The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-05-10

VI COQEsc IAc VI Iuc ITe5luGnb WAS
made a great occasion on the plantation.
Many OF the servants in holiday dress went
out on the turnpike to see the Presidential
coach make it appearance. After her return,
old Aunt Betsy, an oracle among the house
servants, said to me In a tone Of unqualified
surprise:
crown on
ss'Well, Aunt Betsy answered, 'why did
you expect to see him with crown ON !?
Uncle Jackson never wore crown
'Massa Jackson cried Aunt Betsy, her
face shining with pride, 'law, Miss Mary, he
don't need no crown
'This was Aunt Betsy's way of casting re-
fections on q man who certainly was rather
ordinary looking for the position.
''As l recollect Mr.. Van Buren," said Mrs.
Wilcox, she was plain, communicating
man, strongly German in appearance, with
round face and very bald head, but he was
man of most elegant manners and had quite
areputation as dandy. 1t was jokingly said
there was not a scratch found upon the fur
niture, nor an article defaced or worn, ex-
cept patch OF carpet that was stretched be-
fore his full-length mirror. This, it was
claimed, had been worn threadbare."
EIGHT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AT THE
WEDDING.
At the end of President Jacksons term lit
tie Miss Donelson returned with him to the
Hermitage, but later on the Capital became
her home. During Filmores administration,
her father being editor of the Union Signal, the
organ of the Democratic party, Miss Doneson
became part Of the gay official life. Naturally
she regards social life somewhat degenerate
since official society bore the Southern char
acteristic, and before it was increased to
heterogeneous mass of all sorts from every
where. 1t was during this administration
that Mary Emily Donelson was married to
John w. Wilcox, member of Congress from
Mississippi. This was notable wedding and
the talk OF the country as grand society
event. Among the throng of distinguished
persons at the wedding We're eight Presidential
candidates. Besides the President himself,
who sought denomination, were Lewis Cass,
Daniel l.. Dlckerson, Stephen A. Dougl as,
Gen. Scott, the Whig nominee, and Webster,
Buchanan, and Marcy, OF New York. The
marriage ceremony was performed by Chap
lain Gallagher. of the House, and his thought
fulness on certain vital point Mrs. Wilcox
still remembers with approval. Even forty
years ago, before the names of strong minded
women were used to scare naughty children
brides were beginning to have doubts as to
the propriety OF the word "obey'' In the mar
riage ceremony Without having suggested
IT, the bride on this occasion was pleased to
note the omission Of that questionable word,
and asked the chaplain afterward how he
came to anticipate her own preference. He
laughingly assured her that he was quite sat
isfed that she would do her duty without
being placed under oath. Mrs. Wilcox, be IL
explained, does not at all resemble the rugged
and severe type with which we are familiar in
the portraits of Andrew Jackson. The Donel-
son mansion, in which the wedding occurred
was reckoned among the very fine residences
at the Capital, and 1t still stands quite
dwarfed by its modern surroundings but
few doors from the National Theatre on e
street. Alas, however, for the fate of family
mansions in the growing Capital Of demo-
cratic people, the aristocratic house which
in 1859 rendered its hospitality to batch of
Presidential candidates is now dispensing
good cheer to very different class of persons