Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 September 1886 — REMINISCENCES OF PUBLIC MEN. [ARTICLE]

REMINISCENCES OF PUBLIC MEN.

BY BEN: PERLEY POORE

President and Mrs. Lincoln gave their first reception at the White House on 'Wednesday evening, February ”5j 1862. The sympathizers with the South, who had been drawing disparaging comparisons between society at the metropolis before the war and then, were confident that the entertainment would pjrove a fr lure, yet they were all anxious to obtain the requisite card of invitation, and they were found in the dressing-rooms, arrayed in their best. IBe President and Mrs, Lincoln received their guests in the East Room, where he towered above all around him, a pleasant word for those he knew. Mrs. Lincoln was dressed in white satin, trimmed with black lace flounces, which were looped up with knots of ribbon, and she wore a floral head-dress which was not very becoming. Near her was her eldest son, Mr. Robert Lincoln (known as the Prince of Rails), and Mr. John Hay, the President’s intellectual private secretary. In addition to the East Room, the red, green, and. blue parlors (sb named from the color of their paper-hangings and furniture) were open, and were ornamented with ,a profusion of rare exotics, while the Marine Band, stationed in a discoursed firie music. Mr. Seward was in his element, escorting, as in duty bound, the ladies of the diplomatic corps. Mr. Chase, the digni; fled and statesmanlike Secretary of the Treasury, seemed to have forgotten for the moment that his coffers were “sh'ort. ” Mr. Stanton, vigorous and thoughtful, was the object of much attention, and the patriarchal locks and beard of the not over-scin till ant Secretary of the Navy were of course a feature. The other members of the Cabinet were present, as were Justices Clifford, Wayne, and Grier, of the Supreme Court. Senator Sumner, as chairman of the committee on foreign relations, was the center of a diplomatic circle, where all of the “great powers,” and some of the smaller ones, were .represented. Ladies from the rural districts were disappointed in not seeing the gorgeous court costumes, having forgotten that our court dress is the undertaker-like suit of black broadcloth, so generally worn. But they gazed with admiration on the broad ribbons and jewelled badges worn on the vests of the Chevaliers of the Legion of Honor, Knights of the Ba,th, etc., “with distinguished consideration. ” VicePresident‘Hamlin might have called the Senate to order, and had more than a quorum of members present, who, like himself, had their wives to cheer their labors. Mr. Grow could not see around him as large a proportion of the

“Lower House,” but there was—so a Kentucky lady said—“a right smart chance of Representatives.” There were not so many army men present as had been anticipated. Gen. McClellan, in full uniform, looked finely, and Gen. Fremont, in a plain undress suit, seemed rather downcast, although more than made up for his mooilffiess by her animated and vivacious conversation. There were only besides Generals McDowell, Stone, Heintzelman, Blenker, Hancock, Hooker, Keyes, Doubleday, Casey, Shields, and Marcy, with Capt. Dahlgren and Prince Salm Salm. The young Duke de Chartres, of France, in a simple captain’s uniform, seemed to enjoy himself famously, and marked attention’ was paid to Mrs. Buell, the wife of the brave and gallant leader of the Kentucky forces,, whose daughter followed the paternal example and made admirers “surrender at discretion.” An incident of the evening was the presentation of Gen. Fremont to Gen. McClellan, by President Lincoln. Gen. Fremont Was in the hall, evidently about to leave, as Mrs. Fremont had her shawl on, and Senator Sumner was escorting her toward the door, when the President vent after them and soon turned toward the East Room, with the pathfinder at his side, Senator Sumner and Mrs. Fremont following. The presentation was made, and a few remarks were exchanged by the Generals, two men who were destined to exert a marked influence on the future destiny ofithe nation. At 11 o’clock the President led off a promenade with the daughter of Senator Browning, of Illinois. There was no dancing, as there used to be when Mrs. President Tyler held her drawing-rooms, but the supper was a culinary chef il’ouvre, artistically purveyed by Maillard, of New York. The table was ornamented with large pieces of ornamental confectionery, the .center ornament representing the steamer “Union,” armed and bearing the “Stars and Stripes.” On~a‘ table was a model of Fort Sumter, also in sugar, and approvisipned with game. After supper, promenading was resumed. and it was 3 o’clock ere the guests had departed, well content with the first “drawing-room of Mrs. Lincoln, which was a decided success, and surpassed any entertainment ever given in the metropolis. James Watson Webb, who was for many - years editor of the York Courier and Enquirer, was continually in a row with some one, In 1830 he went to Washington for the express purpose of flogging Duff Green, and his account of their interview was very amusing. They met at the door of the Capitol, where, to use Col. Webb’s words, “Green retreated’ backwards, drawing at the same time from the righthand pocket of his pantaloons a pistol about eight inches long, with percussion lock and half cap, and having a mahogany stock. His retreat, the drawing of the pistol and its being cocked and levelled at me were the work of a moment, ami owing to my distance from him when he discovered me, I could not elose with and disarm him. After looking at him in silence some seconds* I placed under my arm the walking-cane which I used, and leaning against the south jamb ot the door, addressed him dn the following terms, which are still fresh in my recollection: ‘You poor, contemptible, cowardly puppy, do you not feel that you are a coward, and that every drop of blood that courses through your veins is of the same kind of hue as your complexion? There you stand, secured from punishment by a weapon which yon dare not use, and virtually proclaiming that you only presume to aix-ail private character, because you

think it will not add to your infamv by being known M ’ftn *C'Bbtemptible and degraded as you wre,. throw aside your pistol and I pledge my honor as a gentleman I will not injure you. I will throw away my cane, and only pull your nose and box yobr ears!’ He refused to do so, alleging that he would never descend to my level. He then requested me to proceed and let him pass. I told him that I would not but that he should pass me as I then stood, or stand and hear me abuse him. He did not dare to pass, fearing that I would take the pistol from him. After some moments, however, I told him I return up-stairs and proclaim to every memlter of Congress his cowardly conduct. We accordingly proceeded to the House of Representatives, where I related all that had passed, and from thence hastened to commit it to paper, while the expressions I used to him were still fresh in my memory." For many years afterwards when Col. Webb used to talk about inflicting personal chastisement upon an opponent, an allusion to Duff Green’s pistol, with its percussion lock and mahogany stock, would at once quiet him. When John Quincy Adams was President, a “Pandean band" was organized at Washington, the instruments of which were composed of reeds, some seven or eight of which (probably an octave) were fastened in line, and the performer, by blowing in at the ends, produced a shrill and. not unmusical sound, similar to the octave flute. The motion of the head, in reaching the proper note, was a grave effort on the part of the performer, and somewhat ridiculous to the observer; these, with a couple of French horns and a bass drum, were considered passable street music.