The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-11-28

CWs
JOHN PETER GABRIEL HUHIESPERG.
make the day a success, and whsl
the state of affairs was made known
in Boston and in Philadelphia the bat
tie was heartily entered into Wash
ington had the modification of seeing
that his day Of Thanksgiving for the
blessings OF Almighty God had become
Z source OF no end Of contention.
However, She day dawned bright and
evep warm for New York. The bells
OF Trinity were rung Tor al hour and
there was a parade of one regimen:
reviewed by Hamilton from Faunces
tavern. Then the cheering part of the
day began by indulgence in various
forms OF stimulating percolations and
everyone no doubt was very thankful.
Washington went 10 church in the
morning and at high noon began TO re-
ceive his visitors Il was well on in the
afternoon that Hamilton's little dinner
began. 1t IVES rather a famous little
dinner IN its day and generation, al
though it is never talked of nowadays.
1t was eaten at Faunce's, and was the
first official Thanksgiving banquet in
orr history. Hamilton was to respond
to toast and then 60 off to the presi-
dents mansion, but it seems the secre-
tGry OF the treasury was behind time,
and there occurred at the dinner table
what would now be called q disagree
ment among gentlemen. We have
much and detailed information about
IL in the Hamilton letters. In the first
place Lieut.. St Clair, nephew of the
famed Arthur ST, Clair, took occasion
70 say upon his honor as gentleman
that he was sober. An unhistOric per-
sonage of whom we know no more than
his name was Tisdal, and that he was
an alderman and notary, impeached the
veracity of Lieut. st. Clair's assertion,
and defied him TO prove it. The lieuten-
AIT thereupon threw a bottle at nobody
in particular and missed his aim. In an
instant. as they say in novels, all was
confusion. and then like god out Of
machine, in walked Alexander Hamil-
ton. The scene that met his gaze, &C
cording to John Adams account Of it,
WAS shameful. Viends and glassware
and gentlemen were all massed TO-
gethsr. However. they were separated.
and Hamilton, d-eading the effect OF
the scandal II the episode became pub
lie property. did his best to patch mat
ters up. The skeptical alderman ap-
pears to have had his doubts upon the
subject Of Lieut.. st. Glars sobrietv set
at rest, but unfortunately there could
be no doubt that the licutepant's nose
was broken in the course OF debate, for
the Hamilton letters distinctly soy so;
but We have the same authority for
maintaining that il was agreed That a
gentleman Is at times justified in IN
sisting that he is sober
The next thing that happened. ac-
eording to the letters, was a dispute
Rbout the turkey. Where was the tur-
key? 1t had not been brought upon
the table. There were loud shouts for
turkey, but none was forthcoming. A
proposition 80 dispense with that fowl
was hooted down. and Alexander Ham
iiton swore-the Hamilton letters say
he swore-that no citizen of the United
States of America should abstain from
turkey on Thanksgiving day. Well,
they got turkey somehow, and ate
1t. Then they drank and cheered and
sang songs and sang songs and cheered
and drank. They knew how to Oh
serve Thanksgiving in those days.
This little matter attended 10. Ham,
ilton made q speech and hied him to
the presidential abode. Here there had
been dignified observance eff the DAY,
but it seems that some linking of the
little row AZ Fauncc's had got abroad
already, and Washington put some
questions to the secretary of the treas
Try about it. Both Knox and Randolph
mention the exercised condition Of the
president. and Hamilton seems to have
been influenced somewhat by his re-
cent excitement However it was,
Washington, At any rate. became vexcd
and INDUCED in some pointed remarks
Leaders of the history of the period
remember the effective wy in which
Parton, Marshall and billiard have
touched up the anger Of our first presi;
dent. Nashington's displeasure always
took the form Of just resentment. He
reese ted the whole Thanksgiving cpl
sode. John Jay gives the language of
the Father of His Country on this occa-
sion with some pretensions TO exact
ness. Washington was incensed that
young soldier should have broken his
nose in a tavern brawl, while profess
ing to be giving thanks for Heavens
best gifts. Oar first president went so
far as 70 say that il was disrraceful.
by God" BY God. sir" was the
most blasphemous imprecation in the
Washington vocabulary. ard ne used il
twice To Hamilton. The first occasion
was on this unhappy Thanksgiving.
VI the second, Hamilton Quilted his
DANIEL CLEyESToS.
FREDDY PUTS IN HIS OAR.