knife like drum
stick.
Next to him, on his right, sat Bonny
Johnny Adams, ever and anon mantling
his visage with the most unmeaning sim
per that ever dimpled the face of folly.
Goddess OF Nature, forgive me if | CEN
sure thee Tor that thou madeSt him not q
tailor, so full of small attentions is he
and so well qualified does he seem to
adjust the etiquette of loops and
buttons! But stay, perhaps L wrong
thee. So miserably doth he measure
politics and so numerically and unskill-
fully would he ply the shears of Govern
ment in cutting out royal robes and hab-
iliments that ii may justly be doubted
whether the measure of his understand
ing be adequate TO the adjusting the pro-
portions of the back, belly and breeches
OF the human form agreeably to the
rules of our experienced habitmakers.
Thus, Goddess. among the savage tribes
of the lazy, lying, lumpish Indian, who
can neither hunt, fish nor hoe corn,
malest thou the dreaming, smoking,
pretended prophet, priest and politician.
Goddess, we acknowledge thy power and
submit to thy sway, but humbly pray we
may never have another similar example
Of it.''
THESE PRESIDENTIAL DINNERS
Must have been rather uncomfortable
affairs, Judging from Senator Maclay;s
account OF them. He gives a minute
description of one which he attended in
August, 1889, tells how the table was set,
how it was garnished with artificial
flowers, and gives in detail the courses.
He says:
at was the most solemn dinner ever 7
sat at. Not Il health drank, scarce a word
said until the cloth was taken away.
Then the President, filling a glass of
wine, with great tormality drank to the
health of every individual by name
around the table. Everybody initiated
him, charged glasses, and such buzz of
Health, SIR and Health, nadam,'
and Thank you. sir, and Thank you,
madam never had [ heard before. In
deed, / had liked to have been thrown
out in the hurry, but got little wine in
my glass and passed the ceremony. The
ladies sat a good while and the bottles
passed about, but there was 4 dead 81
lence almost.
Mrs. Washington at last withdrew with
the ladies. | expected the men would
now begin, but the same stiffness re-
mained. The President kept n fork in
his hand when the cloth was taken away
i thought for the purpose Of picking
nuts. He ate the nuts, however, but
played with the fork, striking on the edge
of the table with it. We did not sit long
after the ladies retired. The President
rose and went up stairs to drink coffee;
the company followed. TOOK my hat
and came home"
Maclay came to New York to enter upon
his senatorial duties with the most ex-
alted opinion of Washington, believing
him to be the greatest man in the world,
but it IS pretty certain that the painting
by Matteson, representing
WASHINGTON READING HIS INAUGURAL.
Address, was not based upon the Penn
sylvania Senator's description of that
event. Describing Washington's conduct
on that occasion, he writes: This great
man was agitated and embarrassed more
than ever he was by the leveled cannon
or pointed musket. He trembled and
several times could scarce make out to
read, though it must be supposed he had
often read ii before. He put part of the
fingers of his left hand into the side of
what / think the tailors call the fall of
the breeches, changing the paper into his
right After some time he then did the
same with some of the fingers of his right
hand. When he came to the words 'all
the world he made a flourish with his
right hand which left rather an ungainly
impression. ] felt hurt that he was not
first in everything. he was dressed in
deep brown, with metal buttons, with an
eagle on them, white stockings, a bag and
sword.'
On another occasion he describes Wash
plans. The President visited the Senate,
bringing General Knox. his Secretary of
War, with him, to ask the Senate's adj
vice and consent to attreatywhich had been
made with the Southern Indians. Sena-
tor Maclay asked for some detailed infor-
nation concerning the treaty, and called
for the reading of the accompanying doc
uments, a request which he says aroused
the stern displeasure of the President.
lie usually secured the reference of the
treaty to a committee. "As l sat down."
he writes, 1.-The President of the United
States started up III violent fret. This
defeats every purpose of my coming here ;
where the first words that he said He
then went on that he had brought his
Secretary of War with him to give every
necessary information; that the Secretary
knew all about the business, and yet he
was delayed and could not go on with the
matter. He cooled oil, however, by de-
grees. \ pause for some time
ensued. We waited for him to withdraw
He did so with adiscontented air. Had it
been any other man than the man whom
| wish to regard as the first character in
the world, i would have said, with sullen
dignity" That Senator Maclay was
NOT IN HARMONY WITH THE SPIRIT OF
THE TIMES
Appears in almost every page of his Jour
nal. In one place he writes: with the
Senate l am certainly disguised. / came
here expecting every man to act the part
of god; that the most delicate honor,
the most exalted wisdom, the most re-
fined generosity, was to govern every act
and be seen in every deed. What must
be my feelings on finding rough and rude
manners, giaring folly, and the basest
selfishness apparent in almost every pub
lie transaction. They are not always
successful, it is true, but is it not dread
full to find them in such place?' 1t is
ditficultto stop quotations from this most
valuable journal when one has once be-
gun, since there is not an uninteresting