The Washington herald., 1907-08-09
81 FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

Betty Bliss. the 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 epochs Of our national his
tory When Gen Zachary Taylor came
20 the White House as President. IN 1919,
Mrs. Taylor declined to assume the re-
sponsibilities Of mistress of the first
house in the land. She had objected 10
Gen. Taylors candidacy, and had de-
scribed It as a conspiracy 10 deprive
her Of his company and 10 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 10 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,
tarbans had been long out of style. II
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
mately 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 eighty-one years old.
Her elder sister. Sarah. was the first
WIFE OF Jefferson Davis. Just after the
BACK Hawk war. Zachary TAYLOR was a
colonel at Northwestern army post, and
JEFFERSON Davis lieutenant. Col TAYLOR
did not wish his daughter to 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 and removed TO
Mississippi. His wife did not long sur
VlFe. Mrs. cambridge is devoted to her
stepson, Capt. W. 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 a /
well-known man in Washington, he has |
been much written about; but it is doubt |
ful if anything that could be said about I
him in print would so delight his soul /
as that lrst mention Of his name in a 1
Boston paper nearly thirty years ago. I
CToquet was popular game then. and 1
Norwich, Conr., was a meeting place for 1
the greatest eToquet 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 10 acqualnt himself with the /
ground. and asked one OF the "caddies" /
TO play with him, so he could have a /
ball 10 work on. John Barrett was put /
forward. He played the champion to a 4
standstill and was defeated only at the /
last wicket. The Boston papers made a 4
big story of the scare given the great /
croquet champion by 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
before the civil war When Mr.. Porter
was young man. in his twenties, he was
elected TO the Tennessee legislature He
Immediately became prominent in the
small group OF Wings then remaining in
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 were ad-
herents of old-fashioned Whiggerv. 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 In
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 ITnionism
was strong, but where the new RenuhIi-
can party could obtain no foothold. wei
coined the old Wits leader and the new
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 S
he has been a Democrat. Under Cleve-
land, he was Assistant Secretary of State
and Minister 10 Chile. He has been gov
ernor Of Tennessee, president of a rail- !
road. and now he is deVnting his nrnrnIn. !