Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1871 — A Visit to President Grant. [ARTICLE]

A Visit to President Grant.

A “London Pahson," who has been doing America, gives the following pleasant account of a visit to President Grant: I did not intend to seek admission into the White Hduse, for the President was at home, and I thought it might be closed. However, I walked u|i to look at the ontside. It deserves the name of the White House,even in a city of white edifices, for every thing about it—the glaring road, the bliuds, the door itself—helped to claim the title. I saw no one about, no sentries, no servants oi any kind. A soldier’s horse was tied up at the entrance, but. everything stood quiet Rnd still In the bright sunshine. Presently four persons, Americans, whom I had seen doihgthe sights of Washington, and whom, indeed, I bad not long before directed to the spiral staircase which leads up the dome of the Capitol, camo sauntering out They walked away, and the door was shut behind them. Another orderly rode up, tied his horse to a ring in the portico, and walked in. I turned aside, and was strolling off, supposing the White House was closed to visitors for the day, when an old negroes came smiling out by some side door. “ Mornin’, sar,” said siie. “ Morniu’, mavin,” said I. I supposed her to be a sort of Aunt Sully among the servants, and. asked her if the house was still open. “ Bless you, sar,” she replied, “ I’ve been there three hours; but 1 didn’t see the President after all.” “ Did you want to see him?” "Yes, sar; wages very low, work scarce.” “ Did you expect him to find you any ?” “Well, sar, I thought I’d go and see; but he is busy.” Then she volunteered her opinion on his fitness for his post, and praised Lincoln. “ Ah! Ido believe he was a Christian." Negroes are monstrously communicative. Unlike Americans, they frequently begin the conversation, and arc generally very ambitious in their choice of subjects. The negro’s talk is as large as his lips. Ho is always contemplating a long journey, or delivering himself about the grestest matters and the biggest people. The black barber talks of setting up business in London. The boots at the hotel discusses the relation between Canada and the United States. • A man who sold pears to us in the train to Richmond mixed up his opinion of Henry Clay, apropos to nothing, ■with his offers of fruit. This negress laid down the law about the qualification of the chief magistrate with most entertaining decision, and was quite sincere in intending to place her special necessities before none less than the President himself. There was a grotesque pathos in the faith she felt in her appeal'to the head of the government. But he was busy. Busy! I should think so, if he has to listen to every personal tale. However, Aunt Sally provoked me at least to look into the house, so I retracd my steps and rang the front bell. A servant out of livery opened the door at

once, and began showing me over the place. I said I waa an Englishman passing through Washington, and hoped I was not too late to ate the White House. “Oh no, sir” he replied; “ but you must not expect to act) auch a palace as you have in England.” While wo were looking about I said, “ I suppose the Fres-plent is much pressed upon by visitors.” “ Well,” he rejoined, “ there are pretty many, hut I am sure lie would sec you if you walked up stairs.” “I won’t trouble him,”said I; “ besides, I have not come prepared to seek a presentation.” I referred to my dress, widc-awako and overcoat, which I wore because the wind was been, though the sun was bright. He saw what I meant, and laughed, adding, “We don’t think about that here, sir.” So I strolled up the stairs, which were public, and - found myself, without introduction, in a large room, where General was hearing au application from some contractor at it table, a secretary sitting at another, and an old gentleman standing before the Are with an unlit cigar in his wouth. A negro porter sat by a door on the other side of the room. The General, too, asked me most courteously if I wanted to see the President. I replied that had I known he received that day I would have sought with others, the honor of making my bow to him, hut that I did not like to go in as I was. He smiled, and said that made no difference, and added, “ Send your card in. Sit down.” So I gave him my card and sat down, While lie itcnt on with his business. In a minute or two I was called into an inner room, and found the President standing before the fire smoking a cigar. He was exceedingly courteous, and honored me with some conversation about Utah and the great line, the former of which he knew much about personally, having been there. Then I made my bow, ho shook hands, and I went out, certainly much impressed with the* extreme facility of access granted by the head of the government to visitors. The whole thing was so un- xpectQdly informal that I felt it difficult to realize That I had an interview with so great a personage a-i the President of the United States. He is a very gentlemanly man, with a quiet, deliberate voice, and an eye that looks st might at you when he speaks. He wore an ordinary morning dress, almost scrupulously wcll-fi ting; and I noticed that, like the majority of Americans, he had a small, white hand and very neat boots. There can be no greater mistake than to represent the conventional American in a tail coat and bulgy boots. I did not notice a tail coat worn in the morning while in America, mr did I ever see a more clean-heeled race in my life. Even in the rough West, where trowserb are worn stuffed into “ Wellingtons’’—though they are not known by that name there—the hoots were almost invariably neatly built. Our guide in the Sierra wore n high heeled pair, which might have come oui. of the most fashionable shop in Regent street, * The President is exposed to much detail of work, which must be very wearisome, lie receives, I forget whether it is twice or three times a week, and is, of course, constantly pestered w ith personal applications for office. It was exceedingly goodmatured in him to see me, a wandering Englishman, as lie did, after the reception hours had passed. No one, moreover, could be more pleasantly courteous than General r, with whom, before I left, I had some very agreeable conversation. And this courtesy descends to lower officials. Again and again I ventured to ini reduce myself to such as the officers of Public Charities and Corrections, and Emigration, and nowhere did I find a “Jackin olfiee ” All every where offered me all the facilities in their pbwer, often putting themselves to trouble in showing mo w hat I wanted to see. The ordinary attendants, moreover never scented to expect a fee. Only once, ilid I have a lnnt of the kind, and that was from a convict boat-crew, in particolored dresses, when their officer ollVred to row me across the East River from the penitentiary. They suggested that they had no “baccy." .