The Washington herald., 1907-08-09

BETTY Bliss. tie last mistress Of the
White House who received Dolly Madi-
son. is living in quiet retirement at Win
chester. Va. The life experience of this
charming old lady is intimately connected
with many epoehs Of our national his
tory When Gen. Zachary Taylor came
to the White House as President. in 1913
Mrs. Taylor declined to assume the re-
sponsiblities of mistress Of the first
house in the land. She had objected 10
Gen. Taylor's candidacy. and had de-
scTibed it as q conspiracy TO deprive
her Of his company and TO shorten his
life by unnecessary cares. The duties
OF hostess fell upon the shoulders of the
Presidents younger daughter Elizabeth,
who had married Maj William W, S,
Bliss. and who was then known as ''the
beautiful Betty Bliss"
Mrs Bliss "did the honors Of the es-
Enlistment with the artlessness of a
rustic belle. and the grace of a duchess.
At her first reception the most interest
ing figure was that of Mrs. Madison.
who had come from her home across the
square TO the White House, where she
had once reigned so brilliantly, and from
which she was once forced 10 flee by
the British soldiery Mrs. Madison al
ways wore a turban, although in 1919,
turbans had been long out of style. Il
IS recorded that Betty Bliss said such a
pretty thing about the particular turban
Mrs. Madison wore that day that the
venerable old lady was delighted with the
wenty-three-year-old girl who had
taken her place as the First Lady of the
Land.
Within a few months Dolly Madison
had passed away She had been init
metely acquainted with all the men Of
affairs of the country since Washington's
administration. and had exerted no little
influence in politics. The next year Gen
Taylor died. seemingly fulfilling the dire
prophecy of his wife, and the Taylor
regime at the White House gave way for
the Fillmores. Maj. Bliss lived only three
years more and for some time Betty
Bliss was pretty widow at Winchester
Then she married a nephew of Martha
Washington, Philip cambridge. who died
several years ago. Mrs. cambridge is
now elgnty-One years old
Her elder sister, Sarah. was the first
wife of Jefferson Davis. Just after the
Black Hawk war. Zachary TAYLOR was a
colonel at a Northwestern army post. and
Jefferson Davis a lieutenant. Col Taylor
did not wish his daughter 10 marry an
army officer, because army officers re-
ceived poor pay and had such sorry pros
poets. The marriage was arranged with
out the parental consent, and Mr.. Davis
resigned from the army aud removed TO
Mississippi. His wife did not long sur
vive. Mrs. cambridge is devoted 10 her
stepsOn, Capt. ". F. cambridge. of Frank
fort KY. Capt. cambridge wears, as a
gift from her. the watch which belonged
10 Maj. Bliss and the watch chain worn
by Gen. Taylor during the Mexican war.
John Barrett, director Of the Bureau OF
American Republics. the only man on
earth who owes official allegiance to TWEEN
ty-one governments. frequently sees his
name In the newspapers. AS a prominent
member Of the diplomatic corps. and as
well-known man IN Washington. he has
been much written about but it IS doubt
ful if anything that could be said about
him in print would so delight his soul
as that first mention Of his name IN a
Boston paper nearly thirty years ago.
CToquet was a popular game then, and
Norwich, Conn, was meeting place for
the greatest croquet players OF New Eng
land. John was only twelve years old
then. He played with the other children
in the morning, and in the afternoon act
ed as 'caddy' for his elders on the
croquet grounds OF his native town of
Grafton, Vt The champion Of the big
annual meet at Norwich was touring
New England, playing exhibition games
with the local town champions. and he
came 70 Grafton. He went out for a lit
tie practice to aCquai1t himself with the
ground. and asked one of the "caddies'
10 play with him, so he could have a
ball to work on. John Barrett was put
forward. He played the champion to at
standstill. and was defeated only at the
last wicket. The Boston papers made a
bis story Of the scare given the great
croquet champion by a Vermont boy, and
the next day John saw his name in a
newspaper for the first time.
James d. Porter. chancellor OF the Uni
versity of Nashville, and former governor
Of Tennessee, is the only living man who
can claim the honor of having founded a
political party whose candidate for Pres /
ident carried three States in the days I
before the civil war. When Mr.. Porter |
was young man, in his twenties. he was 1
elected TO the Tennessee legislature. He /
Immediately became prominent in the
small group of Whigs then remaining in 4
politics. The political storm Of 1860 was /
coming on, and the division OF the Dem /
ocTatic party was inevitable.
One night Mr.. Porter called a confer /
ence, which was attended by five other
members of the legislature, who We're ad- 1
herents of Old-fashiOned Whiggery. They
talked over the situation, and when Mr.. /
Porter suggested the formation Of a new
party and the nomination Of John Bell /
for President, he found hearty encourage
ment. Thus the movement was started in /
Tennessee. It grew rapidly, and the reg
ular formation OF the Constitutional I'm /
ion party was the result. The party nom /
mated John Bell, Of Tennessee, for Pres
ident and Edward Everett, of Massachu- /
sets, for Vice President Its platform
and battle-cTy was The Constitution. the
Union, and the Enforcement Of the
Laws" The border States OF Kentucky.
Tennessee, and Virginia, where JTnionism
was strong, but where the new ReDubIi-
can party could obtain no foothoId. well
coined the old Wing leader and the ne,v
party. The division of the Democrats
forces between Douglas and Breckinridge
threw these States for the Constitutional
Union ticket, and in the electoral college
Bell and Everett received thirty-nine
votes.
When the war came on Mr. Porter. the
founder Of the party went with his state
into the Confederacy, and since the war
he has been Democrat Under CIeve-
land, he was Assistant Secretary of State
and Minister to Chile. He has been gov
ernor OF Tennessee, president Of a rail-
I'D md r.rrsr L. L. 49, /