The story of the White House

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
AT LOS ANGELES

THE STORY OF
THE WHITE HOUSE

^;::j^^-:^^

THE

STORY OF THE

WHITE HOUSE

BY

ESTHER SINGLETON

Author of French and English Furniture, etc.
'2. <i?7<^ /

IN TWO VOLUMES
FULLY ILLUSTRATED

VOLUME I

NEW YORK

THE McCLURE COMPANY

MCMVII

1?

•G

Copyright, igoy, by
THE McCLURE COMPANY

Published, November, 1907

2611

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V. I

PREFACE

In writing the history of the White House, I have
confined myself to the social life of the Presidents and
their families while its occupants. I have strictly avoided
any reference to the political turmoils of which the
Executive Mansion was necessarily the centre. There
is such an enormous amount of material on which to
draw that the task of selection has been an onerous one;
but, in all cases, I have chosen the lighter and more
picturesque points of view when the opportunity offered.
The authorities on which I have drawn consist of his-
tories, memoirs, travels, biographies, diaries, letters,
official documents, and newspapers. In selecting the ac-
counts of White House entertainments and celebra-
tions of all kinds, I have quoted from the news letters
of those correspondents whose reports seemed to be
least tinged with prejudice or political bias.

I wish to thank Mrs. S. L. Gouverneur, of Wash-
ington, D. C, for permission to have photographs
made of her oil portraits of Mrs. Monroe and Mrs.
Gouverneur; Dr. J. H. McCormick, for permission to
have photographs taken of the picture of the White
House in 1811 and miniature of Jean Sioussat; Mr.
and Mrs. Frederick W. Crowninshield and Mr. Frank

PREFACE

Crowninshield, for permission to quote from the let-
ters of Mrs. Crowninshield; Mr. Charles F. Adams, of
Boston, and Mr. Lyon G. Tyler, of Williamsburg, for
the privilege of quoting from J. Q. Adams's Diary and
The Letters and Times of the Tylers respectively;
Messrs. Lee & Shepard Co., of Boston, for permis-
sion to use extracts from Mrs. Jessie Benton Fremont's
Souvenirs of My Time; Colonel Charles S. Bromwell,
Commissioner of Public Buildings, for White House
statistics; Mr. Robert Kelby, the Librarian of the
New York Historical Society, for the use of papers in
that invaluable collection; Mr. D. E. Roberts, of the
Library of Congress; Dr. D. C. Oilman, of the Johns
Hopkins University; Mrs. J. R. McKee, Mrs. Betty
Taylor Bliss Dandridge, Miss Olive Risley Seward,
and Colonel W. H. Crook, of the White House Ex-
ecutive staff, for courteous replies to inquiries; Miss
Marie G. Young, of Washington, for information re-
garding the present observances and management of
the household; Mr. Louis Tiffr.ny, for information re-
garding the interior decoration in 1881; Mr. Jefferson
M. Levy, the present owner of Monticello; and Mr.
Burt L. Fenner, of Messrs. McKim, Mead & White,
for facts regarding the New White House.

I am also indebted to Mr. Arthur Shadwell Martin
for invaluable assistance in the work.

E. S.

New York, September, 1907.

INTRODUCTION

The White House has peculiar claims to the inter-
est of every patriotic American. Mount Vernon and
Monticello owe their fame and attraction to the rev-
erence, affection, and admiration inspired by the per-
sonality and public services of single illustrious owners.
The associations and memories of the White House
are more varied and extensive; and appeal more
strongly to the imagination of the average citizen.
The people of the United States individually take a
more active part and intelligent interest in politics than
do the natives of any other country in the world. From
their earliest youth, the eyes of hundreds of thousands
of patriots are turned toward the President's House
as longingly as are those of the devout Mohammedan
toward Mecca. Every man feels a proud proprietary
interest in it; and every boy may rightfully cherish an
ambition to be its future occupant as President of a
great nation.

The White House is a pilgrimage place yearly for
thousands of tourists. Foreigners and natives in vast
numbers pass through its rooms and corridors, admire
its decorations, and gaze on its pictures and relics of
the past with keen interest. Memories also of early

INTRODUCTION

married days of countless bridal couples are indlssol-
ubly associated with the President's house.

To a greater degree, perhaps, than any other edifice
in the world, the White House is the palace of King
Demos. In its reception-rooms people of all ages, rank,
conditions, and color have rubbed shoulders on an
equal footing to shake hands with the first citizen in
the land and enjoy his hospitality. Perhaps at the pres-
ent day the visitor has to submit to more form and
ceremony than in the past; and is not allowed the old
freedom of Liberty Hall and " the run of the royal
rum " ; but what is lacking in keeping open house is a
gain in decorum.

How thoroughly at home the ordinary American
before the Civil War felt in the White House and
what full liberty he allowed himself there are exempli-
fied in the following pages. Travellers and visitors
from abroad constantly comment on the license indulged
in by the disorderly mob that called on the President
to pay Its respects. Naturally scenes of confusion and
disorder occurred most frequently during the terms of
those Presidents who made a special point of pleasing
the so-called " plain people," such as Jefferson, Jack-
son, and Taylor, though considerable latitude was coun-
tenanced by other Presidents. Thus, at the close of
Jackson's Administration, Frances Anne Butler (Fanny
Kemble) gives a lively sketch of the White House
and its frequenters. She writes in her Journal Jan. 15,

1833:

viii

INTRODUCTION

" After we had done seeing what was to be seen, we went
on to the President's house, which is a comfortless, handsome-
looking building, with a withered grass-plot enclosed in wood-
en palings in front, and a desolate reach of uncultivated ground
down to the river behind. Mr. gave us a most enter-
taining account of the levees, or rather public daj's, at the
President's house. Every human being has a right to present
himself there ; the consequence is, that great numbers of the
very commoi^^ sort of people used to rush in, and follow
about the S^HRs who carried refreshments, seizing upon what-
ever they could gef^'^nd staring and pushing about to the in-
finite discomforture of the more respectable and better behaved
part of the assembly. Indeed, the nuisance became so great,
that they discontinued the eatables, and In great measure got

rid of the crowd. Mr. assured me that on one of these

occasions, two ladies had themselves lifted up and seated on
the chimneypiece, in order to have a better view of the select
congregation beneath them."

President Monroe was not so " hail-fellow-well-met "
with all the world as Jefferson and Jackson were. He
and his wife and daughters were people of good breed-
ing, elegant manners, and luxurious tastes. Their pur-
chases of the best that Paris could afford for the em-
bellishment of the President's house are detailed in
later pages, and some of them appear in illustrations
that show how well they have survived the wear and
tear of time, not to speak of neglect and abuse.

James Fenimore Cooper, writing In 1828, thus de-
scribes a couple of visits to the White House:

" The principal entrance of the ' White House ' communi-
cates with a spacious vestibule, or rather a hall. From this

ix

INTRODUCTION

we passed into an apartment, where those who visit the Presi-
dent in the mornings, are to wait their turns for the interview.
Our names had been given in at the door, and after two or
three, who preceded us, had been admitted, we were desired
to follow the domestic. Our reception was in a cabinet, and the
visit, of course, quite short. Colonel Monroe received us po-
litely, but with an American gravity, which perhaps was not
misplaced in such an officer. He offered his hand to me.

"On the succeeding Wednesday, Mrs. Moi||^ opened her
doors to all the world. No invitation was nel^Jry, it being
the usage for the wife of the President to receive once a fort-
night during the session without distinction of persons. . . .
We reached the White House at nine. The court (or rather
the grounds) was filled with carriages, and the company was
arriving in great numbers. On this occasion two or three addi-
tional drawing-rooms were opened, though the frugality of
Congress has prevented them from finishing the principal re-
ception-room of the building."

The origin of the popular designation of the build-
ing is obscure; and has been the subject of much con-
troversy. We shall see that the term " White House "
rarely occurs In newspapers, books, letters, or other
documents until the middle of the Nineteenth Century,
and yet Cooper writes (1828) :

" The Americans familiarly call the exceedingly pretty little
palace in which their chief magistrate resides the ' White
House'; but the true appellation is the President's House."

President Roosevelt Is the first to have stamped
'* The White House " Instead of " The Executive

INTRODUCTION

Mansion " on all documents and stationery issuing from
the Presidential headquarters.

Turning now to the question of etiquette and social
observances as laid down by the various Presidents, we
shall note great diversity of taste. Washington's rules
of etiquette were far too rigid and formal for c'ltoycn
Jefferson. Washington bowed to his visitors with stiff
dignity, keeping one hand on the hilt of his sword
and the o^h'er behind his back. He was scrupulously
attired in becoming costume on all occasions also.
Jefferson cultivated a rough-and-ready familiarity with
the multitude and did not hesitate to receive the cre-
dentials of a foreign Minister in dressing-gown and
slippers.

In his rules of etiquette that superseded those of
Washington, Jefferson's aim is plainly to level society.
Thus he decrees that " all are perfectly equal, whether
foreign or domestic, titled or untitled, in or out of
office." He Insisted that the foreign Ministers should
take their seats or stations as they arrived at his recep-
tions without any precedence, — in other words, " first
come, first served." He goes on to encourage the crush
and indiscriminate mingling of all sorts and conditions
of men by stating that it is his aim " to maintain the
principle of equality, or of pele-mele, and to prevent
the growth of precedence out of courtesy "; therefore,
his Cabinet Ministers must " practise at their own
houses, and recommend an adherence to the ancient
usage of the country, of gentlemen in mass giving prcce-

INTRODUCTION

dence to ladies in mass. In passing from one apartment
where they are assembled into another." Thus gentle-
men offering their arms to ladies and going in to din-
ner in any order of rank or honor was prohibited at
Mr. Jefferson's court.

Madison bowed and bowed at receptions till he got
a crick in his neck. Some Presidents used both left and
right when shaking hands ; some had both hands gloved,
and some the right ungloved; some wore black gloves,
some white, some yellow, and others gray. Some wore
flowers in their buttonholes, and then again others did
not florally adorn their breasts.

In the following pages, the reader may learn all
about Presidential tastes and personal habits; how some
accepted mvitations and how others would not conde-
scend to be entertained in private, official, or diplomatic
homes; how some dispensed hospitality with a lavish
hand, and others sent their callers away unrefreshed.
Some Presidents poured out wine to their visitors in
flowing bowls, while one, at least, served nothing but
water even at State dinners.

A slight change of form and ceremony occurred with
every new Administration. Each President drew up his
own rules and regulations, covering such points as when
and how often he would hold levees, receive Congress-
men, office-seekers, friends, admirers, and casual call-
ers, and at what hours. The style of addressing the
President also varied. Thus, James Fenimore Cooper
(1828) tells us:

xii

INTRODUCTION

" An invitation to the White House always runs ' The
President requests the pleasure,' etc. In conversation the actual
President, I find, is called Colonel Monroe. I am told his
predecessors were addressed as Mr. Madison, Mr. Jefferson,
Mr. Adams and General Washington. The President receive^
twice a week."

It may be noted in passing that the correct form of
address at the present day Is Mr. President.

The amount of time the President was willing to
devote to receiving people who came to see him on
their own business naturally varied in accordance with
his hopes, alms, and expectations of being elected for
a second term. The scale on which he entertained also
sometimes appears to have borne some ratio to such
considerations. Jefferson, for example, spent $8,500 on
imported wines, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German,
Italian, and Hungarian (some of very choice old
vintages), during his first term for White House hos-
pitality: during his second term he spent only $1,800.
These figures are significant with regard to his impa-
tience to return to his beloved Monticello and hold no
future public office in Washington.

Again, some of the Presidents were readily accessi-
ble to callers, held public levees twice a week, kept prac-
tically open house (Jefferson's dinner-table was crowded
with Congressmen, foreigners, and all kinds of hang-
ers-on every day), and were the servants of the public
morning, noon, and night all the year round. John
Quincy Adams was one of these slaves to duty whose

INTRODUCTION

labors were not rewarded by an unappreciative public
with a second term. When a President on entering the
White House decreed that his privacy was not to be
invaded to the extent that his predecessor's had been
on account of the detriment caused thereby to public
interests, that he would receive no callers after a cer-
tain hour except by appointment, that the White House
was closed on Sundays to all but heads of Departments
who might need to see him on the most pressing public
business, or that one day a week was to be devoted to
his own leisure and pleasure, the dissatisfaction engen-
dered made itself audible in grumblings among his own
party and found vent in virulent abuse in the opposition
papers.
y^ During the first half of the Nineteenth Century, the
most Important days in the year (apart from Inaugura-
tion Day) were the anniversaries of the Battle of New
Orleans and of Washington's Birthday, New Year's
Day, and the Fourth of July. (Thanksgiving Day was
not observed till 1845.) These festivals received due
recognition at the White House, At that period, the
Presidents lived in Washington through the summer;
and if they absented themselves from the seat of Gov-
ernment for more than a few days at a time, there was
a great outcry. Even when John Quincy Adams went
to visit his father, who was lying dangerously ill at
Quincy, his opponents tried to make political capital out
of his alleged subordination of the nation's interests to
filial duty.

INTRODUCTION

Though the Presidents usually celebrate .»
ous Fourth at the White House, however, ^ ^ ^^'"
them sinned greatly in the eyes of their contemi. ^ °^
in the matter of absenteeism. The worst offender P^^
was Jefferson, who would take a few days off on a v
to Monticello on the slightest excuse. President Grant .
frequent trips to various parts of the country induced
his opponents in Congress to try to call him to account.

On April 3, 1876, the President was requested by the
House to inform it " whether any executive offices,
acts, or duties, and, if any, what, have within a specified
period been performed at a distance from the seat of
government." In his Message of May 4th, he castigated
his inquisitors and justified his absences by quoting
precedents. A memorandum attached to this Message
shows that Washington absented himself and trans-
acted business during 181 days of his first term; John
Adams was absent 385 days, principally at Quincy;
Jefferson, during his two terms took 796 days off,
spending his time principally at Monticello; Madison
was absent 637 days; and Monroe 708 days, omitting
the year 1824 and two months of 1825, for which
period no data are available. During his single term,
John Quincy Adams was absent 222 days; and in his
Diary he speaks of his practice of his leaving with his
Chief Clerk signed blank papers to be used when neces-
sary for proclamations, remission of penalties, and
commission of Consuls. He speaks also of doing the
same thing in regard to patents and land grants.

/

/
/ INTRODUCTION

Jackson was absent from the White House 502 days.
After h^ time, however, the Presidents before the
Civil War greatly reduced their wanderings and so-
jour/iings in other cities. The records of the absences
0/ these stay-at-homes are: Van Buren, 131 days;
Tyler, 163; Polk, 37; Taylor, 31; Fillmore, 60;
Pierce, 57; and Buchanan, 57. General Grant made
no reference to his immediate predecessors, Lincoln
and Johnson.

The Presidents did not confine themselves exclu-
sively to business : most of them allowed themselves
some daily relaxation from the cares and burdens of
office. Some of them had strong domestic tastes, and
devoted many hours to the simple pleasures of their
children and grandchildren in the nursery and other
private apartments. A taste for horsemanship is rarely
lacking in any President. Washington and Jefferson
were particularly fond of a mettlesome steed; and all
the military officers who filled the Presidential chair
were naturally at home in the saddle. Lincoln, even,
used to ride daily rather than drive from his summer
quarters to the White House. Van Buren was re-
proached for the style and luxury displayed in his
horses, carriages, and livery. Grant's well-known love
of fast horses was confined largely to trotters.

Many of the Presidents were indefatigable pedes-
trians, among them the somewhat aged General Har-
rison and Buchanan. John Quincy Adams was addicted
to gardening and swimming; Pierce was an enthusiastic

xvi

INTRODUCTION

disciple of Isaak Walton — a taste which is shared by
the only living ex-President. Mr. Cleveland's fondness
for duck shooting also was common to several of his
predecessors. Two other Presidents were interested for
different reasons in the products of the barnyard, if con-
temporaries may be credited: Jackson hugely enjoyed
a good main of cocks; and Hayes followed the illus-
trious example of the Emperor Honorius in his devo-
tion to poultry-raising.

From the earliest days gifts of all kinds were show-
ered upon the Presidents and their wives by their ad-
mirers and others who perhaps had a lively anticipa-
tion of favors to come. Different Presidents have held
different views on the propriety of accepting gifts.
In our own day we have seen Arab blood stock from
Sultan's stables and various other gifts from foreign
potentates cross the water as White House offerings,
not to mention domestic trifles, such as Thanksgiving
turkeys and game from the Western wilds. From the
following pages we glean that many Presidents did not
hesitate to accept carriages and horses and other costly
gifts, as well as presents of comparatively little value.
Jefferson sternly set his face against the practice, as his
granddaughter almost tearfully tells us when she was
not allowed to have " one of those beautiful specimens
of Oriental luxury and taste brought over by the Tuni-
sian Ambassadors." She adds that the incident im-
pressed upon her mind Jefferson's " scrupulousness in
conforming to the laws in all things, great or small."

INTRODUCTION

This scrupulousness was illustrated in the case of the
" Mammoth Cheese " sent to him by an admirer in ,
the dairy-farming industry, for which he insisted on
paying fifty per cent more than its value. Jackson had
no such scruples when presented with a similar cheese
weighing 1,400 lbs.; and his successor accepted one
every year. Lincoln apparently saw no impropriety in
receiving gifts, but Johnson declined them, while
Hayes raised no objections. President Grant accepted
a carpet from the Sultan of Turkey and a superb silver
coffee set of thirty-six pieces and some dressed leopard
skins from Mexico in 1869.

^ The White House has been the stage for the setting
of many scenes of tragedy and comedy. Joy, mirth,
anxiety, and grief have affected its inmates, as has been
the case with every other old mansion in the land, al-
though its occupants have trod the boards for such a
fleeting spell. Births (the first, a grandson to Jeffer-
son), marriages and deaths have occurred within its
walls; and in the East Room, draped with black, the
bodies of many notabilities have lain in state.

No nation has been so niggardly in its provision for
the expenses to which its Chief Magistrate is put in
upholding the dignity and hospitality of the White
House than the United States. In the early days of the
Republic, $25,000 was a respectable salary. In 1845,
a writer points out that when the expenses of the many
levees, dinners and other entertainments have been met,
there is absolutely nothing left for the Presidential chair

INTRODUCTION

but empty honor. He states that after spending an ex-
tra $10,000 of his own money in two terms, Jackson
left for the Hermitage without enough money to pay
his travelling expenses.

In the face of great opposition, the President's sal-
ary was raised by Congress to $50,000 in 1873. ^^
1876, Congress reduced the sum again to $25,000;
but General Grant vetoed the Act, although he would
have lost nothing by it as he was then going out of
office.

Notwithstanding their comparative poverty, a peru-
sal of the following pages will show that most of the
Presidents dispensed hospitality with a free and gen-
erous hand. They entertained native and foreign celeb-
rities in the various fields of art, science, music, and
literature. Patriots, like Lafayette and Kossuth, Indian
chiefs, dusky potentates, French and English royal
princes, Spanish Infantas and German and Russian Im-
perial princes and Grand Dukes have been welcome
guests at the White House. Many of the entertain-
ments were on a large scale. Buchanan refused to be
reimbursed for his heavy expenses in playing the host
to the Prince of Wales, when the question was
brought up.

The subject that will undoubtedly have the greatest
attraction for the reader will be " The Ladies." They
played almost as important a part in the history of
the White House as the gentlemen did. Here are chron-
icled details of their daily life, domestic doings, house-

INTRODUCTION

keeping woes, receptions, visltings, boudoir plots and
intrigues, assumptions of rank and state, tastes and
habits. The eternal question of etiquette and precedence
is constantly cropping up; and is temporarily settled
by several heads of the White House, who, however,
frequently differ with the views of their predecessors.
Here also will be found many descriptions of the cos-
tumes worn by the ladies in public and private.

The ladies who presided over the household and re-
ceived the guests at public or State levees, dinners, and
the less formal entertainments were not always the
wives of the Presidents. Buchanan was a bachelor;
Jefferson, Jackson, Van Buren, and Arthur were wid-
owers; Tyler's first wife and other " First Ladies in
the Land " were invalids, or, at least, not strong
enough to perform the onerous duties of their position.
In such cases the work was satisfactorily performed by
the daughters, daughters-in-law, or nieces of the Presi-
dent. Under Jefferson, the wife of his Secretary of
State, Mrs. Madison, was practically mistress of the
President's house. She was the most commanding fig-
ure in Washington for half a century, and completely
dwarfed her little husband both physically and socially.
After her husband's second term, she was regarded as
a sort of ex-Empress, and was the most important
guest at all Court functions, frequently eclipsing the
hostess. Her advice was sought on all the thorny ques-
tions of form, ceremony, etiquette, and precedence;
and her authority was unquestioned. Even in her old

INTRODUCTION

age, after the President's New Year's reception, dip-
lomats, officials, and the host of Washington society
would Immediately go across the square and pay their
respects to Mrs. Madison.

The arrangement and decoration of the mansion
was in all cases subject to the individual taste of the
mistress; so that the reader cannot fail to be interested
in the changes in Interior decoration from time to time,
and in Mrs. Harrison's plans for entirely remodelling
the building.

This brings us to the edifice Itself. It is remarkable
that as It stands to-day, It is a faithful reproduction in
form and dimensions of the plans drawn by the orig-
inal architect, Major Hoban. The very foundations
and parts of the outside walls are relics of the original
building burnt by the British in 1814, of which a vivid
picture is given in these pages.

From the very start, the work of building met with
opposition and obstruction from various parties and
Interests whose motives plainly appear in the course of
this work. For many years there was recurring agi-
tation for the removal of the President's house to a
more advantageous (1. e., pecuniarily so to interested
real estate Investors) or more salubrious site. In its
swampy situation and with its total lack of hygienic
plumbing, it certainly was not a sanitary dwelling, and
its conditions probably contributed to the death of two
Presidents and several female members of Presidential
families. The objections of several mistresses of the

INTRODUCTION

mansion to take charge of it, and their reasonable de-
sire and plans to live elsewhere, frequently appear in
the text.

Notwithstanding the complaints of many people of
the meanness of Congress, the fact remains that the
President's house was planned on an adequate scale,
and even at this distance of time serves the purposes
for which it was built. It is elegant, dignified, and
roomy. It deserves neither the contempt of its detract-
ors, nor the denunciation of the extreme faction of par-
simony and " watch-dogs of the Treasury," one of
whom during the Log Cabin campaign in a flight of
oratorical hyperbole branded it as " a Palace as splen-
did as that of the Caesars, and as richly adorned as the
proudest Asiatic mansion." Quoting from official docu-
ments, the above speaker informed his hearers that the
building alone had cost $333,207 previous to its de-
struction by the British, and $301,496.25 since that
time to date (1840).

The house was under the care of the Commissioner
of Public Buildings, who from time to time reported
its condition to Congress and asked for appropriations
for repairs and improvements. Large sums were voted
yearly also for the furniture, and the money was spent
under the President's own eye and recommendation in
accordance with his own and his wife's tastes.

The work of completing the house according to the
original design progressed slowly. When the house was
burnt down, neither the North nor South Portico, nor

INTRODUCTION

the East Front had been begun. From the architect's
report of 1807, we learn that the surrounding ground
was chiefly used for brick-yards; it was enclosed in a
rough post and rail fence. Where the North Portico
now is, was a wooden platform, with an area on both
sides. Mr. Latrobe further states that

" During the short residence of President Adams at Wash-
ington, the wooden stair and platform were the usual entrance
to the house and the present drawing-room was a mere vesti-
bule."

What, in his plan, the architect calls the Drawing-
room is now the " Blue Room." To the right of that
was the common Dining-room; to the left the Presi-
dent's " Ante-chamber "; * and to the left of that, the
" Library and Cabinet " at the corner of the house.
Behind the Drawing-room was the Hall, to which a
staircase led up from the left, but " is not yet put up "
(1807). Beyond the staircase, the Hall had entrances
into the " Porter's Lodge " and the " Butler's Pantry,"
which again led into the " Public Dining-room at the
northwest corner. Leading out of the Hall opposite the
' Porter's Lodge ' and ' Pantry ' was the room for the
musicians. The whole of the East Front beyond this
was occupied by the ' Public Audience Chamber,' en-
tirely unfinished, the ceiling has given way."

The South Portico was not seriously taken in hand
till 1823, when J. Elgar in his report of expenditure
* Now the Red Room.

INTRODUCTION

during this year, enters " South Portico to the Presi-
dent's house, $11,550.34."

The nature of the work done and to be done was as
follows :

" The peristyle portico to the South front of the President's
House, consisting of six columns of the Ionic order, with the
entablature and balustrade, has been completed ; the ceiling
has been finished and the roof covered with copper. The Ar-
cade has been groined and arched with brick, and the principal
floor laid with the best Seneca stone.

" The remaining work to be done to complete the Portico,
consists of two flights of stone steps, to ascend from the surface
level to the principal floor, and the railing, which, when com-
pleted, the South front of the President's House will be fin-
ished."

The famous East Room about which there was so
much curiosity and misrepresentation took a long time
before its interior decorations were complete. It was
taken in hand in 18 18. On Jan. i, 1827, Senator Ben-
ton wrote the following letter to the editor of the
Richmond Enquirer:

" This being the day on which the President's house is
thrown open to all visitors, I went among others to pay my
respects to hiim, or rather, I should fairly confess, I went to
see the East Room, for the furnishing of which we had voted
$25,000 at the last session of Congress. I was anxious to see
how that amount of furniture could be stowed away in a
single room, and my curiosity was fully satisfied. It was truly
a gorgeous sight to behold ; but had too much the look of regal

INTRODUCTION

magnificence to be perfectly agreeable to my old Republican
feelings."

This letter called forth indignant denials from op-
ponents, who declared that the furniture and decoration
were most meagre.

The East Room always kept its name, but the other
Parlors changed their names most perplexingly in
accordance with the color of their decoration. This
naturally varied with the taste of the new Lady of the
White House.

The Oval Room was, as we have seen, the Presi-
dent's Drawing-room. In 1809, when the Madisons
came in, it was furnished at a cost of $1,000. The sofas
and chairs were upholstered in yellow satin and the
curtains were of yellow damask, evidently draped in
the fashionable late Sheraton style. Many years elapsed
before this famous Salon became the Blue Room. The
handsome French furniture sent from Paris was uphol-
stered in light crimson, or old rose, and the rich dra-
peries were of the same hue. This was sometimes called
the " Elliptical Drawing-room," the " Oval Reception
Room," and the " Circular Room." It does not seem
to have been changed from Monroe's time in either
John Quincy Adams's or Jackson's Administrations,
although according to Ogle it was formerly the
" Green Circular Parlor." It seems to have been first
furnished in blue when President Van Buren had new
covers put on the Monroe furniture and new curtains

XXY

INTRODUCTION

hung (see page 253). After this date, it is referred to
as the " Oval Reception Room," the " Oval Room,"
the " Blue Room," the " Elliptic Room," the " Circle
Room," and the " Round Room." It was again a red
room in Johnson's time, and again a blue room in
Grant's time, when it is sometimes referred to as the
" Violet Blue Parlor." After Tiffany redecorated it in
Arthur's Administration, it was called the " Robin's
Egg Room " on account of the pale tints used.

The Green Room, also called the " Card Room " in
Monroe's time, was, as we have already noted, the ordi-
nary Dining-room in the first President's house. The
color of this room does not appear to have been
changed.

The room on the left of the Blue Room, although
its furniture seems to have been red, was called the
" Yellow Drawing Room," probably on account of the
hangings and carpet. In Tyler's time, it was called the
" Washington Room." In all probability the famous
portrait of Washington hung here, as it does to-day.

The money spent on furniture was drawn from the
Treasury by the Presidents themselves, or their desig-
nated agents. The appropriations for the seven Presi-
dential terms from 1829 to 1853 were as follows:
Jackson, $40,000; Van Buren, $20,000; Tyler,
$6,000; Polk, $14,000; Taylor and Fillmore, $14,000;
Pierce, $25,000. The large sum spent under Jackson
was devoted largely to the final furnishing of the East
Room.

INTRODUCTION

When the proposal of the removal of the National
Capitol came up in 1870-71, the Committee on Public
Expenditures made a favorable report to the House,
submitting figures showing that the total expenditures
on the President's house and the Executive Mansion
from the time the seat of Government was located at
Washington to the close of the fiscal year 1858 had
been $1,515,078.54.

The appropriations for the care, repair, and refur-
nishing of the Executive Mansion since 1870 are as
follows :

1871 $40,369.73

1872 20,345.00

1873 22,000.00

1874 25,000.00

1875 20,000.00

1876 20,000.00

1877 17,000.00

1878 20,000.00

1879 25,000.00

1880 25,000.00

1881 20,000.00

1882 50,000.00

1 883 40,000.00

1884 28,000.00

1885 12,500.00

1886 16,000.00

1887 16,000.00

1888 16,000.00

1889 16,000.00

i8go 16,000.00

xxvii

INTRODUCTION

1891 $25,000.00

1892 35,000.00

1 893 20,000.00

1 894 1 8,000.00

1 895 25,000.00

1 896 25,000.00

1897 20,000.00

1 898 20,000.00

1 899 30,000.00

1900 36,000.00

1901 20,000.00

1902 20,000.00

1903 35,000.00

1904 60,000.00

1905 35,000.00

1906 35,000.00

1907 35,000.00

" Extraordinary repair and refurnishing of the Executive
Mansion :

1903 $475,445.00

Building for Offices of the President:

1903 $65,196.00

Extraordinary repairs of the Executive Mansion:

1907 $35,000.00

The appropriations for the years 1877-78-79 and 1880 in-
cluded also fuel for the Mansion and greenhouses, and also
the care and repair of the greenhouses.

The appropriation for 1880 contained authority to expend
not to exceed $2,000,00 for a new tin roof for the Mansion."

These figures have been kindly supplied by Colonel
Charles S. Bromwell, the present Commissioner of Pub-
lic Buildings and Grounds.

xxviii

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

THE FIRST president's HOUSE

The Federal City; Plans for the President's Dwelh'ng; Troubles of
the Commissioners of the Federal Buildings; Appearance of
Pennsylvania Avenue and the President's House in 1800;
Mrs. Adams's Description of the President's House; Reports
by B. Henry Latrobe in 1808 and 1809; Condition of Presi-
dential Mansion during Jefferson's Administration; Descrip-
tion by travellers in 1807 and 1809; Mr. Latrobe's Pur-
chases 3-18

CHAI^TER TWO

OFFICIAL AND DOMESTIC FORMS AND CEREMONIES

Washington's Regard for Forms, Ceremonies and Punctilious Eti-
quette; His Opening of Congress; Alexander Hamilton's
Recommendations for Formalities to be observed at the
Republican Court; Jefferson's Sympathy with the Sans
Culottes; Washington's Levees and Mrs. Washington's Re-
ceptions; John Adams on Republicanism and Jefferson;
John Adams in Washington 19-26

CHAPTER THREE

THOMAS JEFFERSON
180I-1809

Inauguration of Thomas Jefferson; Old Forms and Ceremonies
Abolished; Jefferson's New Rules of Eriquette; Sir Augustus

CONTENTS

Foster on the Troubles of the Diplomats; the British Minis-
ter at the President's House; Tom Moore's Description of
Jefferson; Sir Augustus Foster on Jefferson's Behavior and
Policy, and the Troubles of the Merrys; Jefferson's Infor-
mality; Mrs. Madison, the hostess of the White House;
Jefferson's Hospitality and Household; John Quincy Adams's
Description of Dinners; General Turreau and General
Moreau; New Year's Day and Fourth of July; Jefferson's
Retirement from the Presidency 27-54

CHAPTER FOUR

JAMES MADISON
1809-1813

The Inauguration; A Brilliant Ball; Personality of Mrs. Madi-
son; Jean Pierre Sioussat, the first Major-Domo of the Pres-
ident's House; Mrs. Madison's Hospitality; First Fourth of
July Reception; A Dinner at the President's; Washington
Irving's Account of a Levee, and Washington Gaiety; Mrs.
Seaton's Description of Washington Entertainments and
Prominent Persons 55-

CHAPTER FIVE

JAMES MADISON
1813-1817

Madison's Second Inauguration; Mrs. Seaton's Description of the
New Year's Reception; Mrs. Madison's Head-dresses; Ap-
proach of the British Troops; Mrs. Madison Saves the
Washington Portrait; Burning of the President's House;
Temporary Homes of President and Heads of Departments;
Washington Society in 1815; the Crowninshields; General

CONTENTS

Jackson in Washington; Drawing-rooms, Levees and New
Year's Receptions; Arrival and Reception of the Bagots;
Furnishings of the President's Temporary Residence . 69-90

CHAPTER SIX

THE SECOND PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

Appropriations of Congress; Report of Committee of Public
Buildings; Report of Secretary of the Treasury'; Extracts
from James Hoban's Report; Hoban's Statement of Condi-
tion of the President's House in 1816; Price of Materials
used in Construction and Decoration; First Reception in the
Second President's House; Appropriations of Congress for
Furnishings; Mr. Monroe's Furniture and Plate; Colonel
Lee's Statement Regarding Orders Sent to France; Early
Purchases from Cabinet-Makers, Upholsterers, etc. . 91-108

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE FURNITURE OF THE RESTORATION

Arrival and Description of the French Furniture; The Oval
Room and its Famous Carpet; A Fine Piano; Furniture of
the Card Room; Furnishings of the Dining-Room; the Por-
celain; the Plate; Upholsterers and Cabinet-Makers; the
President's Message; Cut-Glass Ware and other Purchases;
Bedrooms and Boudoirs; the President's Square . . 109-130

CHAPTER EIGHT

JAMES MONROE
1817-1825

Mrs. Monroe; Quesrions of Eriquette; M. dc Neuville; Mr. John
Quincy Adams on Precedence and Eriquette; Mrs. Monroe
xxxi

CONTENTS

and Mrs. Adams Offend Washington Society; a Dinner-
Party at the President's House; the Great East Room and
Condition of the House; Maria Monroe's Wedding and Re-
ception; a New Year's Reception at the President's House;
Gay Washington Society; Monroe's Second Inauguration;
Indian Chiefs at the President's House; a Dinner to General
Lafayette; J. Q. Adams on the President's Transactions Re-
garding the Appropriations for Furniture . . . 131-154

CHAPTER NINE

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
1825-1829

John Q. Adams's Early Life and Marriage; Ball to General
Jackson; Poem on Mrs. Adams's Ball; the Adams and Jack-
son Contest; Adams's Description of his Inauguration; Mr.
Crawford's Plate; Removal to President's House and Daily
Life; Fourth of July Celebration; Visit of General Lafayette;
Daily Life; New Year's Reception; Summer Holidays; Mr.
Ringgold Suggests Order for Carriages at Drawing-Rooms;
Mr. Adams's Love of Gardening; New Year's Reception of
1828; the President's Simple Tastes; New Year's Reception
of 1829; Last Days in the President's House . . . 155-190

CHAPTER TEN

ANDREW JACKSON
1829-1833

Jackson's Career; Reign of Andrew the First; the "Kitchen Cab-
inet"; Mrs. Jackson; Popularity of General Jackson; the
Inauguration; Mob at the President's House; Mrs. Donelson;
Mrs. Andrew Jackson, Jr.; Public Receptions; Mrs. Eaton;
Levees and Receptions 191-206

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ANDREW JACKSON

A Follower of Jefferson; Van Buren's Tastes; Infirmities of the
President; New Year's Day, 1834; Mrs. Fremont's Reminis-
cences of Jackson and the White House; Levees and Recep-
tions; the "Mammoth Cheese"; N. P. Willis at the White
House; Old Hickory's Hickory Carriage and the "Constitu-
tion Phaeton"; Luxurious Furnishings . .207-229

CHAPTER TWELVE

MARTIN VAN BUREN
1837-184I

Tastes and Character of Martin Van Buren; Inauguration and
Ball; the Bodisco Wedding and Entertainment of M. and
Mme. Bodisco at the White House; Martin Van Buren as a
Host; Mr. Ogle's Reproaches on the President's Luxury;
Expenditures on the President's Mansion and Grounds;
Elliott's Description of the President's House; the East
Room; the Blue Elliptical Room; Luxurious Table Service;
Lamps and Mirrors; Rich Furniture; Discomforts Described
by M/f-s. Fremont; James Silk Buckingham's Description of
the President's First Drawing-Room; the President at
Church; Captain Marryat's Description of Van Buren; Mrs.
Abram Van Buren; New Year's Receprions; a Monster
Cheese; Van Buren leaves the White House . . 230-268

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

HARRISON AND TYLER
184I-1845

Excitement of the Whigs; the Inaugurarion and Balls; the New
President at Home; Illness and Death of Genera! Harrison;
xxxiii

CONTENTS

the Impressive Funeral; Tyler Removes to the White House;
John Quincy Adams Visits and Dines with the President;
Charles Dickens's Description of a Visit to the White House
and a Levee; Visit of the Prince de Joinville; President Tyler's
Advice to His Family; Mrs. Robert Tyler; Entertainments
at the White House; Elizabeth Tyler's Wedding; Death of
Mrs. Tyler; New Year's Reception, 1844; the Accident on
the Princeton; the President's Wedding and Fourth of July
Receptions at the White House; the Second Mrs. Tyler as
Mistress of the White House; New Year's Day, 1845; Fare-
well to the White House; the Tylers' Exit . . . 269-301

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

JAMES K. POLK
1845-1849

Inauguration and Balls; the Shabby White House j Mrs. Polk;
Henry Clay at a Dinner-Party; Typical Drawing-Rooms;
Thanksgiving Day; New Year's Reception; Levees; the Na-
tional Fair of 1846; Reception at the White House; Portrait
of Mrs. Polk; New Year's Day, 1848 . . . .302-318

XXXIV

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FArTXC
PAGE

The White House, North Portico . Frontispiece

The President's House (1799) 4

Mrs. John Adams 12

Lafayette 20

John Adams 24

The President's House (1800) 26

Thomas Jefferson 28

Statue of Jefferson by David D'Angers .... 30

J. Marshall 32

View of Washington from the Capitol (1809) ... 34

Mrs. T. M. Randolph 40

Miss Harriet Lane 42

James Madison 56

Mrs. D. p. Madison 58

Jean Sioussat . . ■ 60

Washington Irving, Esq 64

Albert Gallatin 66

The President's House (181 i) 68

Andrevi^ Jackson 78

Mrs. Andrew^ Jackson 84

Hoban's Original Plan of White House .... 96
Standing Candlestick, Monroe Period ... 100
One of a Pair of Candelabra Bought by Monroe; Origi-
nally in Oval Room 100

XXXV

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING
PAGE

Sevres Vase 104

Hannibal Clock and Ornaments, Purchased by Monroe;
Empire Clock and Bronze Ornaments, the Latter
Selected by Mrs. Grant 106

112

114
118
120

Monroe Vase and Clock

Minerva Clock and Vases, Bought by Monroe

James Monroe

Another Portrait of John Adams ....

Parts of the "Surtout de Table," Bought by Monroe;

Candelabra and Empire Tripod Vases, Bought by

Monroe 124

Mrs. Hay 132

Mrs. John Q. Adams 138

Mrs. Monroe 140

Mrs. Gouverneur 146

Stephen Decatur 148

James Fenimore Cooper 152

John Q. Adams 156

Another Portrait of Mrs. J. Q. Adams . . . .160

The President's House, South Portico (1823) . . . 164
The President's House, South Portico (1824) . . .172

The President's House, South Portico (1826) . . . 180

Andrew Jackson 192

Edward Livingston 202

Thomas H. Benton 212

N. P. Willis 216

The President's House, South Portico (1834) . . . 222

Washington from President's House (1840) . . . 232

The White House in i 841 252

xxxvi

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FACIKC
PAGE

Captain Marryat . 264

William H. Harrison 270

John Tyler 274

Charles Dickens 276

Daniel Webster 282

Mrs. John Tyler, Original in White House . 286

Mrs. Julia G. Tyler, Original in White House 292

James K. Polk 302

Mrs. Polk, Original in White House 304

Henry Clay 306

George Bancroft 308

Mrs. D. p. Madison 312

The President's House, South Portico (1842) . . . 316

THE STORY OF
THE WHITE HOUSE

CHAPTER ONE

THE FIRST PRESIDENT'S MOUSE

The Federal City; Plans for the President's Dwelling; Trouhles of
the Commissioners of the Federal Buildings; Appearance of
Pennsylvania Avenue and the President's House in 1800; Mrs.
Adams's Description of the President's House — Reports by M.
Henry Latrobe in 1808 and 1809; Condition of Presidential
Mansion during Jefferson's Administration; Description by
travellers in 1807 and 1809; Mr. Latrobc's Purchases.

THE selection of the site of the Capitol, and con-
sequently the official residence of the President
of the United States, was a burning question in the
cradle days of the Republic; and gave rise to many
jealousies and heart-burnings, as well as to much log-
rolling and intrigue. New York and Philadelphia
both considered that they had overwhelming claims to
the distinction; but the preponderating influence of the
brilliant sons of the Old Dominion — Washington, Jef-
ferson, Randolph, Henry, Madison, Monroe, Mar-
shall, and others — prevailed. Georgetown was prac-
tically at the back door of Mount Vernon, and within
comparatively easy reach of the ancestral scats of the
other great Virginians. It was a lively town, and not
too remote from other centres of luxury and elegance
— such as Williamsburg, Annapolis, and Baltimore.

3

THE WHITE HOUSE

Washington was an expert surveyor; and, being the
Idol of his countrymen, it is not astonishing that the
planning of the new metropolis should be intrusted to
him; and that the result was that, as Mr. Wolcott
expressed it, the Government " left the comforts of
Philadelphia to go to the Indian place with the long
name in the woods on the Potomac."

Washington selected a hill overlooking the river as
a commanding site for the Houses of Congress, and
planted the residence of the Chief Executive half-way
between that and Georgetown.

At that date, the hills were clothed with forest
growth of magnificent trees, but when the land was
bought no provision was made for their preservation,
and therefore the original owners felled and sold the
timber, leaving a desolate and swampy region. This
aroused Jefferson's protest: " I wish I were a despot,
that I might save those noble trees ! "

The final decision on the site for what Washington
named the " Federal City," was not arrived at by Con-
gress till 1790, when an act was passed establishing
the temporary seat of Government in Philadelphia till
1800, and " thereafter the permanent seat in a district
not exceeding the Constitutional ten miles square to be
located by the Potomac, and three Commissioners of
his choice on the Potomac River," etc., and " accord-
ing to such plans as the President shall approve, to
provide suitable buildings for the accommodation of
Congress and of the President, and for public offices

4

THE FIRST PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

of the Government in time for their occupancy In
1800."

On Dec. 13, 179 1, the following message was read
before the Second Congress In Philadelphia:

" Gentlemen of the Senate and of the House of Representa-
tives, I place before you the plan of a City that has been laid
out within the District of ten Miles square, which was fixed
upon^for the Permanent Seat of the Government of the United
States. G. Washington."

In 1 79 1, the future city was formally named the
City of Washington; and in 1792 a prize of $500 or
a gold medal was offered for the best plan for a suit-
able dwelling for the President. This was advertised
In all the leading papers of the day, and was won by
Capt. James Hoban, an architect originally from Ire-
land, at the time a resident of Charleston, S. C.

Numerous plans were submitted, most of which were
beneath contempt from an architectural point of view;
and many of them have been pronounced wildly absurd
structurally and decoratlvely. In one, a triple window
has a cornice broken by an arch over the central open-
ing, on either side of which Is a man rampant, with
one foot on the arch and the other on the level of the
cornice as though the two men were about to do battle
over the keystone. This competitor evidently fancied
himself as a sculptor, for he lined up a lot of ridiculous
figures on the parapet. Another devoted his talents to
a clock, the dial of which marked the hours by the

5

THE WHITE HOUSE

twelve letters in the words United States. The spread-
eagle predominated as a decorative feature in some
of the designs; and the noble bird is displayed on pedi-
ments and in weathercocks in marvellous poses and
poises. To one is attributed the wings of a penguin and
an ingeniously designed breast-plate of thirteen circles.
Another competitor reproduces the separate chairs of
Senators and Representatives, indicating the color and
texture of the leather, or other upholstery. Another
makes a terrible mess of his perspective.

The plan finally accepted is frequently maintained
to be not original with the successful competitor. It is
said that he acknowledged that he had based his design
on the recently built palace of the Duke of Leinster in
Dublin, which was a fine example of " modernized
Greek architecture," evidently in the Adam style. The
architect's plans provided for a somewhat pretentious
edifice of three stories, to which a sweeping colonnade
and wings might be added as the need arose. The ex-
travagance of the planned outlay for the dwelling of
the President of the new Republic evoked considerable
criticism and opposition; and, in consequence, the archi-
tect's plans of which Washington is said to have ap-
proved, were shorn of much of their magnificence.

In Washington's original plan, which was distributed
throughout this country and Europe, he fixed the sites
of the Capitol and the President's house, and on his
way to Congress in 1796 he also selected the sites of
the executive buildings, War, Navy, Treasury, etc., on

6

THE FIRST PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

the President's square. There was naturally a great
deal of competition for the best sites among the own-
ers of real estate In the city; and, long before the Presi-
dent's house was finished, there was a great deal of
pressure brought upon Congress to transfer the official
home of the President to some site contiguous to the
Capitol; or, to make the President's house itself (by
other Interested parties) the Hall of Congress, or (by
others) the seat of the Judiciary. In 1798, the Com-
missioners of the Federal Buildings were G. Scott, W.
Thornton, and A. White. Mr. White was sent to
Philadelphia to Induce Congress to make a liberal ap-
propriation for the completion of the buildings, and
while there he discovered that even his colleagues were
not in entire sympathy with Washington's plans. On
March 8, he writes to his colleagues as follows:

" I had not been long in the city when I found . . . the
clashing interests that have caused so much discord in Washing-
ton. Some proposed that there should be a small house erected
near the Capitol for the residence of the President, and that
the executive offices should be built in the same vicinity; some
wish his house to be the permanent, others the temporary resi-
dence of the President. Those who wish it permanent talk of
making a judiciary of the President's house, and allege that the
seat of justice would be as advantageous to the adjacent pro-
prietors as the residence of the President. Others propose mak-
ing the President's house the residence of Congress; and too
many on both sides are of the opinion that only one of these
houses should be finished, and that any money granted should
be appropriated to finishing the one which might be preferred.

7

THE WHITE HOUSE

Another opinion prevailed that we wanted only $I00,000; and
the old clamor against the style of the buildings was revived."

White's desire to carry out Washington's intentions
gave offence probably to Mr. Law, certainly to General
Forrest, for he adds:

" The facts previously unknown to me are, that the Presi-
dent's house had, from the beginning, through the management
or influence of some of those interested in the adjacent property,
been calculated for the accommodation of Congress, and that
General Forrest had lately procured from Mr. Hoban estimates
of finishing it, both for the reception of Congress and the resi-
dence of the President; that the first (exclusive of slating the
roof) might be done for $i2,ooo, and that the latter would
cost $54,000 . . . to-day a resolution was agreed to recom-
mending the appropriation of $200,000 at three annual instal-
ments, which it is expected will complete the Capitol, the Presi-
dent's house, and the executive offices; the judiciary not being
considered as immediately necessary."

Though the committee reported the bill, Mr. White
met with another stumbling-block. On March 11, he
wrote again to his brother Commissioners saying that
Congress would not vote the money unless the Presi-
dent's wishes were known; and so he had personally
called on Mr. Adams. He was evidently chagrined to
find that the President was at least lukewarm in the
matter, and indeed was in sympathy with the malcon-
tents, because, although he " paid great regard to the
opinions of General Washington," he thought that the
executive offices should be as near the Capitol as pos-

8

THE FIRST PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

sible. However, he observed that " with respect to the
President's house, so far as concerns himself, he is per-
fectly satisfied. He said he would go a mile and a half
whenever his official duty may require it, as long as
he shall remain in office, or, if he should find it incon-
venient, he could hire a house, so far as concerns him-
self."

Messrs. Scott and Thornton, in their reply of
March 1 6, state that the "two appropriations, viz.:
for the Capitol and the President's house, the only ones
made until the year 1796 were published on the en-
graved plan promulgated by the President . . . the
Commissioners and all others who have made sales of
lots in the city have made their sales and contracts
under a full persuasion that these appropriations were
permanent and unalterable."

There must have been a good deal of lobbying in
the matter, for it is not till April 1 8 that the Commis-
sioners " are informed that a bill has passed both
Houses of Congress authorizing a loan of $100,000
for completing the public buildings in this city." We
shall presently see what a mere drop in the bucket this
sum was to prove.

On May 7, 1798, the Commissioners write to Presi-
dent Adams:

" We consider the existing orders as sufficient authority for
us to proceed with the building; but to secure the completion
of the North Wing of the Capitol, and the finishing whatever
buildings may be commenced, in due season, we mean at present

9

THE WHITE HOUSE

only to contract for one of the executive buildings, and as soon
as that shall be undertaken, to discontinue the work on the
interior of the President's house . . . only finishing the stone
work (which is nearly completed) and slating the roof."

The controversy that had arisen must have been a
matter of considerable disappointment to Washington,
who took great interest in the President's house. In
June, 1797, he had written " the President's house will
be covered in the autumn," which shows that the outer
walls were already finished.

The result of the general indifference regarding the
completion of the President's house was that it was not
nearly ready for occupancy when Congress removed
from Philadelphia to Washington. The Hon. John
Cotton Smith, a member of Congress from Connecti-
cut, gives us a graphic view of the scene presented in
1800:

" Our approach to the city was accompanied with sensations
not easily described. One wing of the Capitol only had been
erected, which with the President's house, a mile distant from
it, were shining objects in dismal contrast with the scene around
them. Instead of recognizing the avenues and streets portrayed
on the plan of the cit)'^, not one was visible, unless we except a
road, with two buildings on each side of it, called the New
Jersey Avenue. The Pennsylvania leading, as laid down on
paper, from the Capitol to the Presidential mansion, was then
nearly the whole distance a deep morass covered with alder
bushes, which were cut through the width of the intended ave-
nue during the then ensuing winter. Between the President's
house and Georgetown a block of houses had been erected,

10

THE FIRST PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

which then bore, and may still bear, the name of the six build-
ings."

Mr. Oliver Wolcott, Secretary of the Treasury,
writing to his wife on the Fourth of July, 1800, says:

" It was built to be looked at by visitors and strangers, and
will render its occupant an object of ridicule with some and of
pity with others. It must be cold and damp in winter, and can-
not be kept in tolerable order without a regiment of serx'ants."

For a glimpse of the President's house and its set-
ting on the arrival of Its first tenants, we cannot do
better than quote the first impressions of Mrs. Adams.
Writing to her daughter (Nov. 21, 1800), she says:

" Woods are all you see from Baltimore until you reach
the city, which is only so in name. Here and tliere is a small
cot, without a glass window, interspersed amongst the forests,
through which you travel miles without seeing any human
being. In the cit}'^ there are buildings enough, if they were com-
pact and finished, to accommodate Congress and those attached
to it; but as they are, and scattered as they are, I see no great
comfort for them. The river, which runs up to Alexandria, is
in full view of my window, and I see the vessels as they pass
and repass. The house is upon a grand and superb scale, requir-
ing about thirty servants to attend and keep the apartments in
proper order, and perform the ordinarj^ business of the house
and stables; an establishment very well proportioned to tlie
President's salary. The lighting the apartments, from the
kitchen to parlours and chambers, is a tax indeed ; and the fires
we are obliged to keep to secure us from daily agues is another
very cheering comfort. To assist, us in this great castle, and
render less attendance necessary, bells are wholly wanting, not

1 1

THE WHITE HOUSE

one single one being hung through the whole house, and prom-
ises are all you can obtain. This is so great an inconvenience,
that I do not know what to do, nor how to do. The ladies from
Georgetown and in the city have, many of them, visited me.
Yesterday I returned fifteen visits — but such a place as George-
town appears — why our Milton is beautiful. But no compari-
sons; if they will put me up some bells, and let me have wood
enough to keep fires, I design to be pleased. I could content
myself almost anywhere three months; but, surrounded with
forests, can you believe that wood is not to be had, because
people cannot be found to cut and cart it! Briesler entered into
a contract with a man to supply him with wood. A small part,
a few cords only, has he been able to get. Most of that was
expended to dry the walls of the house before we came in, and
yesterday the man told him it was impossible for him to pro-
cure it to be cut and carted. He has had recourse to coals ; but
we cannot get grates made and set in. We have, indeed, come
into a new country.

" You must keep all this to yourself, and, when asked how
I like it, say that I write you the situation is beautiful, which
is true. The house is made habitable, but there is not a single
apartment finished, and all withinside, except the plastering,
has been done since Briesler came. We have not the least fence,
yard, or other convenience, without, and the great unfinished
audience-room I make a drying-room of, to hang up the clothes
in. The principal stairs are not up, and will not be this winter.
Six chambers are made comfortable ; two are occupied by the
President and Mr. Shaw; two lower rooms for a common
parlour, and one for a levee room. Upstairs there is the oval
room, which is designed for the drawing-room, and has the
crimson furniture in it. It is a ver}'^ handsome room now; but
when completed, it will be beautiful. If the twelve years in
which this place has been considered as the future seat of gov-
ernment had been improved, as they would have been in New

12

THE FIRST PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

England, very many of the present inconveniences would have
been removed. It is a beautiful spot, capable of every improve-
ment, and the more I view it, the more I am delighted with it.
" Since I sat down to write, I have been called down to a
servant from Mount Vernon, with a billet from Major Custis,
and a haunch of venison, and a kind congratulatorj' letter from
Mrs. Lewis, upon my arrival in the city, with Mrs. Washing-
ton's love, inviting me to Mount Vernon, where, health per-
mitting, I will go, before I leave this place."

A week later, Mrs. Adams writes:

" Briesler procured nine cords of wood ; between six and
seven of that was kindly burnt up to dry the walls of the
house, which ought to have been done by the Commissioners,
but which, if left to them, would have remained undone to this
day. Congress poured in, but shiver, shiver."

She then says that they *' have one cord and a half
of wood in the house where twelve fires are required,"
and " where we are told the roads will soon be so bad
that it cannot be drawn. The public officers have sent
to Philadelphia for wood-cutters and waggons." Mrs.
Adams notes that there are " two hundred bushels of
coal in the house," and then continues:

" The vessel which has my clothes and other matters is not
arrived. The ladies are impatient for a drawing-room ; I have
no looking-glasses but dwarfs for this house; nor a twentieth
part lamps enough to light it. Many things were stolen, many
more broken, by the removal ; amongst the number, my tea
china is more than half missing. Georgetown affords nothing.
My rooms are very pleasant and warm whilst the doors of the
hall are closed.

13

THE WHITE HOUSE

" You can scarce believe that here in this wilderness city,
I should find my time so occupied as it is. My visitors, some
of them, come three and four miles. The return of one of them
is the work of one day; most of the ladies reside in George-
town, or in scattered parts of the city at two and three miles
distance. Mrs. Otis, my nearest neighbour, is at lodgings almost
half a mile from me; Mrs. Senator Otis, two miles.

" We have all been very well as yet; if we can by any means
get wood, we shall not let our fires go out, but it is at a price
indeed; from four dollars it has risen to nine. Some say it
will fall, but there must be more industry than is to be found
here to bring half enough to the market for the consumption
of the inhabitants."

The actual conditions of his official residence must
have been a sad blow to Mr. Adams: he had evidently
been misinformed as to the forwardness of the prepara-
tions for the reception of himself and Congress. In his
speech (Dec. 3, 1799) he had announced:

" The Commissioners appointed to provide suitable build-
ings for the accommodation of Congress and of the President,
and of the Public Offices of the Government, have made a
report of the state of the buildings designed for these purposes
in the City of Washington; from which they conclude, that
the removal of the seat of Government to that place, at the
time required, will be practicable, and the accommodation
satisfactory."

The progress made on the public and private build-
ings of Washington was very slow. On Dec. 20, 1802,
Thomas Munroe reports from the Superintendent's
Office " the state of the public buildings, directed to be

14

THE FIRST PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

reported, Is the same as the last Session of Congress,
or not materially changed. The private buildings, then
735 in number, have since increased a few more than
one hundred."

In April, 1802, we find a great turmoil over the
fact that part of the President's square has been con-
veyed to the Queen of Portugal, or her minister.

In his report on the progress of public buildings In
1807, presented March 25, 1808, B. Henry Latrobc,
Surveyor of Public Buildings, says :

" The work performed at the President's house has con-
sisted of the covered way In front of the offices on each wing;
of the erection of one half of the wall of enclosure and one of
the gates; of the levelling of the greatest part of the enclosed
grounds and of minor repairs and Improvements of the house
itself. Neither the \\all of the enclosure, nor the levelling of
the ground could be completed by the appropriation, but as
much has been done as was practicable, and the ground is now
partially enclosed and ready to be planted." (The appropria-
tion for the President's house for 1807 was $15,000.)

Mr. Latrobe's estimate for the year 1808 was " To
complete the wall of the President's house so as to
close this branch of expenditure; build a solid flight of
steps to the principal door, and minor expenses,
$15,000."

In his report for 1809, Mr. Latrobe says:

" The appropriation made at the last session for the Presi-
dent's house has been expended towards the arrangement of
the ground and garden within the enclosure; the coping of part
of the surrounding wall; the construction of a carriage house,

IS

THE WHITE HOUSE

and the better arrangement of the interior for the accommoda-
tion of a family.

" On the removal of the seat of Government to Washing-
ton, in the year 1800, the President's house was in a most un-
finished state, and quite destitute of the conveniences required
by a family. The roof and gutters leaked in such a manner as
materially to injure the ceilings and furniture; the ground
surrounding the house, barely enclosed by a rough fence, was
covered with rubbish, with the ruins of old brick-kilns, and the
remains of brick yards and stone cutters' sheds. During the
Presidency of Mr. Jefferson, from the year 1804, annual ap-
propriations have been made, by the aid of which several bed-
chambers were fitted up; the most necessary offices and cellars,
which before were absolutely wanting, were constructed; a
new covering to the roof was provided ; a flight of stone steps
and a platform built on the north side of the house ; the grounds
were enclosed by a wall, and a commencement was made in
levelling and clearing them in such parts as could be improved
at the least expense. But notwithstanding the endeavors of the
late President ^ to effect as much as possible by these annual
legislative grants, the building in its interior is still incomplete.
It is, however, a duty which I owe to myself and to the public,
not to conceal that the timbers of the President's house are in
a state of very considerable decay, especially in the northern
part of the building. The cause of decay, both in this house
and in the Capitol, is to be found, I presume, in the green state
of the timber when first used, in its original bad quality, and
its long exposure to the weather, before the buildings could
be roofed. Further progress in the levelling and planting of
the ground, in the coping of the wall and in current repairs
and minor improvements are also included in the estimate
($20,000) submitted."

^ Jefferson.
16

THE FIRST PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

The above reports fully bear out the descriptions
given us by contemporary visitors from foreign lands.
One of these, ^ writing in 1807, says:

" The President's house Is certainly a neat but plain piece
of architecture, built of hewn stone, said to be of a better qual-
ity than Portland stone, as it will cut like marble, and resist
the change of seasons in a superior degree. Only part of it is
finished ; the whole salary of the President would be inadequate
to the expense of completing it in a st>4e of suitable elegance.
Rooms are fitted up for himself, an audience chamber, and
apartments for Mr. Thomas Mann Randolph and Mr. Epps,
and their respective families, who married two of his daughters
and are members of the House of Representatives.

" The ground around it Instead of being laid out In a suit-
able style, remains In its ancient rude state, so that in a dark
night, instead of finding your way to the house, you may, per-
chance, fall Into a pit, or stumble over a heap of rubbish. The
fence round the house Is of the meanest sort, a common post
and rail enclosure. This parsimony destroys every sentiment of
pleasure that arises In the mind, In viewing the residence of the
President of a nation, and Is a disgrace to the countrj'."

Edmund Bacon, who was Jefferson's manager at
Monticello for twenty years, visited the President's
house in 1809, and reported:

" When I was there, the President's house was surrounded
by a high rock wall, and there was an Iron gate immediately
in front of it, and from that gate to the Capitol, the street was
just as straight as a gun barrel. Nearly all the houses were on
that street."

^ Janson, The Stranger in Jmerica,
17

THE WHITE HOUSE

We have now traced the growth of the first Presi-
dent's house up till the opening of the Administration
of Mr. Madison, who was destined to be a fugitive
from his official home during its destruction by the
British.

In 1809, $5,000 of the money voted by Congress
was expended by Mr. Latrobe in furniture. Some of
the items of his account are as follows : Louis Deblois,
for two mirrors and expenses, $1,060; repairs, etc.,
$550; Louis Mark of New York, for table-linen and
looking-glasses, on account, $1,225; Paul S. Brown,
for china, $556.15; Charles Bird, for knives, forks,
bottle-stands, waiters, andirons, $220.90; George
Blake, for a guitar, $28.00; Andrew Hazlehurst, for
a pianoforte, $458.00.

Another $1,000 was expended in furniture for the
drawing-room. The chairs and sofas were upholstered
in yellow satin, and the curtains were of yellow damask
hung with festoons and flutings.

It had taken a long time for the President's house
to approach completion. By the irony of fate, it had
no sooner reached its majority than it was destroyed
by ruthless hands.

18

CHAPTER TWO

OFFICIAL AND DOMESTIC FORMS AND
CEREMONIES

Washington's Regard for Forms, Ceremonies and Punctilious Eti-
quette; His Opening of Congress; Alexander Hamilton's Recom-
mendations for Formalities to be observed at the Republican
Court; Jefferson's Sympathy with the Satis Culottes; Washington's
Levees and Mrs. Washington's Receptions; John Adams on
Republicanism and Jefferson; John Adams in Washington.

HAVING now described the shell of the first home
provided for the Chief Magistrate of the new
nation, the next Inquiry is naturally Into the forms and
ceremonies of official and domestic life and entertain-
ment there.

Washington was not only responsible for the found-
ing of the Federal City and its public buildings, but
his example with regard to punctilious etiquette when
he held official receptions, etc., constituted a precedent
which was more or less adhered to in succeeding Ad-
ministrations. He was a great stickler for forms and
ceremonies; he maintained a dignified presence with
somewhat cold reserve in all official functions. Lie real-
ized the importance of uniform and costume and state
display. He was accustomed to open Congress in glit-

19

THE WHITE HOUSE

tering style. His great cream-colored coach with Its
painted panels beautifully decorated with Cupids and
festoons of flowers in the style of the artists of the
period of Louis XVI., drawn by six horses and
driven and attended by coachmen and footmen
in white livery trimmed with bright orange, drove
to the Hall of Congress accompanied by an escort of
cavalry and an attendance of elegant coaches. Wash-
ington in full dress would then alight, proudly glance
over the assembled crowd of sight-seers, and then, with
dignified step, enter the Hall and deliver his address.
His example was followed by Adams in Philadelphia

,,and Washington.

A President Washington, who had been accustomed to
the luxuries and elegances of nobles and lords of the
manor, as well as the " pomp and panoply of glorious
war," had little sympathy with the sans culottes ex-
cesses of the French Revolution that appealed so
strongly to " Jeffersonian simplicity." When he became
President in 1789 (April 30), the etats generaux had
not yet met at Versailles. When they did meet, a month
later, his old brother-in-arms, Lafayette, was still a
strong prop of the old regime. Washington was, there-
fore, in full sympathy with the forms and ceremonies
of the French and English Courts. The English officers
with whom he had come in contact in friendly or hos-
tile relations were members of the aristocracy, and the
heads of the assistance he had received from abroad
were marquises, counts, and barons. Washington's

20

l.AKAYKI IK

FORMS AND CEREMONIES

favorite staff-officers were aristocratic by instinct, and
to those who sympathized with his attitude he turned
for support in an attempt to establish the prestige of
a Republican President of a great nation.

Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789.
He had consulted Alexander Hamilton beforehand re-
garding the desirable formalities; for on May 5,
Colonel Hamilton addressed to him the following
recommendations :

I. The President to have a levee once a week for receiv-
ing visits; an hour to be fixed at which it shall be understood
that he will appear, and consequently that the visitors are to
be previously assembled.

" The President to remain half an hour, In which time he
may converse cursorily on Indifferent subjects, with such per-
sons as shall Invite his attention, and at the end of that half
hour disappear. ... A mode of Introduction through particu-
lar officers win be Indispensable. No visits to be returned.

" 2. Tlie President to accept no Invitations, and to give for-
mal entertainments only twice or four times a year, the anni-
versaries of Important events In the Revolution. If twice on
the day of the Declaration of Independence, and that of the
Inauguration of the President, which completed the organiza-
tion of the Constitution, to be preferred ; if four times, the day
of the treaty of alliance with France, and that of the definitive
treaty with Britain to be added. The members of the tvvo
houses of the Legislature; principal officers of the Govern-
ment; foreign ministers, and other distinguished strangers only
to be Invited. . . . The President on the levee days, either by
himself or some gentleman of his household to give Informal In-
vitations to family dinners on the days of Invitation. Not more

21

THE WHITE HOUSE

than six or eight to be invited at a time, and the matter to be
confined essentially to members of the legislature and other
official characters. The President never to remain long at the
table."

In view of the breeding, social standing and aris-
tocratic connections of the first President, therefore, it
is not astonishing to find that there were many com-
plaints in the succeeding generation by those who re-
garded him as somewhat of a martinet in the salon,
as well as in the field. These critics forgot that Wash-
ington had never been abroad, as Jefferson had, and
took office before the wild days of The Terror. Jeffer-
son was Washington's Secretary of State, and having
just returned from France, was full of the ebullition
of his friends, D'Alembert, Condorcet, and extremists.
It is, therefore, interesting to see that Washington took
counsel with Jefferson's opponent, Hamilton, on the
question of Republican Court Etiquette.

One of Washington's critics,^ writing in 1834, says
that in the early part of his Administration " great
complaints had been made of the aristocratic and royal
demeanor of the President," and that among his critics
was Thomas Jefferson. The particular complaints re-
lated :

" to the manner of receiving such visitors as came from respect
or from curiosity, of which there were multitudes.

" He devoted an hour every other Tuesday from three to

1 W. W. Sullivan.
22

FORMS AND CEREMONIES

four to these visits. He understood himself to be visited as the
President of the United States, and not on his own account.
He was not to be seen by anybody and everybody; but required
that every one who came should be Introduced by his Sccretar>',
or by some gentleman, whom he knew himself. He lived on
the South Side of Chestnut Street, just below Sixth. The place
of reception was the dining-room in the rear, twenty-five or
thirty feet in length, including the bow projecting Into the gar-
den. Mrs. Washington received her visitors in the two rooms
on the second floor.

" At three o'clock, or at any time within a quarter of an
hour afteru^ards, the visitor was conducted to this dining-room,
from which all seats had been removed for the time. On enter-
ing one saw the tall, manly figure of Washington clad in black
velvet; his hair in full dress, powdered and gathered behind in
a large silk bag; yellow gloves on his hands; holding a cocked
hat with a cockade on it, and the edges adorned with a black
feather about an inch deep. He wore knee and shoe buckles ;
and a long sword, with a finely wrought and polished steel
hilt, which appeared at the left hip ; the coat worn over the
blade, and appearing from under the folds behind. The scab-
bard was white polished leather.

" He always stood in front of the fireplace, with his face
towards the door of entrance. The visitor was conducted to
him, and he required to have the name so distinctly pronounced
that he could hear it. He had the very uncommon faculty of
associating a man's name and personal appearance so durably
In his memory as to be able to call any one by name who made
him a second visit. He received his visitor with a digtiified bow,
while his hands were so disposed of as to indicate that the
salutation was not to be accompanied with shaking hands. This
ceremony never occurred in those visits, even with his most near
friends, that no distinction might be made.

" As visitors came in, they formed a circle around the room.

23

THE WHITE HOUSE

At a quarter past three, the door was closed, and the circle
was formed for that day. He then began on the right and
spoke to each visitor, calling him by name and exchanging a
few words with him. When he had completed his circuit, he
resumed his first position, and the visitors approached him, in
succession, bowed and retired. By four o'clock this ceremony
was over.

" On the evenings when Mrs. Washington received visitors,
he did not consider himself as visited. He was then as a private
gentleman, dressed usually in some colored coat and waistcoat
(the only one recollected was brown, with bright buttons), and
black on his lower limbs. He had then neither hat nor sword;
he moved about among the company, conversing with one and
another. He had once a fortnight an official dinner, and select
companies on other days. He sat (it is said) at the side, in a
central position, Mrs. Washington opposite; the two ends were
occupied by members of his family, or by personal friends."

John Adams, who had also spent some years in
England and France, developed a different point of
view from that of Jefferson with regard to the French
Revolution. He seems to have thought that the rule of
the masses was a mistake; he deplored their excesses,
and from his conduct while in office we are sure that
he was not pleased to be " hail fellow well met " with
everybody and to be addressed as " citoyeny We have
evidence of this in a letter which he wrote to Dr. Rush
in 1 8 1 1 :

" In point of Republicanism all the difference I ever knew,
or could discover between you and me, or between Jefferson
and me, consisted

24

J^nJ/cUym^

FORMS AND CEREMONIES

" I. In the difference between speeches and messages. I was
a monarchist because I thought a speech more manly, more
respectful to Congress and the nation. Jefferson and Rush pre-
ferred messages.

" 2. I held levees once a week that all my time might not
be wasted by idle visits. Jefferson's whole eight years was a
levee.

" 3. I dined a large company once or twice a week. Jeffer-
son dined a dozen every day.

" 4. Jefferson and Rush were for liberty and straight hair.
I thought curled hair was as Republican as straight."

Thus we see that Adams was more in sympathy with
Washington and Hamilton than with Jefferson. He
carried his feelings so far as to absent himself osten-
tatiously from Jefferson's Inauguration.

He was not at all averse to display when he con-
sidered that the occasion required it. He arrived in
Washington on June 3, 1800, and was met by a number
of citizens on horseback, who escorted him to the Union
Tavern in Georgetown. Two days later he removed
to Tunnicliff's Hotel in Washington. We have already
seen his veiled threat not to occupy the unfinished Presi-
dent's house. However, we have also seen that he and
his wife took possession of it; and we learn that at his
New Year's reception in 1801, he welcomed his callers
In full dress, consisting of a suit of black velvet with
silk stockings, silver knee and shoe buckles, white waist-
coat, powdered hair, and gloves. He followed the cere-
monial forms adopted by Washington. He had driven

25

THE WHITE HOUSE

to the Capitol In November in a coach and attendants
similar to Washington's when he opened Congress.

There is little to be said of President Adams's ten-
ancy of the President's house, since it terminated on
March 4, 1801.

26

J z

CHAPTER THREE

THOMAS JEFFERSON
1801-1809

Inauguration of Thomas Jefferson; Old Forms and Ceremonies
Abolished; Jefferson's New Rules of Etiquette; Sir Augustus
Foster on the Troubles of the Diplomats; the British Minister
at the President's House; Tom Moore's Description of Jefferson,
Sir Augustus Foster on Jefferson's Behavior and Policy, and the
Troubles of the Merrys; Jefferson's Informality; Mrs. Madison,
the hostess of the White House; Jefferson's Hospitality and
Household; John Ouincy Adams's Description of Dinners;
General Turreau and General Moreau; New Year's Day and
Fourth of July; Jefferson's Retirement from the Presidency,

THOMAS JEFFERSON was the first President
inaugurated In Washington. On Nov. 27, 1800,
he arrived in Washington and took lodgings in the
apartments recently opened by Conrad and McMunn,
on New Jersey Avenue, about two hundred steps from
the Capitol. Here he remained all through the winter
until March 19, 1801. From these lodgings, he went to
the Capitol to take the oath of office; and to these lodg-
ings he returned when the ceremonies were over.

The story that " his dress was of plain cloth and he
rode on horseback to the Capitol without a single
guard, or even servant in his train, dismounted without
assistance and hitched the bridle of his horse to the

27

THE WHITE HOUSE

palisades," rests on the authority of an English trav-
eller, John Davis, who has evidently confused Jeffer-
son's entrance into with his exit from the Presidency.
It is said to have been Jefferson's intention to have a
coach and four for the occasion ; but that his son-in-
law, Mr. Eppes, did not send the horses in time; but
he acknowledged the arrival of the four splendid fiery
bays in a letter dated May 28, 1801. Mrs. Upton ^
says:

" Mr. Jefferson himself, like Washington, was fond of
horses, handsome equipages and handsome dress, despite what
has been said of his republican simplicity. He may have ridden
horseback up to the Capitol for his Inauguration, as goes the
myth, but he meant to have a fine coach and four for the occa-
sion— only Jacky Eppes did not get to Washington with them
in season. He may sometimes have been carelessly attired, but
often he flashed out in contemporaneous record in his white
coat, scarlet breeches and vest, and white silk hose fit to figure
on a Watteau fan."

An undoubtedly authentic contemporary account of
the Inauguration published in the National Intelli-
gencer^ March 6, 1801, reads as follows:

" At an early hour on Wednesday the City of Washington
presented a spectacle of uncommon animation, occasioned by
the addition to its usual population of a large body of citizens
from adjacent districts. A discharge from the company of
Washington artillery ushered in the day, and about ten o'clock
the Alexandria company of riflemen, with the company of ar-
tillery paraded in front of the President's lodgings.
^ Our Early Presidents.
28

1 Hum \> I i I I I

THOMAS JEFFERSON

" At twelve o'clock Thomas Jefferson, attended by a num-
ber of his fellow-citizens, among whom were many members
of Congress, repaired to the Capitol. His dress was, as usual,
that of a plain citizen, without any distinctive badge of office.

" He entered the Capitol under a discharge of artillerj-.

" On his entry into the Senate Chamber, there were assem-
bled the Senate and the members of the House of Representa-
tives. The members rose and Mr. Burr left the Chair of the
Senate, which Mr. Jefferson took.

"After a few minutes of silence, Mr. Jefferson rose and
delivered his address before the largest concourse of citizens
ever assembled here. After seating himself for a short period,
he again rose and approached the clerk's table, where the oath
of office was administered by the Chief Justice; after which
he returned to his lodgings, accompanied by the V^ice-President,
Chief-Justice and heads of Departments, where he was waited
upon by a number of distinguished citizens.

"As soon as he withdrew, a discharge of artillery was made.
The remainder of the day was devoted to festivit}', and at night
there was a pretty general illumination.

" Neither Mr. Adams, nor Theodore Sedgwick, Speaker of
the House of Representatives, were present at the inaugural
ceremony; both these gentlemen having left the city at day-
light on that morning."

Since It Is plain that Jefferson had only a hundred
yards to walk from his lodgings to the Capitol, he had
no reason to regret the belated arrival of his coach.
He did not give up his lodgings for nearly three weeks
after this. While there, we learn how popular he made
himself with the other boarders by his self-effacement,
refusing to take the head of the table, though impor-

29

THE WHITE HOUSE

tuned to do so. He liked the situation, and frequently
expressed himself in terms of great admiration of the
beautiful view from the house. We have already quoted
his indignation at the ruthless destruction of the mag-
nificent timber that clothed the hillsides. He was loath
to take up his residence in the half-finished mansion a
mile away in the swamp.

Under date of March 20, 1801, a Washington
paper publishes the following item: "Yesterday the
President of the United States removed from Messrs.
McMunn and Conrad's to the President's house." He
had not been long in his new home before his thoughts
turned to Monticello, and family, for on April 11, he
writes to Mrs. Eppes: "It is probable I shall come
home myself about the last week of July, or first of
August, to stay two months during the sickly season in
autumn every year." Monticello was but three days'
journey from Washington, and Jefferson had long been
in the habit of visiting his own country-seat during the
recesses of Congress, and twice a year at least spending
as much time as possible away from Washington. When
Vice-President, he had always been so anxious to get
away from the Capitol that he seldom remained to
preside in the Senate till the end of the session, and as
seldom returned until after it was organized.

The departure of ex-President Adams from the
President's house with such scant ceremony certainly
did not incline Mr. Jefferson to view with a more
kindly eye the forms and ceremonies of his predecessors

30

STATUE OK IMlllOwN li-i HWID DA M.IKS

THOMAS JEFFERSON

in the office of Chief Magistrate, even if policy had not
induced him to " play to the gallery." What Chief-
Justice Marshall called " his ardent and undisguised
attachment to the Revolutionary party in France "
would undoubtedly, in any case, have induced him to
cut adrift from the etiquette that had been founded on
the observances of foreign courts. He therefore im-
mediately established a new set of rules to suit himself.
He abolished the weekly levees, refused to have his
birthday celebrated by the customary ball (or indeed
be noticed at all), and appointed two days only for
public receptions — the first of January and the Fourth
of July. On these occasions the doors of the President's
house were thrown open to everybody. He received
private calls at all times. Among Mr. Jefferson's pa-
pers, one endorsed by him reads:

" This rough paper contains what was agreed upon :

ETIQUETTE

" I. In order to bring the members of society together in
the first instance, the custom of the country has established
that residents shall pay the first visit to strangers, and, among
strangers, first comers to later comers, foreign and domestic;
the character of stranger ceasing after the first visits. To this
rule there is a single exception. Foreign ministers, from the
necessity of making themselves known, pay the first visit to the
ministers of the nation which is returned.

" II. When brought together in society, nil are perfectly
equal, whether foreign or domestic, titled or untitled, in or
out of office.

31

THOMAS JEFFERSON

" Jeffersonian simplicity " raised a great hubbub in
Diplomatic circles and in the ranks of the opposition.
The bitter feeling engendered by his conduct while in
the President's house is sharply mirrored in memoirs
of the Secretary of the British Legation, Sir Augustus
Foster, of the day, who also was British Minister in
Madison's Administration. Though tinged with bit-
terness, the record is interesting as showing the feeling
against Jefferson at the time. Among other things of
a personal nature, he says that " the Diplomats received
intolerable treatment at this raw and rude Court . . .
Considering the respectability that had surrounded
General Washington and the elder Adams, but par-
ticularly the former, much was expected in the social
assemblies of the first Magistrate of a great and culti-
vated nation." Mr. Jefferson " seemed pleased to mor-
tify men of rank and station, foreign or domestic,
unless they paid him servile court, or chimed in with
his ideas on general philanthropy."

The first to be aggrieved was the Danish Minister,
Mr. Petersen; the Spanish Minister also suffered; and
the English Minister felt insulted even when he first
presented his credentials. As an example of the way in
which the Diplomatic Corps was slighted by Mr. Jef-
ferson, we are told: " The President took care to show
his preference of the Indian deputies on New Year's
Day by giving us only a bow, while with them he en-
tered into a long conversation."

The British Minister, Mr. Merry, wrote to Josiah

33

THE WHITE HOUSE

Quincy the following account of his reception by Mr.
Jefferson :

" I called on Mr. Madison, who accompanied me to the
President. We went together to the mansion-house, I being in
full official costume, as the etiquette of my place required on
such a formal introduction of a Minister from Great Britain
to the President of the United States. On arriving at the hall
of audience, we found it empty; at which Mr. Madison seemed
surprised, and proceeded to an entry leading to the President's
study. I followed him, supposing the Introduction was to take
place in the adjoining room. At this moment, Mr. Jefferson
entered the entry at the other end, and all three of us were
packed in this narrow space, from which, to make room, I was
obliged to back out. In this awkward position my introduction
to the President was made by Mr. Madison. Mr. Jefferson's
appearance soon explained to me that the general circumstances
of my reception, had not been accidental, but studied. I, in my
official costume, found myself at the hour of reception he had
himself appointed, introduced to a man as President of the
United States, not merely in an undress, but actually standing
in slippers down at the heels, and both pantaloons, coat and
under-clothes. Indicative of utter slovenliness and indifference
to appearances, and in a state of negligence actually studied.
I could not doubt that the whole scene was prepared and in-
tended as an Insult, not to me personally, but to the sovereign
I represented."

Tom Moore, the poet, had accompanied the Merrys
to Norfolk on his way to Bermuda. While waiting for
a ship to complete his voyage, he visited Washington,
where he was lionized by many of the notabilities there.
He was presented to the President by Mr. Merry, and

34

THOMAS JEFFERSON

the reception he met with drew from his pen biting
verses on his return to England shortly aftenvards.
These are familiar to every reader of the Irish An-
acreon. The following short paragraph, from one of
his letters, however. Is, perhaps, not so familiar:

" I found him sitting with General Dearborn and one or
two other officers, and in the same homely costume, comprising
slippers and Connemara stockings in which Mr. Merry had
been received by him, much to that formal Minister's horror,
when waiting on him in full dress to deliver his credentials.
My single interview with this remarkable person was of very
short duration ; but to have seen and spoken to the man who
drew up the Declaration of Independence was an event not to
be forgotten."

Sir Augustus waxes quite Indignant over the trials
of the Diplomats, though he attributes Jefferson's be-
haviour to policy:

" His party was founded on the court he paid to the dcmo-
cratical party; and he could not have appeared in a great town
as he did at Washington without attendants when he took a
ride, and, fastening his horse's bridle himself to a shop-door,
as I have once witnessed, when his nail was torn off in the
operation, or in yarn stockings and slippers wlien he received
company ; neitlier could he anywhere else have had the mem-
bers of the legislature so dependent upon him and the rest of
the Administration for the little amusement and relief whicli
they could obtain after public business; his house and those of
the Ministers being in fact almost necessary to them unless
they chose to live like bears brutalized and stupefied — as one
of the Federalists once confessed to me that he felt — from

2>S

THE WHITE HOUSE

hearing nothing but poh'tics from morning to night, and from
continual confinement without anj^ relaxation whatsoever. Mr.
Jefiferson knew too well what he was about — he had lived in
too good society at Paris, where he was employed as Minister
from the United States previously to the French Revolution,
and where he had been admitted to the coteries of Madame du
Deffand — not to set a value on the decencies and proprieties
of life; but he was playing a game for retaining the highest
office in a State where manners are not a prevailing feature in
the great mass of the society, being, except in the large towns,
rather despised as a mark of eflEeminacy by the majority, who
seem to glory in being only thought men of bold strong minds
and good sound judgment. . . .

" I have now to speak of his change in the established rules
of politeness, or even hospitality, as practised all over the globe
on the occasion of a first entertainment given to a foreign
envoy — to whom even savages would naturally endeavour to
make the entertainment agreeable. I conclude Mr. Jefiferson
and Mr. Madison were too much of the gentlemen not to feel
ashamed of what they were doing, and consequently did it
awkwardly, as people must do who affect bad manners for a
particular object. I allude to the sudden alteration in the eti-
quette heretofore practised by General Washington and Mr.
Adams on dinner being announced. Mr. and Mrs. Merr\' were
so thoroughly unaware of this intention that they had not had
time to think of what they should do on the occasion, and
Mr. Jefferson had not requested any one present to look to the
strangers; so, when he took to dinner the lady next him, Mr.
Madison followed his example, and the Senators and members
of the House of Representatives walked off with their respec-
tive dames — leaving the astonished Merry — (who was of the
old school, having passed a great part of his life at Madrid) —
gazing after them, till at last he made common cause with his
better half: offering her his arm wnth a formal air, and giving

36

THOMAS JEFFERSON

a hint to one of the servants to send for his carriage, he took
her to table and sat by her — the half-ashamed and half-awk-
ward President not even attempting an excuse. And this same
scene was for consistency's sake repeated nearly in the same
manner at the house of the Secretary of State. Ever afterAvards
Mr. Merry refused their invitations; messages were sent to
beg he would dine with the President as Mr. Merr>', putting
aside his quality of British minister; but this he could not well
do without, as he thought, sanctioning in some sort their pre-
vious treatment of the representative of Great Britain, as long
as no apology was offered for the past: so he never met his
Excellency any more at table, since the President, unlike our
social monarchs of the north, keeps his state — neither he nor
his wife accepting of invitations. Another mortification Mr.
Merry had to submit to was the suppression of the privilege
of a chair in the Senate on the right of the Vice-President,
which had hitherto been enjoyed by foreign ministers — the
question having been debated in the Senate and carried against
him by a large majority. . . .

" The above questions of etiquette, it is true, were but of
little real importance; nevertheless, they occupied the thoughts
of the republicans a great deal more than they need have done,
and were consequently a source of considerable annoyance at
the time to the mission, because some of the most vulgar of the
democratic party took their cue from the style adopted at the
great house, and in one way or other, either by remarking on
her dress or diamonds, or treading on her gown, worried Mrs.
Merry to such a degree that I have sometimes seen her on
coming home burst into tears at having to live at such a place
— particularly on seeing the affected unpoliteness of those who
should have known better, but who, being ratters from the
federal party, seeking for favour and place, made use of her
assemblies in order to render their boorish humours, as well as
their concurrence with the systematic manners of Mr. Jcffcr-

37

THE WHITE HOUSE

son, more conspicuous. Among these was one, of a stern, sour
and republican countenance, who had been used to the best
society, but who purposely came to her parties in dirty boots,
disordered hair, and quite the reverse of what he knew to be
the fashion in European capitals. This was certainly difficult
for a lady to digest; but I must be just, and add that I found
among the democrats many highly respectable and worthy per-
sons, and even among the lowest in station of the members of
Congress several droll, original, but unoffending characters."

On taking up his abode in the great unfinished
\\ mansion, the President declined to have his birthday

1 celebrated by the usual ball, and immediately abolished

the weekly levee. This was a great blow to the
social life of the young city, and a delegation of ladies
stormed the citadel to protest in person. The Presi-
dent was taking his afternoon ride when they called,
and on his return was informed that some ladles
were waiting to see him. Booted and spurred and car-
rying his whip In hand, the President hastened to the
drawing-room where he received his self-invited guests
informally and with great charm of manner. He
listened to their complaints and persuasively argued his
side of the question. They left In defeat, but with an
ardent admiration for the new President.

Ilt was always easy to approach the President: he
was accessible to visitors at all times and seasons; and
\ , thus justifies Mr. Adams's remarks already quoted that
" Jefferson's whole eight years was a levee." His fa-
vorite pleasure was In driving behind his splendid bays,

38

THOMAS JEFFERSON

or in riding his favorite horse, " Wildair." Jefferson
was a superb horseman, and accustomed to ride every
afternoon. Many stories are told of the chance ac-
quaintances he picked up during these lonely expe-
ditions, who would enter into conversation without
the slightest idea that they were talking to the Presi-
dent.

This favorite recreation was satirized by Dennie in
the Imaginary Diary Picked up near the President's
House, and published in the Portfolio in 1804. One
item reads:

" Ordered my horse — never ride with a ser\'ant — looks
proud — mob doesn't like it — must gull the boobies — Adams
wouldn't bend so — would rather lose his place — knew nothing
of the world."

The President lived a somewhat lonely life in the
ofScial residence. When the presence of a lady was
needed to grace the occasion, such as State dinners and
receptions to foreign Ministers, Mrs. Madison, wife
of the Secretary of State, presided. In the season of
1802-3, his daughters, Mrs. Randolph and Mrs.
Eppes, shared in doing the honors of their father's
public home. This was Mrs. Eppcs's sole visit; and her
death in the spring of 1804 threw a shadow upon the
President's house. Mrs. Randolph spent the season of
1805-6 in Washington; and this was her last visit; so
that during the eight years of his term, Jefferson en-
joyed two visits only from his daughters. His sons-

39

THE WHITE HOUSE

in-law, however, lived with him while Congress was
in session. The hostess of the President's house, there-
fore, was Mrs. Madison. Her friendly footing at the
mansion can be gathered from the report of a lady
who describes in 1803 how she was personally con-
ducted through the President's house by Mrs. Madi-
son, " who seemed quite at home," and took her " from
room to room, not excepting the chamber of Mr. Jef-
ferson and his Secretary," where " in her usual
sprightly and droll manner, she opened the President's
wardrobe and showed his odd but useful contrivance
for hanging up jackets and breeches on a machine like
a turnstile." On this occasion, Mrs. Madison also
showed her the " Mammoth Cheese " that had at-
tracted so much comment; and was, in its way, a Wash-
ington celebrity.

This curious offering had been sent to the President
in 1802, from a body of enthusiastic followers of for-
eign birth in Pennsylvania, who rejoiced over Jeffer-
son's discussion of the naturalization laws in his mes-
sage of 1 801. A delegation from a convention that met
at West Chester, Penn., on Jan. i, 1802, was sent
to Washington with the gift of a " Mammoth Cheese "
that came from Cheshire, Mass. It made its long jour-
ney in a wagon drawn by six horses and bearing the
label, " The greatest cheese in America for the greatest
man in America." The delegation that accompanied It
was received at the President's house, where an address
was read and presented. The President replied, and

40

MRS. I. M. RANDOI I

THOMAS JEFFERSON

welcomed the cheese In a manner satisfactory to all
concerned.

Jefferson was exceedingly strict in refusing presents,
which was sometimes a cause of great disappointment
to his daughters (see page 46). On the present occa-
sion he evidently accepted the cheese with a mental
reservation, for an entry in his diary in 1802 reads:

" Gave Rev** Mr. Leland, bearer of the cheese of
1235 lbs. weight, 200 D."

The price for cheese per pound therefore which the
Reverend gentleman received was about fifty per cent,
above the current market prices.

The cheese lasted a long time, notwithstanding the
President's lavish hospitality. It formed a feature of
the Fourth of July public dinner in the following year,
as we gather from the following report dated July 6,
1803:

" Between twelve and two o'clock the President was waited
upon by a large company of ladies and gentlemen ; among
whom were the heads of departments, foreign ministers, the
civil officers of the government, Mayor and the city council,
and the officers of the militia.

" Early in the day the uniform companies of militia paraded
on the ground in front of the President's House, and, after
going through a variety of evolutions, saluted the President at
about two o'clock."

A big dinner w^as given at Stelle's Hotel at four
o'clock when eighteen toasts were made; and to each
toast, from one to eighteen guns were fired.

41

THE WHITE HOUSE

The reporter continues on July 8th :

" We omitted to state in our last, that the President had
furnished the company at Stelle's with a supply of the Mam-
moth Cheese, which was also distributed among the ladies and
gentlemen who waited upon him in the morning. Good judges
are of the opinion that it had greatly improved, and that It
only requires time to be an excellent cheese. It Is In a state of
the best preservation."

With regard to hospitality, the President's house
was indeed Liberty Hall in Jefferson's day, particu-
larly during his first Administration, when he spent
about five times as much for " wine provided at Wash-
ington " as he did in his second term. The total sum
spent on wine for the two terms was $10,855.90, dis-
tributed as follows:

1801 $2,622.33

1802 1,975.72

1803 1.253.57

1804 2,668.94

1805 546.41

1 806 659.38

1807 553-97

1808 75.58

According to his own account, four pipes of Madeira
lasted about seven months in 1801. This was the fa-
vorite wine, but by no means the only one. In 1801,
Jefferson bought three pipes of Brazil Madeira; a pipe
of Pedro Ximenes Mountain; a quarter cask of Tent;

42

MISS IIAHHIi:r 1. \NK

THOMAS JEFFERSON

a keg of Pacharette doux; fifteen dozen of claret; and
forty-five dozen of Sauterne. In 1802, he purchased
sixty gallons of Malaga (forty-five years old) ; two
dozen of claret; one pipe of dry Pacherette (fifteen-
year-old Sherry) ; two pipes Sherry; half a barrel of
Syracuse; and a hundred bottles of Champagne. The
purchases for 1803 consist of five hundred bottles of
Champagne; two half pipes of wine of O Eyras (from
Lisbon) ; two pipes of Brazil Madeira; two hundred
and ninety-four bottles of Chambertin Burgundy; fifty
bottles of white Hermitage; one hundred and fifty bot-
tles Rozan Morgan; and one-quarter cask Mountain,
of crop 1747. The wines bought in 1804 included the
best brands of Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, German,
Hungarian, and French vintages. He got his fine Span-
ish wines through Mr. d'Yrugo, the Spanish Minister.

As usual, though the Spanish Minister received his
wines without paying customs, Jefferson adhered to his
punctiliousness and paid the Government duty on his
share of the consignment.

According to Jefferson's manager, Edmund Bacon,
the house was served by eleven servants from Monti-
cello, a French cook, a French steward, and an Irish
coachman. He adds:

" Mr. Jefferson told me that the office of vice-president was
far preferable to that of president. He was perfectly tired out
with company. He had a very long dining-room, and his table
was chock full every one of the sixteen days I was there. There
were Congressmen, foreigners and all sorts of people to dine

43

THE WHITE HOUSE

with him. He dined at four o'clock, and they generally sat and
talked until night. It used to worry me to sit so long; and I
finally quit when I got through eating, and went off and left
them. The first thing in the morning there was to go to
market. Mr. Jefferson's steward was a very smart man, well-
educated, and as much of a gentleman in his appearance as any
man. His carriage-driver would get out the wagon early in the
morning, and Lamar w^ould go with him to Georgetown to
market. I have all my life been in the habit of getting up about
four o'clock in the morning, and I went with them very often.
Lamar told me that it often took fifty dollars to pay for what
marketing they would use in a day."

In addition to the lavish provisions obtained from
Georgetown (and doubtless Baltimore on occasions)
the President kept a wagon going constantly between
his official home and Monticello.

It is evident that Jefferson's open dinner table was
run very much on a bachelor basis. He spent as little
time as possible In the President's house, living there
with his two sons-in-law and secretary, and he occa-
sionally had a flying visit from one of his daughters,
and on occasions where female grace was requisite Mrs.
Madison played propriety. He had been a devoted
husband to his dead wife and spent as much time as
possible at Monticello, as had been his custom before
his election as President.

An amusing story of the democratic nature of the
dinner-table is that of a butcher, who. Invited to dine
at the President's house with several members of Con-
gress, took with him his son, also a butcher, and, going

44

THOMAS JEFFERSON

up to Jefferson, said that he heard " that one of the
guests was ill and couldn't come, so he brought his
son, knowing that there would be a spare plate."

John Quincy Adams notes in his diary several din-
ners at the President's house during Jefferson's two
terms. Two or three of these may be quoted here :

" 1805, Dec. 9. — I dined at the President's in company with
the Tunisan Ambassador and his two secretaries. By the in-
vitation, dinner was to have been on the table precisely at
sunset — it being in the midst of Ramadan, during which the
Turks fast while the sun is above the horizon. He did not
arrive until half an hour after sunset, and, immediately after
greeting the President and the company, profHDScd to retire and
smoke his pipe. The President requested him to smoke it there,
which he accordingly did, taking at the same time snuff deeply
scented with otto of roses. We then went to dinner, where he
freely partook of the dishes on the table without enquiring into
the cookery. Mrs. Randolph, the President's daughter, and her
daughter were the only ladies there, and immediately after they
returned to the drawing-room after dinner the ambassador fol-
lowed them to smoke his pipe again. His secretaries remained
after him just long enough to take each a glass of wine, which
they did not venture to do in his presence. His dress differed
from that of the Turks. He wears his beard long. His secre-
taries only wear whiskers. His manners are courteous, but we
were all unable to converse with him except through the
medium of an interpreter. The company was Mr. S. Smith,
President of the Senate, Dr. Logan and Dr. Mitchell, Mr.
John Randolph, Mr. Nicholson and Mr. Dawson of the
House of Representatives, and the President's tAvo sons-in-law,
Mr. T. M. Randolph and Mr. Eppes, with Mr. Coles, his
secretary, and Mr. Davis, who acted as interpreter."

45

THE WHITE HOUSE

In after years, Mrs. Randolph's daughter, above
referred to, wrote of this reception as follows :

" I have some recollections of the house as it was before
being burned by the British, and as it was rebuilt on the same
plan, I have since recognized parts of it most familiar to my
eyes. A lasting impression was made upon my memory by the
reception in one of the drawing-rooms of the Tunisan Ambas-
sador and suite; the brilliantly lighted room, the odd appear-
ance to my puzzled senses of the rich Turkish dresses, and my
alarm at receiving a kiss from the Secretary of the Ambassador,
whilst one of my sisters, just two years old, whose Saxon com-
plexion and golden hair made her a beautiful picture, was
honored by a kiss from the Ambassador, of which she has no
recollection. I heard of the elegant presents brought by them
for my mother and aunt, and which were publicly exhibited
and sold. My mother wished to purchase one of the shawls
intended for her; but when Mrs. Madison went to make the
purchase, she found that she had been anticipated by another
person. The talk about these presents could not, of course, fail
to greatly excite my childish curiosity, but my desire to see
them was not gratified. My grandfather did not allow them
to be brought to the President's house, as it was then called — a
name which, it seems, was too plain English to suit modern
notions of dignified refinement, for it has been superseded by
the more stately appellation of ' Executive Mansion.' From its
being the cause of my disappointment in seeing those beautiful
specimens of Oriental luxury and taste, my grandfather's strict-
ness on that occasion served to impress upon my mind, earlier
than it otherwise would have been impressed, a trait of his
character which afterwards became as familiar to me, and as
natural a part of himself, as the sound of his voice — I mean
his scrupulousness in conforming to the laws in all things,
great or small."

46

THOMAS JEFFERSON

Jefferson was evidently an accomplished farceur. In
1804 he is described by a visitor as " a tall man, with
a very red, freckled face and grey neglected hair; his
manners good-natured, frank, and rather friendly,
though he had somewhat of a cynical expression of
countenance. He wore a blue coat, a thick grey-colored
hairy waistcoat, with a red under waistcoat lapped
over it, green velveteen breeches with pearl buttons,
yarn stockings, and slippers down at the heels."

Jefferson's propensity for amusing himself at the
expense of his guests is shown very plainly in the diary
of John Quincy Adams. The number and quality of
the average company in 1803 appears in the following
extract :

" Nov. 7. — Dined with my wife at the President's. The
company were seventeen in number: Mr. Madison, his lady
and her sister, Mr. Wright and his two daughters, and Miss
Gray, Mr. Butler and General McPherson of Philadelphia
were there; also Mr. Eppes and Mr. Randolph, Mr. Jeffer-
son's two sons-in-law, both members of the House of Repre-
sentatives. After dinner, Mr. Macon, the Speaker of the House,
and Mr. John Randolph and Mr. Venable came in. We came
home at about six."

A year later (Nov. 23), we read:

" Dined with the President. Mrs. Adams did not go. The
company were Mr. R. Smith, Secretary of the Navy, and his
lady, Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, Miss Jenifer and Miss Mouch-
ette, Mr. Brent and the President's two sons-in-law, with Mr.
Burwell, his private secretary. I had a good deal of conver-

47

THE WHITE HOUSE

sation with the President. The French Minister just arrived
had been this day first presented to him, and appears to have
displeased him by the profusion of gold lace on his clothes. He
says they must get him down to a plain frock coat, or the boys
in the streets will run after him as a sight."

"He further observed that both French and Spanish ought
to be made primary objects of acquisition in all the educations
of our young men. As to Spanish, it was so easy that he had
learned it, with the help of a Don Quixote lent him by Mr.
Cabot, and a grammar, in the course of a passage to Europe,
on which he was but nineteen days at sea. But Mr. Jefferson
tells large stories. At table he told us that w'hen he was at
Marseilles, he saw there a Mr. Bergasse, a famous manu-
facturer of wines, who told him that he would make him any
sort of wine he would name, and in any quantities, at six or
eight sols the bottle. And though there should not be a drop
of the genuine wine required in his composition, yet it should
so perfectly imitate the taste that the most refined connoisseur
should not be able to tell which was which. You never can
be an hour in this man's company without something of the
marvellous, like these stories. His genius is of the old French
school. It conceives better than it combines. He showed us
among other things, a Natural History of Parrots, in French,
with colored plates very beautifully executed."

" 1805, Jan. II. — Dined at the President's, with my wife.
General Smith and his brother of the navj^,^ Mr. William
Smith formerly a member of Congress from Baltimore, Mr.
Williams and his two daughters, Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Hewes
were there. So was the Vice-President. The President ap-
peared to have his mind absorbed by some other object, for he
was less attentive to his company than usual. His itch for tell-

^ Robert Smith, Secretary of the Navy, afterwards Secretary or
State under Madison.

48

THOMAS JEFFERSON

ing prodigies, however, is unabated. Speaking of the cold, he
said he had seen Fahrenheit's thermometer, in Paris, at twenty
degrees below zero; and that not for a single day, but that for
six weeks together it stood thereabouts. ' Never once in the
whole time,' said he, ' so high as zero, which is fifty degrees
below the freezing point.' These were his own words. He knows
better than all this; but he loves to excite wonder. General
Turreau and Captain Marin interrupted conversation, and the
company took leave."

" 1807, 16 Feb. — Dined with President. The company con-
sisted altogether of Federal members of Congress. The Presi-
dent was less cheerful in his manners than usual, but told some
of his customary staring (startling?) stories. Among the rest,
he said that before he went from Virginia to France, he had
some ripe pears sewed up in tow bags, and that when he re-
turned six years afterwards, he found them in a perfect state
of preservation — self candied."

The General Turreau who interrupted conversation,
and who was " famous for his Vendean brutalities "
and whose gold lace excited Mr. Jefferson's unfavor-
able criticism, was a picturesque figure in Washington
society. If we may believe a doubtless prejudiced Brit-
ish critic, he was a typical sans cidotte who had risen
from the dregs of the people to eminence under Bona-
parte. He had married a jailer's daughter, who had
helped him out of prison on one occasion; and he had
a secretary who played the violoncello. This accomplish-
ment was of the utmost importance to the French gen-
eral, because he made him play every day while he
horsewhipped his wife so that her cries were not

49

THE WHITE HOUSE

audible. Finally the authorities invaded France's
property and interfered. A collection was subscribed
for the wife, who had been allowed no money. " None
of us ever saw her tyrant in society," the British Sec-
retary adds, " the First Consul having among other
' gentlemanly novelties ' ordered his Minister not to
meet the British Envoy ' unless it should be at the
President's house.' "

Mr. Jefferson had plenty of opportunity to indulge
his French predilections while President. A French
general of quite a different stamp from Turreau was
a great favorite in Washington society. This was the
exiled General Moreau. Napoleon's brother, Jerome,
was also a welcome guest at the President's table. The
President's daughters had received the finish of a
French education, and the atmosphere of the Presi-
dent's house must have been noticeably cosmopolitan.
We are informed that the legation that seemed to be
on the best terms with the Administration was the Rus-
sian. This Is comprehensible when, among other things,
we remember the French and Russian coalitions against
Great Britain.

The great days at the President's house were New
Year's Day and the Fourth of July. Before closing
this chapter, therefore, a few contemporary press
notices of the public receptions in those days will
graphically bring the scene before us:

" On Saturday, New Year's Day, the President was waited
upon by Diplomatic characters, the officers of the Government,

50

THOMAS JEFFERSON

the members of tlie legislature, and the citizens generally.
There were also present a large number of ladies." (1803.)

" On Monday in celebration of the New \'ear, the Presi-
dent of the United States was waited upon by the officers of
the Government, civil and military, Foreign Ministers, the
members of the two Houses of Congresses and the citizens of
Washington, who, together with a large assemblage of ladies,
partook of a handsome repast, rendered more agreeable by the
accompaniment of the Marine and Italian bands." (1804.)

" About twelve o'clock, the President was waited upon by the
heads of Departments and the other officers civil and military,
foreign Diplomatic characters, strangers of distinction, the
Cherokee chiefs at present on a mission to the seat of Govern-
ment, and most of the respectable citizens of Washington and
Georgetown. . . .

" Some time after the company had assembled, Col. Bur-
rows, at the head of the Marine corps, saluted the President,
while the band of music played the President's march, went
through the usual evolutions in a masterly manner, fired six-
teen rounds in platoons, and concluded with a general feu-
de-joie.

" The band at intervals during the morning played martial
and patriotic airs.

" After partaking of the abundant refreshments that were
distributed, and enjoying pleasure which may be truly said to
have been without alloy, the company separated about t\vo
o'clock, and betook themselves to the various places of enter-
tainment provided for the celebration of the day."

" At twelve o'clock company began to assemble at the house
of the President of the United States to congratulate him on
the return of this auspicious day; in a short time after which
his spacious apartments were filled with a large assemblage of
ladies and gentlemen, among whom a liberal supply of refresh-
ments was distributed. The President received the congratula-

51

THE WHITE HOUSE

tions on this happy return of the day, commemorative of the
splendid event in which he bore so distinguished a part, with
a satisfaction evidently increased by the joy exhibited on every
countenance. Among those who offered their congratulations
were the heads of departments, the officers of the general gov-
ernment, the Mayor and Council of the City, and the officers
of the militia of the district. When the troops were discharged,
the officers waited on the President. The pleasure of the com-
pany was considerably promoted by patriotic and popular airs,
played at intervals by the Italian band. Between two and three
o'clock the company separated and repaired to various places
provided for the ensuing entertainment of the day." (July,
1804.)

" Yesterday being New Year's Day, the President was
waited upon by a large concourse of ladies, citizens and
strangers of distinction, among whom refreshments were lib-
erally distributed.

" There prevailed throughout the company a lively joy at
the return of another year, crowned with it the continued en-
joyment of peace, liberty and prosperity.

" On no preceding occasion has the company been so nu-
merous— an evidence of the increasing confidence of the people
in the administration of their public concerns." (1805.)

" The President's rooms were as usual opened for the re-
ception of company. On no antecedent occasion has the assem-
blage been so great. . . .

" A large number of the more respectable Federalists, here-
tofore in opposition to the administration, made their first
appearance at the President's levee, and mingled in perfect
cordiality with their republican brethren. While the company
partook of a most liberal supply of refreshments, they were
entertained by the performance of patriotic airs played at regu-
lar intervals by the fine band attached to the Marine Corps,
which was placed in the large hall, and whose tones, though

52

THOMAS JEFFERSON

loud and impressive, did not from the intervening distance In
the least interfere with conversation." (July, 1807.)

J. Q. Adams notes In his diary, Jan. i, 1808:

" At noon I went with the ladies to pay the customary visit
to the President. There was a very numerous company of men,
women and children; but no Indians. Mr. Monroe and Gen-
eral Wilkinson were the strangers of principal note present.
We stayed about an hour and returned immediately home."

It is interesting to learn with what emotions Mr.
Jefferson, so long the most conspicuous figure in the
United States, left the Presidency and returned to his
loved " clover fields." Two days before he again be-
came a private citizen, he wrote to his friend, Dupont
de Nemours:

" Within a few days I retire to my family, my books and
farms; and having gained the harbour myself, I shall look on
my friends still buffeting the storm with anxiety indeed, but
not with envy. Never did a prisoner, released from his chains,
feel such relief as I shall on shaking off the shackles of power.
Nature intended me for the tranquil pursuits of science, by
rendering them my supreme delight. But the enormities of the
times In which I have lived, have forced me to take part in
resisting them, and to commit myself on the boisterous ocean
of political passions, I thank God for the opportunity of retir-
ing from them without censure, and carrying with me the
most consoling proofs of public approbation."

Jefferson endeavored to transfer his authority' with
as little ceremony as he had received it. Refusing the

53

THE WHITE HOUSE

escort of a body of cavalry, he mounted his horse,
accompanied only by his grandson, Thomas Jefferson
Randolph, and hurried away. Writing of her father,
Sarah Randolph says: "At Madison's first Inaugura-
tion he was a lad of seventeen years, and was his grand-
father's sole companion as he rode in those days of
republican simplicity up Pennsylvania Avenue, from
the President's house to the Capitol, where grandson
and grandfather dismounted, hitched their horses to
the palings, and the latter went into the Congressional
Hall to see the Government pass from his hands to
those of his friend."

This seems to be the foundation for the story of the
Inauguration on page 27.

Mr. Jefferson was among the first to pay his respects
to the new President; and was also present at the In-
augural Ball. »• I «•*

54

CHAPTER FOUR

JAMES MADISON
1809-1813

The Inauguration; A Brilliant Ball; Personality of Mrs. Madison;
Jean Pierre Sioussat, the first Major-Domo of the President's
House; Mrs. Madison's Hospitality; First Fourth of July Re-
ception; A Dinner at the President's; Washington Irving's
Account of a Levee, and Washington Gaiety; Mrs. Seaton's
Description of Washington Entertainments and Prominent
Persons.

JEFFERSON remained In Washington to take part
in the ceremonies of Inauguration of his late Sec-
retary of State. A brief description of these Is given by
J. Q. Adams:

" I went to the Capitol and witnessed the inauguration of
Mr. Madison as President of the United States. The House
was very much crowded, and its appearance very magnificent.
He made a very short speech, in a tone of voice so low that he
could not be heard, after which the official oath was adminis-
tered to him by the Chief Justice of the United States, the
four other Judges of the Supreme Court being present, and in
their robes. After the ceremony was over, I went to pay the
visit of custom. The company was received at Mr. Madison's
house; he not having yet removed to the President's house.
Mr. Jefferson was among the visitors. The Court had ad-
journed until two o'clock. ... I came home to dinner, and

55

THE WHITE HOUSE

in the evening went with the ladies to a ball at Long's in
honor of the new President. The crowd was excessive — the
heat oppressive, and the entertainment bad. Mr. Jefferson was
there. About midnight the ball broke up."

According to another account, the " little great
man," attired in a brown suit of cloth, grown from
sheep on the Livingston farm, Clermont on the Hud-
son, drove to the Capitol from his house in High Street,
Georgetown, escorted by two troops of local cavalry
under Capt. Brent. After the ceremonies within the
Capitol, the newly-made President went outside, re-
viewed the military forces and returned to his home.
Here he held a reception. The street was full of car-
riages, and people came in such crowds that many of
the guests had to wait half an hour before they could
get In. Every room in the house was filled to over-
flowing; and punch and cake were offered to all. Mr.
and Mrs. Madison stood near the door of the draw-
ing-room to receive the guests; she, as usual, the
dominating personality. Her costume met with the ap-
proval of her fair contemporaries, one of whom de-
scribed her as looking " beautiful." She wore a plain
cambric dress with a very long train, plain round the
neck without any kerchief, and a " beautiful bonnet of
purple velvet and white satin with white plumes."

It is doubtful if any preceding event had attracted
such crowds to Washington. Stage-coaches, for several
weeks and days before the Inauguration, had been
whirling along the roads from north, south, east, and

JAMKS MADISON

JAMES MADISON

west, bringing visitors from New England, South Caro-
lina, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. One tavern-
keeper near Washington saw three stage-coaches pass
in one day!

Crowded as the Madison reception had been, the
first Inaugural Ball brought the visitors out in full
force. Every kind of conveyance known to the time and
place was represented in front of Long's Hotel on
Capitol Hill that night. Stylish private coaches and
coaches drawn by mules mingled in democratic fashion
with hired carriages and stage-coaches. The Madlsons
came in their handsome coach drawn by four horses,
and with colored coachman and footmen.

Although the admission was by ticket only, these
tickets obtainable through the managers, the rooms
were so crowded that some of the ladles stood on
benches to see the chief figures In the drama make their
entrance. The room, too, was so hot that the panes in
the windows were smashed in order to give ventilation.

The ball opened at seven o'clock. First the band
played Jefferson's March, and Mr. Jefferson entered
with Mr. Coles. He said to a friend: " Am I too early?
You must tell me how to behave, for it is more than
forty years since I have been to a ball." Within a few
moments the band began to play Madison's March,
and the President's party entered. Mrs. Madison came
first, on the arm of one of the managers, wearing a
costume that displayed her beautiful taste. It was a
pale buff velvet with a long train, devoid of trimming.

57

THE WHITE HOUSE

Her headdress was sent from Paris and made of the
same velvet, trimmed with white satin, and two hand-
some bird-of-Paradise plumes. A pearl necklace, ear-
rings and bracelets completed this rich dress. The
President followed with Mrs. Cutts. He was in black,
with ruffles at his throat. His stockings were silk, and
his shoes were ornamented with silver buckles. His
peculiar springing step, as if he were trying to make
himself seem taller than usual, was the only indication
he gave of the consciousness that he was the most im-
portant personage in the assembly.

The only Diplomats present were Gen. Turreau, the
French Minister, David M. Erskine, the British Min-
ister, with his American wife (who was Miss Cad-
wallader of Philadelphia), and Peter Petersen, the
Danish Minister. Mrs. Madison was escorted to supper
by the French Minister and Mrs. Cutts by the British.
The table was set in the form of a crescent with Mrs.
Madison In the centre, with the French and English
Ministers on either side, Mrs. Cutts on the right and
Mrs. Robert Smith, wife of the Secretary of the Navy,
on the left. The President sat opposite Mrs. Madison.
Mr. Jefferson remained only two hours, but " seemed
in high spirits and his countenance beamed with a
benevolent joy." Mr. Madison, on the other hand,
*' seemed spiritless and exhausted." He and Mrs.
Madison left Immediately after supper. Music and
dancing continued until midnight, when everything
stopped.

58

.MR>. I), r. M \1)|>()N

JAMES MADISON

The most commanding personality in Washington
society through four Administrations was undoubtedly
Mrs. Madison. We have seen that she had the run of
the President's house during Jefferson's occupancy of
it, and there she ruled in regal state until its destruction
in 1 8 14. All who came in contact with her socially
bore witness to her queenly carriage and charming
ways. Her diminutive husband was reduced to utter
insignificance in comparison with herself on all social
occasions. Though she had nev'er been abroad, her nat-
ural talents and social tact enabled her to hold her
own with Cabinet ladies and those of the Diplomatic
Circle who had had experience of Foreign Courts.

There were considerable changes when she became
the mistress of the President's house. The observances
of the days of Washington and Adams were restored
in large measure, and the public and private receptions
and entertainments passed off with smoothness and
elegance. To assist her in the regulation of the house-
hold, she employed a master of ceremonies — Jean
Pierre Sioussat. He had been born in Paris in 178 1,
and having escaped the dangers of the " Terror," he
drifted to Washington and there found employment
at the British Ministry under Mr. Merry. He was well
educated and possessed of a fine figure, deportment, and
personal charm. His natural advantages and agreeable
conversation soon rendered him a welcome guest at the
President's house, where Jefferson soon made use of his
services and appointed him doorkeeper, an office of

59

THE WHITE HOUSE

considerably greater dignity than that of a mere hall
porter. Thoroughly acquainted with the customs of the
house, faithful and punctilious in the performance of
his duties, he soon rendered himself invaluable to Mrs.
Madison, who was only too glad to find some one on
whom she could rely. She entrusted him with the care
of all her personal affairs, and he retained her con-
fidence till the day of her death.

Mrs. Madison was fully aware of the fact that to
be popular with a man you must " feed him and flatter
him." Her hospitality, therefore, was conducted on a
lavish scale : in this, following Jefferson's example. No
one ever came to her house without having some re-
freshments offered. In the first year of Madison's Ad-
ministration, Mr. Jackson, the British Minister, was
surprised and delighted to have a conference with the
President interrupted, when a negro servant brought
in " some glasses of punch and a seed-cake."

The customary receptions on January the First and
July the Fourth were continued. The first observance
of Independence Day at the President's house under
the Madisons is reported as follows:

" About noon company began to wait upon the President
and In the course of a short time his spacious rooms were filled
with a numerous assemblage of ladies and gentlemen, includ-
ing the officers of the government, strangers of distinction and
citizens, among whom refreshments were liberally distributed.
The President received the congratulations of his fellow citi-
zens on the return of the anniversary of their freedom with

60

■:.-.-'^^'.

'cr

JEAN SIOUSSAT

JAMES MADISON

the satisfaction which naturally flowed from a recollection of
the interesting scenes through which his country had passed,
from realizing in their full extent the blessings of self-govern-
ment and from a consciousness of his own agency in establish-
ing and securing the national liberties. Everyone present exhib-
ited feelings of lively interest at the return of this great day
amid circumstances so honorable to the character, and so con-
spicuous to the happiness of his country; feelings which were
heightened by the happy effect of a powerful band of music,
playing patriotic airs at short intervals. At one o'clock the
militia passed in review, and saluted the President. About two
o'clock, the company separated and distributed themselves in
parties arranged for the further celebrations of the day."

An idea of the etiquette observed by the Madlsons
may be gathered from the lively letters of Mrs. Seaton,
the wife of one of the owners of the National Intelli-
gencer:

" Nov. 12, 1812. — On Tuesday, William and I repaired to
the palace between four and five o'clock, our carriage sitting
us down after the first comers and before the last. It is cus-
tomary on whatever occasion to advance to the upper end of
the room, pay your obeisance to Mrs. IVIadison, courtesy to his
Highness and take a seat; after this ceremony being at liberty
to speak to acquaintances, or amuse jourself as at another party.
The party already assembled consisted of the Treasurer of the
United States; Mr. Russell, the American Minister to Eng-
land; Mr. Cutts, brother-in-law to Mrs. Madison; General
Van Ness and family ; General Smith and daughter from New
York; Patrick Magruder's family; Colonel Goodwyn and
daughter; Mr. Coles, the Private Secretary; Wasliington Irv-
ing, the author of Knickerbocker and Salmagundi; Mr.

61

THE WHITE HOUSE

Thomas, an European; a young Russian, Mr. Poindexter,
William R. King and two other gentlemen; and these, with
Mr. and Mrs. Madison and Payne Todd, their son, completed
the select company.

" Mrs. Madison very handsomely came to me and led me
nearest the fire, introduced Mrs. Magruder, and sat down
between us, politely conversing on familiar subjects, and by
her ease of manner making her guests feel at home. Mr. King
came to our side sans ceremonie^ and gaily chattered until din-
ner was announced. Mrs. Magruder, by priority of age, was
entitled to the right hand of her hostess; and I, in virtue of
being a stranger, to the next seat, Mr. Russell to her left, Mr.
Coles at the foot of the table, the President in the middle,
which relieves him from the trouble of serving guests, drink-
ing wine, etc. The dinner was certainly very fine ; but still I
was rather surprised, as it did not surpass some I have eaten
in Carolina. There were many French dishes, and exquisite
wines, I presume, by the praises bestowed on them ; but I have
been so little accustomed to drink that I could not discern the
difference between Sherry and rare old Burgundy Madeira.
Comment on the quality of the wine seems to form the chief
topic after the removal of the cloth, and during the dessert, at
which by the way, no pastry is countenanced. Ice-creams,
maccaroons, preserves and various cakes are placed on the table,
which are removed for almonds, raisins, pecan-nuts, apples,
pears, etc. Candles were introduced before the ladies left the
table; and the gentlemen continued half an hour longer to

drink a social glass. Meantime Mrs. M insisted on my

playing on her elegant grand piano a waltz for Miss Smith
and Miss Magruder to dance, the figure of which she in-
structed them in. By this time the gentlemen came in and we
adjourned to the tea-room, and here in the most delightful
manner imaginable I shared with Miss Smith, who is remark-
ably intelligent, the pleasure of Mrs. Madison's conversation

62

JAMES MADISON

on books, men and manners, literature in general, and many
special branches of knowledge. I never spent a more rational
or pleasing half hour than that which preceded our return
home. On paying our compliments at parting, we were politely
and particularly invited to attend the levee the next evening.

... I would describe the dignified appearance of Mrs. M ,

but I could not do her justice. 'Tis not her form, 'tis not her
face, it is the woman altogether, w-hom I should wish you to
see. She wears a crimson cap that almost hides her forehead,
but which becomes her extremely and reminds one of a crown
from its brilliant appearance, contrasted with the white satin
folds and her jet black curls; but her demeanor is so far re-
moved from the hauteur generally attendant on royalty, that
your fancy can carry the resemblance no further than the head-
dress.

"Mr. M had no leisure for the ladies; every moment

of his time is engrossed by the crowd of male visitors who court
his notice, and after passing the first complimentary saluta-
tions his attention is unavoidably withdrawn to more impor-
tant objects.

" It is customary to breakfast at 9 o'c, dine at four, and
drink tea at 8, which division of time I do not like, but am
compelled to submit. I am more surprised at the method of
taking tea here than any other meal. In private families, if you
step in of an evening, they give you tea and crackers, or cold
bread; and if by invitation, unless the party is very splendid,
you have a few sweetcakes — maccaroons from the confection-
er's. This is the extent. Once I saw a ceremony of preserves
at tea; but the deficiency is made up by the style at dinner,
with extravagant wines, etc. Pastry and puddings going out of
date and wine and ice-creams coming in, does not suit my taste,
and I confess to preferring Raleigh hospitality. I have not even
heard of warm bread at breakfast."

63

THE WHITE HOUSE

We have a delightful glimpse of Mrs. Madison and
her two sisters, and the President, from Washington
Irving, who takes us with him to a levee in 1811. It is
interesting to note that he was only fifty-two hours on
the journey from New York to Washington, and writes
home : " I have been whirled here with such rapidity
that I can scarcely realize the transition."

The stage left Baltimore at eight o'clock and arrived
in Washington at half-past four. Irving went directly
to Georgetown and attended Mrs. Madison's levee on
the same evening. But let us turn to h'ls graphic ac-
count :

" The ride from Baltimore to Washington was still worse
than the former one; but I had two or three odd geniuses for
fellow-passengers, and made out to amuse myself very well. I
arrived at the Inn about dusk; and, understanding that Mrs.
Madison was to have her levee or drawing-room that very
evening, I swore by all my gods I would be there. But how?
was the question. I had got away down into Georgetown, and
the persons to whom my letters of introduction were directed
lived all upon Capitol Hill, about three miles off, while the
President's house was exactly half way. Here was a non-plus
enough to startle any man of less enterprising spirit; but I had
sworn to be there, and I determined to keep my oath, and like
Caleb Quotem, to * have a place at the Review.' So I mounted
with a stout heart to my room; resolved to put on my pease
blossoms and silk stockings; gird up my loins; sally forth on
my expedition; and like a vagabond knight errant, trust to
Providence for success and whole bones. Just as I descended
from my attic chamber, full of this valorous spirit, I was met
by my landlord, with whom, and the head waiter, by-the-bye,

64

W A,^lllN(.li)N IR\1N(., KSy.
Author of the "Sketch Book."

JAMES MADISON

I had held a private cabinet counsel on the subject. Bully Rook
informed me that there was a party of gentlemen just going
from the house, one of whom, Mr. Fontaine Maury of New
York, had offered his services to introduce me to ' the Sublime
Porte.' ... In a few minutes I emerged from dirt and dark-
ness into the blazing splendor of Mrs. Madison's drawing-
room. Here I was most graciously received ; found a crowded
collection of great and little men, of ugly old women and beau-
tiful young ones, and in ten minutes was hand and glove with
half the people in the assemblage. Mrs. Madison is a fine,
portly, buxom dame, who has a smile and a pleasant word for
everybody. Her sisters, Mrs. Cutts and Mrs. Washington, are
like the two Merry Wives of Windsor; but as to Jemmy
Madison — ah! poor Jemmy! — he is but a withered little apple-
John."

Soon after this date one of the " Merry Wives of
Windsor," Mrs. Washington, was married to Judge
Todd of Kentucky, a Justice of the Supreme Court.
The wedding took place on March ii, 1811, and was
the first marriage that occurred in the President's
house.

Another letter of Irvlng's, also written to his friend,
Brevoort, and dated Feb. 7, 181 1, reads:

" You would be amused were you to arrive here just now,
to see the odd and heterogeneous circle of acquaintances I have
formed. One day I am dining with a knot of honest, furious
Federalists, who are damning all their opponents as a set of
consummate scoundrels, panders of Bonaparte, etc. The next
day I dine, perhaps, with some of the very men I have heard
thus anathematized, and find them equally honest, warm and
indignant; and if I take their word for it, I had been dining

65

THE WHITE HOUSE

before with some of the greatest knaves in the nation, men
absolutely paid and suborned by the British government.

" To show you the mode of life I lead, I give you my en-
gagements for this week. On Monday I dined with the mess
of officers at the barracks; in the evening a ball at Van Ness's.
On Tuesday with my cousin Knickerbocker and several merry
Federalists. On Wednesday I dined with General Turreau,
who had a very pleasant party of Frenchmen and democrats;
in the evening at Mrs. Madison's levee, which was brilliant
and crowded with interesting men and women. On Thursday
a dinner at Latrobe's. On Friday a dinner at the Secretary of
the Navy's, and in the evening a ball at the Mayor's. Saturday
is as yet unengaged. At all these parties you meet with so many
intelligent people that your mind is continually and delight-
fully exercised."

Mrs. Seaton's letters are full of graphic pictures of
society in Diplomatic and Executive Circles. She had
to learn the minutiae of the etiquette of the day by
disconcerting experience. For example, on Jan. 2, 18 13,
she writes:

" Soon after our arrival here I received a very polite mes-
sage from Mrs. Gallatin to the effect that as soon as I was
established in m}' own house, she would do herself the pleasure
to wait on me. Yesterday, however, I discovered that it is a
point of etiquette for all new settlers in the city to make the
first visit to the families of the Secretaries. This ceremony I
knew was indispensable towards Mrs. Madison ; but as Dr.
Eustis and Mr. Hamilton have resigned, it is now unnecessary
in their case. Mrs. Gallatin's civility in calling upon me pre-
vented my suspecting that I had failed in politeness to the
other officers of the Govt. ; and this leads me to describe the
brilliancy of her first ball.

66

Al.lU-Kl (.AI.IAMN

JAMES MADISON

" The assembly was more numerous at the Secretary of the
Treasury's — more select, more elegant than I have yet seen in
the city. Ladies of fifty years of age were decked with lace and
ribbons, wreaths of roses and gold leaves in their false hair,
wreaths of jasmine across their bosom, and no kerchiefs. In-
deed, dear mother, I cannot reconcile this fashion to myself,
and though the splendid dress of these antiquated dames of the
beau monde adds to the general grandeur it certainly only
tends to make the contrast still more striking between them
and the young and beautiful. Do you remember a frontispiece
to one of the plays, in the ' British Theatre ' — Bridget in the
'Chapter of Accidents'? I can only think of this picture in
beholding such incongruity of dress; while that of young girls
is equally incompatible with general propriety. Madame Bona-
parte is a model of fashion, and many of our belles strive to
imitate her; but without equal eclat, as Madame Bonaparte
has certainly the most transcendently beautiful back and shoul-
ders that ever were seen. ... It is the fashion for most of the
ladies a little advanced in age to rouge and pearl, which is
spoken of with as much sang froid as putting on their bonnets.
Mrs. Monroe paints very much, and has, besides, an appear-
ance of youth which would induce a stranger to suppose her
age to be thirty: in lieu of which, she introduces them to her
grandchildren, eighteen or nineteen years old, and to her own
daughter, Mrs. Hay, of Richmond. Mrs. IVIadison is said to
rouge; but not evident to my eyes, and I do not think it true,
as I am well assured I saw her color come and go at the naval
ball, when the Macedonian flag was presented to her by young
Hamilton. Mrs. C. (Crawford) and Mrs. G. (Gallatin) paint
excessively, and think it becoming; but with them it is no de-
ception, only folly, and they speak of it as indispensable to a
decent appearance.

" But I have digressed from the entertainment. I am sure
not ten minutes elapsed without refreshments being handed.

67

THE WHITE HOUSE

1st, coffee, tea, all kinds of toasts and warm calces; 2d, ice-
creams; 3d, lemonade, punch, burgundy, claret, curaqoa, cham-
pagne; 4th, bonbons, cakes of all sorts and sizes; 5th, apples,
oranges; 6th, confectionery, denomination divers; 7th, nuts,
almonds, raisins; 8th, set supper, composed of tempting solid
dishes, meats, savory pasties garnished with lemon ; gth, drink-
ables of every species; loth, boiling chocolate. The most pro-
fuse ball ever given in Washington. ... I was engaged to
John Law as a partner for cotillons the day before. . . . Gov-
ernor Turner invited me to dance when I first entered the
room, and I was glad of an excuse to plead a prior engagement,
as I know the offer proceeded from goodness of heart which
manifests itself in kindness to a good Carolinian, and not from
a desire to dance in a crowd where I could hardly preserve my
equilibrium. . . .

" Miss M played at the drawing-room in ' high style,'

but I think our D. G. could have excelled her. I played once
at Mr. Madison's at a private party, but declined exhibiting at
the drawing-room. . . . On New Year's Day we went to
greet Mr. Madison, which ceremony is generally deemed a test
of loyalty, and, of course, the terrace was thronged with car-
riages from 12 till 3 o'clock, with constant streams of visitors.
DaschkofiF, the Russian Minister, was there, and Serrurier, the
French, both apparently uninteresting men, but most splendid
in uniform and equipage. The good wishes for the New Year
resounded from all quarters."

68

CHAPTER FIVE

JAMES MADISON

1813-1817

Madison's Second Inauguration; Mrs. Seaton's Description of the
New Year's Reception; Mrs. Madison's Head-dresses; Approach
of the British Troops; Mrs. Madison Saves the Washington
Portrait; Burning of the President's House; Temporary Homes
of President and Heads of Departments; Washington Society
in 1815; the Crowninshields; General Jackson in Washington;
Drawing-rooms, Levees and New Year's Receptions; Arrival
and Reception of the Bagots; Furnishings of the President's
Temporary Residence.

IT Is Interesting to see how Mrs. Madison's stature
overshadowed that of her distinguished husband,
socially as well as physically. His personal Insignificance
is plainly shown in Mrs. Seaton's account of President
Madison's second Inauguration. On March 5, 18 13,
she writes:

" Mrs. Madison called on me last week, and very politely
invited me to attend the drawing-room of Wednesday. Yester-
day the most crowded and interesting sight we ever witnessed
was presented to our view in the Inauguration of Mr. Madi-
son. Escorted by the Alexandria, Georgetown and city com-
panies, the President proceeded to the Capitol. Judge Marshall,
and the associate Judges, preceded him and placed themselves

69

THE WHITE HOUSE

in front of the Speaker's chair, from whence the Chief Magis-
trate delivered his inaugural address; but his voice was so low,
and the audience so very great, that scarcely a word could be
distinguished. On concluding, the oath of office was adminis-
tered by the Chief Justice, and the little man was accompanied
on his return to the palace by the multitude; for every creature
that could afford twenty-five cents for hack-hire was present.
The major part of the respectable citizens offered their con-
gratulations, ate his ice-creams and bonbons, drank his Madeira,
made their bow and retired, leaving him fatigued beyond meas-
ure with the incessant bending to which his politeness urged
him, and in which he never allows himself to be eclipsed, re-
turning bow for bow, even to those ad infinitum of Serrurier
and other foreigners."

A good example of Mrs. Madison's preponderating
presence is afforded by Mrs. Seaton's description of
the last New Year's Reception in the original Presi-
dent's house:

" Yesterday, being New Year's Day, everybody, affected or
V disaffected towards the Government, attended to pay Mrs.

Madison the compliments of the season. Between one and two
o'clock, we drove to the President's, where it was with much
difficulty we made good our entrance, though all of our ac-
quaintances endeavoured with the utmost civility to compress
themselves as small as they could for our accommodation. The
marine band, stationed in the ante-room, continued playing in
spite of the crowd pressing on their very heels. But if our pity
was excited for these hapless musicians, what must we not
have experienced for some members of our own sex, w-ho, not
foreseeing the excessive heat of the apartments, had more rea-
son to apprehend the efforts of nature to relieve herself from

70

JAMES MADISON

the effects of the confined atmosphere. You perhaps will not
understand that I allude to the rouge which some of our fash-
ionables had unfortunately laid on with an unsparing hand,
and which assimilating with the pearl-powder, dust and per-
spiration, made them altogether unlovely to soul and eye.

" Her majesty's appearance was truly regal — dressed in a
robe of pink satin, trimmed elaborately with ermine, a white
velvet and satin turban, with nodding ostrich plumes and a
crescent in front, gold chain and clasps around the waist and
wrists. 'Tis here the woman who adorns the dress, and not the
dress that beautifies the woman. I cannot conceive a female
better calculated to dignify the station which she occupies in
society than Mrs, Madison — amiable in private life and affable
in public, she is admired and esteemed by the rich and beloved
by the poor. You are aware that she snuffs; but in her hands
the snuff-box seems only a gracious implement with which to
charm. Her frank cordiality to all guests is in contrast to the
manner of the President, who is very formal, reserved and
precise, yet not wanting in a certain dignity. Being so low of
stature, he was in imminent danger of being confounded with
the plebeian crowd ; and was pushed and jostled about like a
common citizen — but not so with her ladyship! The towering
feathers and excessive throng distinctly pointed out her station
wherever she moved.

" After partaking of some ice-creams and a glass of Ma-
deira, shaking hands with the President and tendering our
good wishes, we were preparing to leave the rooms, when our
attention was attracted through the window towards what we
conceived to be a rolling ball of burnished gold, carried with
swiftness through the air by two gilt wings. Our anxiety in-
creased the nearer it approached, until it actually stopped before
the door; and from it alighted, weighted with gold lace, the
French Minister and suite. We now also perceived that what
we had supposed to be wings, were nothing more than gorgeous

71

TIIK WHITE MOUSE

footmen with chapcaux bras, gilt braided skirts and splendid
swords. Notliing ever was witnessed in Washington so brilliant
and dazzling — a meridian sun blazing full on this carriage
filled with diamonds and glittering orders, and gilt to the edge
of the wheels — you may well imagine how the natives stared
and rubbed their eyes to be convinced 'twas no fairy dream."

Mrs. Madison was noted for her wonderful head-
dresses, and many of them were foreign creations. At
the Inaugural ball she wore a superb turban from
Paris, as we have seen. In November, 1811, she writes
to Mr. and Mrs. Joel Barlow, then in France:

" I ask the favor of you to send me by a safe vessel large
headdresses, a few flowers, feathers, gloves and stockings, black
and white, with anything else pretty and suitable for an
economist."

When acknowledging them, she said:

"All the articles are beautiful: the heads I could not get
on, being a little tight, so I shall lay them aside until next
winter, when I can have them enlarged to fit. The flowers,
trimmings, and ornaments were enchanting."

On the approach of the British troops, in 18 14, the
President's house became an unsafe shelter. On Aug.
23 Mrs. Madison wrote to her sister:

" My husband left me yesterday morning to join General
Winder. He inquired anxiously whether I had courage or firm-
ness to remain in the President's house until his return on the
morrow, or succeeding day, and on my assurance that I had
no fear but for him, and the success of our army, he left,
beseeching me to take care of myself, and of the Cabinet papers,

72

JAMES MADISON

public and private. I have since received two despatches from
him written with a pencil. The last is alarming, because he
desires I should be ready at a moment's warning, to enter my
carriage and leave the city; that the enemy seemed stronger
than had at first been reported, and it might happen that they
would reach the city with the intention of destroying it. I am
accordingly ready; I have pressed as many Cabinet papers into
trunks as to fill one carriage; our private property must be
sacrificed, as it is impossible to procure wagons for its trans-
portation. I am determined not to go myself until I see Mr.
Madison safe so that he can accompany me, as I hear of much
hostility to him."

The next day, after the Battle of Bladensburg, she
wrote :

" Our kind friend Mr. Carroll has come to hasten my de-
parture, and in a very bad humour with me, because I insist
on waiting until the large picture of General Washington is
secured, and it requires to be unscrewed from the wall. The
process was found too tedious for these perilous moments; I
have ordered the frame to be broken and the canvas taken out."

Many times has the story been printed of how Dolly
Madison cut with her own hands from its frame the
valuable portrait of George Washington that had hung
in the State Dining-Room since 1800; but the truth is
that the ever-ready Jean Sioussat, who took charge of
Mrs. Madison's preparations for flight, cut the picture
out of the frame with his pen-knife. Mrs. Madison
writes :

" It is done, and the precious portrait placed in the hands
of two gentlemen from New York for safe keeping! On hand-

73

THE WHITE HOUSE

ing tlic canvas to tlie gentlemen in question, Messrs. Barker
and Depeyster, Mr. Sioussat cautioned them against rolling it
up, saying that it would destroy the portrait. He was moved
to this because Mr. Barker started to roll it up for greater
convenience for carrying."

This story is corroborated by a servant of the Presi-
dent's house, Paul Jennings, who published in 1865
A Colored Man's Reminiscences of James Madison,
in which he says that the story that Mrs. Madison cut
out from the frame the large portrait of Washington
(now in the Red Room) and carried it off is " totally
false." He says:

" She had no time for doing it. It would have required a
ladder to get it down. All she carried off was the silver in her
reticule, as the British were thought to be but a few squares
off, and w^ere expected every moment. John Suse, a French-
man, then doorkeeper, and still living, and Magraw, the Presi-
dent's gardener, took it down and sent it off on a wagon with
some large silver urns and other such valuables as could be
hastily got together. . . . When the British did arrive they
ate up the very dinner and drank the wines that I had prepared
for the President's part)^"

Another account by a contemporary is as follows:

"The friends with her hurried her away (her carriage
being previously ready), and she with many other families,
among whom was Mrs. Thornton and Mrs. Cutting with her,
retreated with the flying army. In Georgetown they perceived
some men before them carrj-ing off the picture of General
Washington (the large one by Stewart) which with the plate
was all that was saved out of the President's housCi Mrs.

74

JAMES MADISON

Madison lost all her own property. The wine, of which there
was a great quantity, was consumed by our own soldiers. Mrs.
Madison slept that night in the encampment, a guard being
placed round her tent, the next day she crossed into Virginia,
where she remained until Sunday, when she returned to meet
her husband."

The faithful and devoted Mrs. Madison had thus
delayed her departure till the very last moment. Within
a very few hours of her hasty flight from the home
which she had graced for a decade, the President's
house was committed to the flames.

The British had come on a mere errand of destruc-
tion, and practically no looting was allowed. Admiral
Cockburn, on his arrival at the President's house,
drank "Jemmy's health"; and, as souvenirs of the
occasion, took a chapcau bras that he saw hanging on
a chair belonging to the President, and a chair cushion.
He also allowed an American who was In his company
to carry away one of the ornaments of the mantel-piece.

An eye-witness supplies the editor of the Federal
Republican with a graphic description of the scene on
Pennsylvania Avenue, in the following letter:

" Sir — ^As various reports are in circulation relative to the
conduct of the British troops while in possession of our Capi-
tal ; and as some of these are calculated to impress upon the
public mind a belief that plunder and devastation were the
order of the day, acting on the old maxim, ' Do Justice even
to your enemy,' I deem it not improper to give you a short
statement of what passed under my Immediate observation.

" About ten o'clock on the night of the 24th ult., while the

75

THE WHITE HOUSE

Capitol, the Navy Yard, tlie Magazine, and the buildings
attached thereto, on Greenleaf's Point, were entirely In flames,
I was sitting In the window of my lodging on the Pennsylvania
Avenue, contemplating the solemn and awful scene, when about
a hundred men passed the house, troops of the enemy, on their
way towards the President's house. They walked two abreast
preceded by an officer on foot, armed with a hanger, and wear-
ing a chapeau de bras. In the middle of the ranks were two
men, each with a dark lanthorn. They marched quickly but
silently. Some of them, however, were talking in the ranks,
which being overheard by the officer, he called out to them
'Silence! If any man speaks in the ranks, I'll put him to
death ! ' Shortly after they pushed on, I observed four officers
on horseback, with chapeau de bras and side arms. They made
up to the house, and pulling off their hats In a polite and social
manner, wished us a good evening. The family and myself
returned the salute, and I observed to them, ' Gentlemen ! I
presume you are officers of the British army.' They replied
they were. * I hope, Sir,' said I, addressing one that rode up
under the window, which I found to be Admiral Cockburn,
' that Individuals and private property will be respected.' Ad-
miral Cockburn and General Ross Immediately replied : ' Yes,
Sir, we pledge our sacred honor that the citizens and private
propertj' shall be respected. Be under no apprehension. Our
advice to j^ou is to remam at home. Do not quit your houses.'
Admiral Cockburn then inquired : ' Where is your President,
Mr. Madison? ' I replied, ' I could not tell, but supposed that
by this time at a considerable distance.' "

After recording further conversation, the writer
continues:

" They then obser\ed that they were on their way to pay a
visit to the President's house, which they were told was but

76

JAMES MADISON

a little distance ahead. They again requested that we would
stay in our houses, where we would be perfectly safe, and
bowing, politely wished us good night, and proceeded on. I
perceived the smoke coming from the windows of the Presi-
dent's house, and in a short time, that splendid and elegant
edifice, reared at the expense of so much cost and labor, inferior
to none that I have observed in the different parts of Europe,
where I have been, was wrapt in one entire flame. . . . The
large and elegant Capitol of the nation on one side, and the
splendid National Palace and Treasury Department on the
other, all wrapt in flame, presented a grand and sublime, but,
at the same time, an awful and melancholy sight.

" On the following day, I had occasion to visit George-
town. On my return home in company with Dr. Ott, we were
called to by Mr. McLeod, who keeps the Washington Hotel.
He informed us that one of the British soldiers, armed with a
musket, had robbed him and threatened to burn his house, and
that he was then in the act of robbing the house of Mr. Valetta,
aided by a negro man. A message was sent to the British Head-
quarters, and an officer was immediately detailed to look into
the matter. He arrested the soldier, whose hat was found to
be full of silk shawls and other articles of value, and profusely
apologized to those who had been robbed. The soldier was
afterwards shot."

The British having precipitately retired, the heads
of the Government returned. On Sept. 9, 18 14, the
National Intelligencer reports :

" The Public Buildings having been mostly destroyed, the
various offices are locating themselves in those private houses
that are most commodious and conveniently situated for the
purpose. The President will occupy Col. Tayloe's large house,
which was lately occupied by the French Minister. The De-

77

THE WHITE HOUSE

partmcnt of State occupies the house lately occupied by Judge
Duvall. The Treasury Department is fixed at the house for-
merly occupied by the British Minister Foster; the War Office
is in the building adjoining the Bank of the Metropolis. The
Navy Office is in Mr. Mechlin's house near the West Market,
and the General Post Office in one of Mr. Way's new houses."

The Madisons lived for a year in Col. Tayloe's
house, known as the " Octagon House," on the north-
east corner of New York Avenue and Eighteenth
Street. In this house many entertainments were given;
here General Jackson was entertained; and here the
Treaty of Ghent was signed, arranging peace between
Great Britain and the United States. When the first
year was out, the President removed to the " Six Build-
ings " (see page ii), on the corner of Pennsylvania
Avenue and Nineteenth Street.

There were many people of sour Puritanical spirit
who had looked with disapproval on the state main-
tained by the Madisons, as is evident from the fol-
lowing extract from the Washington City Gazette of
September 19, 18 14:

" President's House. — The destruction of the President's
house cannot be said to be a great loss in one point of view, as
we hope it will put an end to drawing-rooms and levees', the
resort of the idle, and the encouragers of spies and traitors^

The temporary home of the President while the offi-
cial mansion was being rebuilt was as full of gaiety
and brilliance as had been customary before the con-

78

ANDRKW JACKSON

JAMES MADISON

flagration. Washington society quickly recovered its
tone. In November, 1815, Mrs. Seaton writes:

" On dit that the winter will be extremely gay and decked
with all the splendour of polished manners, brilliant talent and
transcendent beauty, and the drawing-rooms will sparkle with
scintillations of wit and fire of genius. Mr. Jefferson's grand-
daughter, Miss Randolph, will lead the van in accomplish-
ments and beauty; Miss Law, Miss Harrison of Philadelphia,
and Miss Livingston will fill an elevated place in the admira-
tion of every observer, while daughters and nieces of the mem-
bers will fill up the interstices. There is every reason to expect
a crowded and interesting winter, as it will be the first meet-
ing of Congress since the peace. Mrs. Madison tells me that
there will be a great many foreigners of distinction here.
There was a document received at the State Department in
Spanish, which frustrated the talent of all the city to translate.
Estimating highly Mr. Jefferson's knowledge as a linguist, it
was sent to him by the President. He called Miss Randolph,
and gave her the manuscript for her morning task, and long
before the appointed hour, she placed in his hands an elegant
and correct translation, which was at once transmitted to the
department ; and being an important state paper, it has paved
the way very handsomely for Miss Randolph. She will stay
with Mrs. Madison, and will no doubt be very attractive to
the various well-informed visitors at the palace.

" I suppose there have never been in the city so many plain
women, in every sense of the word, as are now here among the
families of official personages. I have always heard it asserted
without contradiction, that nothing was easier than to learn
to be a fine lady; but I begin to think differently, being morally
certain that many among the new-comers will never achieve
that distinction. Among the most amiable and refined of my
acquaintances is Mrs. Crawford, of whom I shall probably see

79

THE WHITE HOUSE

a good deal. She has received by Mr. Crawford from Pan's
the most elegant furniture; but she has no disposition for
gaiety, and thinks her husband's appointment as Secretary of
War the most unfortunate circumstance, inasmuch as it will
require her to forsake in a good degree, those domestic habits
which have heretofore constituted her whole happiness. . . .
You may be sure, my dear mother, that these homespun pro-
pensities of our great folks cannot diminish my respect for their
intrinsic merit and many excellent qualities."

Among the most interesting records of official life in
Washington at the close of Madison's second term
when he had been burnt out of house and home are
the letters of Mrs. Benjamin W. Crowninshield, whose
husband was appointed Secretary of the Navy, Dec. 5,
1 8 14. The latter was a brother of Jacob Crownin-
shield, who had been appointed to the same office by
President Jefferson, but prevented by Illness from as-
suming the duties. Another brother, George, was the
famous owner of the magnificent Cleopatra's Barge,
the first American private yacht to display the wealth
and taste of American merchants In European waters.

Mr. B. W. Crowninshield spent the winter (1814-
15) In Washington alone. He returned to the capital In
November, 18 15, accompanied by his wife and two of
their children, Mary and Elizabeth. Mrs. Crownln-
shleld's letters paint vivid pictures of her journey to
Washington, and of domestic life and Diplomatic and
official society there. She writes to her mother, Nov.
II, 1815 :

80

JAMES MADISON

" About twelve o'clock Mr. C. came in and said I must
go immediately to see Mrs. Madison. Our girls went with me.
She lives in the same block with us. I did not alter my dress.
Well, we rung at the door, the servant showed us to the room
— no one there. It was a large room, had three windows in
front, blue window curtains which appeared to be of embossed
cambric, damask pattern, red silk fringe. The floor was cov-
ered with dark gray cloth, two little couches covered with
gray patch, a small sideboard with I don't recollect what on
it. In about two minutes the lady appeared, received us very
agreeably, noticed the children much, inquired their names,
because she told them she meant to be much acquainted with
them. You could not but feel at your ease in her company.
She was dressed in a white cambric gown, buttoned all the
way up in front, a little strip of work along the button-holes,
but ruffled around the bottom. A peach-bloom colored silk scarf
with a rich border over her shoulders by her sleeves. She had
on a spencer of satin of the same color, and likewise a turban
of velour gauze, all of peach bloom. She looked very well
indeed."

The Crowninshields lived at a boarding-house kept
by a Mrs. Willson, which was patronized and in-
habited by members of Congress, Commodore Porter
and Secretary Dallas, and their families. They arrived
just at the moment when General Jackson was pay-
ing a visit to Washington and being lionized. The
Jacksons were also staying at the Willson boarding-
house.

Mrs. Seaton wrote to her mother early in November :

" You will perceive by the papers that General Jackson's
visit here has excited a great commotion. Dinners, plays, balls,

8i

THE WHITE HOUSE

throughout the District. . . . Immediately on Mrs. Jack-
son's arrival a dilemma was presented, and a great debate
ensued as to whether the ladies would visit her. . . . Colonel
Reid and Dr. Goodlet, the friends of years of General Jack-
son, having settled the question of propriety satisfactorily, all
doubts were laid aside. . . . Mrs. Jackson is a totally unin-
formed woman in mind and manners, but extremely civil in
her way."

Living in the same boarding-house, the Jacksons and
Crowninshields naturally saw a great deal of one an-
other, and established very friendly relations. How
intimate was their acquaintanceship, we learn from the
following letter, Dec. 24, 18 15:

" The Jacksons are gone — set out about eleven. The house
was crowded with folks to bid them good-bye. The General
sent twice this morning to G. Town to get our girls some
little ornament from the jewelers; but no shops open, so could
not get anything. It was so rainy j'esterday he could not go
out. He gave Elizabeth his inkstand and I write this letter
with his pen and ink. Mrs. J., little Andrew and black Han-
nah in the carriage and four horses. The General mounted on
sweet Sally, and his servant on horseback by the side of his
carriage; then followed Bettj^ Mr. Donaldson and his servant;
Major Reid and his servant; the hostler — all on horseback —
and two spare horses ; they made quite a dash. I feel it a great
loss to have them gone."

Though Elizabeth and Mary were doubtless as dis-
appointed as the General was to find that the George-
town shops were closed on Christmas Eve, and he could
not purchase the presents for the girls that he had

JAMES MADISON

intended to, doubtless in after years they prized his
pen and ink-pot far more highly than the trinkets that
were not forthcoming.

The following day Mrs. Crowninshield adds:

" Christmas morn. It seems more like our Independence —
guns firing all night. I am going to the Catholic church — it is
their great da)'. Last eve we passed at the President's — took
the girls with us. Found several gentlemen there and a young
lady from Kentucky who is come to make a visit there. She
had the parrot brought in for the girls, and he ran after Mary
to catch her feet. She screamed and jumped into a chair and
pulled hold of Mrs. Madison. We had quite a frolic there,
returning soon after eight. Tea was brought in after we went."

To return to Mrs. Crowninshield's earliest experi-
ences of official entertainments in the capital, we may
quote from a letter written on Dec. 7 :

" Ball to-night. Last eve I went to the drawing-room. We
were not crowded, but one room well filled ; all much dressed,
but their new dresses saved for this eve. Mrs. Madison's is a
sky-blue striped velvet — a frock — fine, elegant lace round the
neck and lace handkerchief inside and a large ruff, white lace
turban starred in gold, and white feather. Clothes so long that
stockings or shoes are not seen, but wliite shoes are generally
worn. Mrs. Dallas a dark green velvet trimmed with a lace
footing half a quarter wide. It was beautiful lace, but did not
look well on so dark a color — a green and white turban helmet
front and green feathers waving over. Several black velvets,
crepes, brocades, satins; any one who has tolerable hair does
not care to cover it up — the object is to look as young as you
can. The folks here in the house say I must dress my hair, not
cover it up, so last eve it was combed up as high on the top

83

THE WHITE HOUSE

as I could get it, braided, and a bunch of flowers pinned in
with one of my best ornaments — the green and gold one. In
the evening Mrs, Madison said, ' Oh, Mrs. C, your butterfly
is too much hidden.' I asked what she meant. She replied,
* that elegant ornament in your hair — it is superb indeed.' I
imagine she took a liking to it, for she had neat little orna-
ments— emeralds set in gold. I had on my plain muslin trimmed
with lace over white satin. The newest fashion to make a gown
is like my English ones that go down in a peak before and
behind. I have just brought in a pretty white silk one that is
made in that way, but I have no pretty trimming for it, so
think of preparing my gold muslin for this eve; as I got in
Philadelphia a beautiful gold trimming for that and we do not
have many balls here — perhaps not one again till Washing-
ton's birth-night. I am so sorry I did not take on my feathers,
for I have to give nine dollars for two to wear this eve. You
cannot get the most ordinary headdress for less than eight,
up to fifteen dollars, and you must have a new one almost
every time you go into company, so I save much expense by
not wearing turbans.

" The gentlemen last eve did not sit to take their tea; those
in uniform had their chapeaux under their arms, but others
had on their hats. Richard Derby was there. His wife was not
well enough [to be there]. He did not choose to recollect me
till [we were at] table, then said, ' I forget, Mrs. C. — are
you married or not.' — ' Not.' So I heard no more of him. He
sang and ladies plaj^ed on the piano. There were three rooms
open, so we walked through and through as the company chose.
We had tea and coffee on a small waiter, with four plates and
a little confectionery; cake, one little frosted cake, fluted.
After [wards] we had punch, wine, etc., sent round a number
of times. Ice-cream, put in a silver dish, and a large cake — not
good — on the same waiter; and saucers instead of plates — very
common ones, like your old china cup — all put on the same

84

MRS. ANDREW JACKSON

JAMES MADISON

one waiter. Then came in another with grapes and little cakes.
We returned about nine."

The New Year's reception of 1816 Is thus described
by Mrs. Crowninshield:

" Yesterday I was at the President's levee. Mary went with
us, but Elizabeth would not go. Such a crowd I never was in.
It took us ten minutes to push and shove ourselves through the
dining-room ; at the upper part of it stood the President and
his lady, all standing — and a continual moving in and out.
Two other small parlours open and all full — likewise the
entry. In every room was a table with wine, punch and cakes,
and the servants squeezing through with waiters for those who
could not get to the table. Some of the ladies were dressed
very elegantly, beautiful bonnets and pelisses, shawls, etc. Mrs.
Madison was dressed in a yellow satin embroidered all over
with sprigs of butterflies, not two alike in the dress; a narrow
border in all colors; made high in the neck; a little cape, long
sleeves, and a white bonnet with feathers. Mrs. Baldwin, a
sister of Mrs. Barlow, was dressed first in a pretty white
gown, high and much ruffled, the ruffles worked, which is
thought handsomer than lace, and over it a scarlet merino
dress made short above the ruffles of her gown, crossed before
and behind about the waist, and short sleeves; it looked very
tasty, trimmed with merino trimming with fringe; a black
velvet hat turned up in front, with a large bunch of black
feathers. Mrs. Clay,^ a white merino dress with a deep border
and a shawl to match. Mrs. Brown,- an orange dress of the
same kind. Mrs. Decatur,^ a blue lustre trimmed with satin
ribbon high like a pelisse, a white hat turned up in front. Mrs.

' Wife of Henry Clay.

=* Wife of the Commander-in-Chief of the U. S. Army,

' Wife of Commodore Stephen Decatur.

85

THE WHITE HOUSE

Dallas, a \\ii}\t pelisse trimmed round with velvet the same
color. Her (hiu{j;htcr, who had just arrived from Philadelphia,
a hrown merino pelisse trimmed with a rich trimming all
colors. IVIatilda, a very young girl, a scarlet merino, a blue hat
with a large blue and white feather. In short, the greatest
variety of dresses, for all the ladies in the city were there;
began to go at one o'clock. At three it was all over and done."

Mrs. Seaton's anticipation of the social success of
Jefferson's granddaughter, Miss Randolph, during the
winter season 1815-1816 (see page 79), was fully
justified. Writing Feb. 16, 18 16, Mrs. Crownlnshleld
says :

" I was at the drawing-room on Wednesday — expected to
be the only one, as there were so many the last Levee, and
there was another party the same eve. Soon after I got in Mrs.
Madison said how much we think alike — both with a little
blue and flowers. I had on my blue velvet and flowers on my
head. Mrs. Madison a muslin dotted in silver over blue — a
beautiful blue turban and feathers. I have never seen her look
so well. There was a lady there I had never seen — monstrous
large, dressed in plain muslin, not even a piece of lace about
the neck — ^just like a little girl's frock. Neck bare, a pink tur-
ban with a black feather. All the gentlemen thought her very
handsome, but Miss Randolph is the most admired — not pretty
but very accomplished. Her grandfather, Mr. Jefferson, has
taken much pains in educating her. I can never get a chance
to speak to her, she is so surrounded by gentlemen — for here
there are half a dozen gentlemen to one young lady."

On the conclusion of peace, the first Important event
In official Washington society wzs, naturally, the re-

86

JAMES MADISON

ception of the new British Minister, Mr. Charles
Bagot. Mr. Bagot, who afterwards became Governor-
General of Canada, was a Diplomat of aristocratic
birth and breeding, and his wife was a lady of great
accomplishments, of fascinating manners, of elegant
appearance and personal beauty, who, moreover, was
accustomed to the manners of royal courts. She was
eminently fitted to assist her husband in the difficult
task of making the British Ministry popular in Wash-
ington, which had recently suffered so terribly in pride
and property by warfare. The first drawing-room,
therefore, at which the Bagots appeared was the most
brilliant that had ever been held by Mrs. Madison up
to that date. Mrs. Crowninshield hurried home from
Baltimore, where she was visiting, to be present. Other
notables present were the Justices of the Supreme
Court, the Ghent Peace Commissioners — Gallatin,
Bayard, Clay, and Russell — and the heroes of the war
— Generals Brown, Gaines, Scott, and Ripley. The
Diplomatic Corps was present in full force.
Mrs. Crowninshield thus describes the event:

" In the eve Mr. Patterson, a brother of Madam Bona-
parte, called with Miss Carter, his wife's sister, one of the
most dashing belles in the country. They were going the next
day to Washington and called to invite us to go with them
in the stage, but we had engaged passages in another and were
obliged to take our seats. They said they were desirous to get
here early as they wished to be at the drawing-room to see
Mr. and Mrs. Bagot. I arrived at sunset, but tired as I was,
I dressed for the drawing-room. . . .

87

THE WHITE HOUSE

"At the drawing-room they came in late. She was dressed
in white, a figured lace over satin, very much trimmed at the
bottom, long sleeves. The short ones very full and trimmed
below, very close and the same ornaments I had seen before,
but round her neck diamond necklace, and earrings. Her hair
dressed, a narrow gold band and nine white ostrich feathers.
. . . The rooms very much crowded and very warm."

The next day Mrs. Crowninshield made a morning
call on the Bagots and found them out. On her way
home she " called in to the President's — found ladies
with Mrs. Madison. They soon went away. I sat a
long while with her. She is a very pleasant woman —
had really a good talk with her."

On April 6, the same lady informs her mother:

" We dined at the President's on Tuesday. The dinner very
handsome, more so than any I have seen — the heads of De-
partments and all the foreign Ministers there. Mrs. Bagot
dressed in a light green Italian crepe, striped with folds of
white satin about a quarter apart, a roll of satin at the bottom
with large braids of satin. It was shorter than the satin dress
under it. It stuck out very much at the bottom. Three brace-
lets on one arm, two on the other — all different. A string of
pearls round her neck — dress very low behind. She has the
whitest neck I ever saw, for she has black eyes and hair, and
her hair dressed very high ; wreath of red roses and purple and
white flowers round her head, and her hair was above it — a
great wave on the top. . . . She is a very agreeable lady — is
determined to be pleased with everything. All the other ladies
in old dresses. Mrs. King and Mrs. Gore there — two old
ladies. I had not seen them before, for they do not visit any
in cold weather. We dined part of the time by candle light,

88

JAMES MADISON

drank coffee in the drawing-room and came away immediately
— almost nine.

" At the drawing-room the next eve Mrs. Bagot was
dressed superbly — lace dress embroidered with gold and a tur-
ban of the same. I did not go, so cannot tell any more."

Every one who came in contact personally with Mrs.
Madison bears witness to her extreme courtesy and
obliging ways. As an example of this we may take a
final note from a letter written by Mrs. Crowninshield,
Feb. I, 1816:

" Mrs. Madison has been sick since Sunday — bilious colic.
I have seen her once since, and she left her chamber to meet
a party in her drawing-room who dined there, but she could
not go to table, and has been more unwell since — had no levee
last evening."

It must have seemed strange to Mrs. Madison to
entertain in such makeshift quarters and bare accom-
modations as she had to put up with for the remainder
of Mr. Madison's second term. In his report to Con-
gress in 1 8 18, Mr. William Lee, who had charge of the
work of refurnishing and decorating the President's
house, supplies the following particulars of his investi-
gation of the apartments temporarily occupied by the
President :

" When charged with this business my first step was to
examine the state of the old furniture and to make a list of
such new articles as I thought was necessary.

" In the furniture of the house occupied by President Madi-

89

^

TliE WHITE HOUSE

son, tliere was no recourse; he having purchased, after the
Government House was burnt, with the small sum allowed,
only some second-hand furniture wherever he could get it,
merely for the moment.

" There was not a single carpet in the house. The floor
had been covered with green and blue baize, which was so
completely worn out as to be of no use, except in lining new
carpets.

" The chairs, tables, bedsteads, etc. had been so long in use
as to be fit only for servants' rooms. All we have collected
were a few chairs for the dining-room, which have been re-
paired to accord with the new ones that were ordered, and a
set of old French chairs for a chamber, which remain to be
repaired.

" There were but two glasses in the house, and those being
too small for the lower apartments in the Government House,
have been placed in the chambers.

" The two pier-tables and one ordinary sideboard have been
placed in the dining-room.

" There were no bed-curtains, and those to the w'indows
were W'orn out and totally unfit for use.

" There was no recourse in the remnants of glass, earthen-
ware, china, linen, etc., of which scarcely an article w^ould
serve; indeed we may say, there remained none of these articles
fit for use.

" The few pieces of plate had been so bruised and injured
that they could only be considered as so much old silver, and
as such be exchanged for new plate; and there were very few
articles of kitchen furniture, and most of little use."

90

CHAPTER SIX
THE SECOND PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

Appropriations of Congress; Report of Committee of Public Build-
ings; Report of Secretary of the Treasury; Extracts from James
Hoban's Report; Hoban's Statement of Condition of the Presi-
dent's House in 1816; Price of Materials used in Construction
and Decoration; First Reception in the Second President's
House; Appropriations of Congress for Furnishings; Mr. Mon-
roe's Furniture and Plate; Colonel Lee's Statement Regarding
Orders Sent to France; Early Purchases from Cabinet-Makers,
Upholsterers, etc.

WHEN Congress met after the burning of the
public buildings in Washington, it immedi-
ately set to work to repair the damage. A committee
was appointed, and in November, 18 14, it reported
that " the vaulting that supports some of the floors
... is very little, if at all weakened by the burning,
and that parts of the walls, arches and columns are in
a state requiring a small expense to preserve them."
The committee recommended an appropriation of
$500,000 for rebuilding and repairing the public
buildings.

The waste of money on public buildings, with slow
and comparatively meagre results, had given rise to
considerable dissatisfaction. Congress had already tried
more than one plan for the management of this De-

91

THE WHITE HOUSE

partment. An Act of Congress (July i6, 1790) had
authorized the President to appoint three Commission-
ers of Public Buildings. This board was abolished
May I, 1802, and the duties of the Commissioners were
entrusted to one Superintendent at a salary of $1,200
per annum. The office of Superintendent was next abol-
ished (April 29, 18 16), and the President was required
to appoint one Commissioner at a salary of $2,000 per
annum.

The progress of the reconstruction of the President's
house was slow and laborious. The disbursements on
that account from Sept. 30, 18 16, to Oct. i, 18 17,
amounted to $116,945. From Oct. i, 1817, to Oct. i,
18 1 8, the sum expended on the President's house and
Square was $48,866.27.

There was great complaint that notwithstanding the
great amount of old material on hand, the cost of re-
building nearly approached the original outlay. It was
nearly five years before the new house was really fit
for habitation; and even then It had not been com-
pleted in accordance with the original plans and speci-
fications. On Feb. 16, 1820, the Committee of Public
Buildings reported as follows:

" From the 13th of Februaty, 181 5, to the ist of Januarj-^,
1820, the expenditures on this building have amounted to
$246,490. The porticos which were to have been erected on
the north and south fronts of it, according to the original
designs, are the only material parts remaining unfinished. The
committee think it unnecessary to erect them at this time.

92

THE SECOND PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

Annual repairs, incident to every building and some altera-
tions for greater comfort, . . . are the only purposes for which
an appropriation will now be necessary."

On March ii, 1816, A. J. Dallas, Secretary of the
Treasury, reported to Congress that " From the com-
mencement in 1791 to Jan. i, 1816, $334,482.19"
had been spent " on the President's house and appur-
tenant grounds."

The report of the committee of 1820 showed the
following expenditures:

From the beginning to Jan. i, 1820:

Erecting the President's house $333,207.04

Repairing the President's house 246,490.00

The work of reconstruction was under the immedi-
ate supervision of James Hoban, the original architect.
He received a salary of $1,600 per annum. His assist-
ants were Peter Lenox, clerk of the works, who re-
ceived $4.00 a day; Robert Brown, foreman of the
stone-cutters, $3.75 a day; Nicholas Callan, overseer,
$2.00; and George Blagden, who was inspector of
stone, and superintendent of the stone-cutters and set-
ters, at both the Capitol and the President's house; he
received $1,500 per annum.

Mr. Hoban, in December, 18 16, submits a report
to Samuel Lane, the new Commissioner, concerning the
state of the building and its progress during the year.

93

THE WHITE HOUSE

From this, wc make the following extracts:

" Of the Carpenter's Department. — The roof has been
framed and raised on the building, and the gutter carriages all
around the building have been laid. The internal gutters are
nearly completed. The body range of the roof has been covered
with shingles until the balustrade is finished and the chimneys
are carried up, after which it will be covered with copper.

" The trussed partitions and the trussed girders, with the
binding joists throughout the building, are all framed and
raised, and all the thorough joists of the building are in place,
and the ceiling joists are put up in part.

" The trimmings of all the doorways of the house, as jambs
and soffets, are all framed and panelled, and the doors of the
principal story are framed ; the ornamental parts of the panels
are in progression — all mahogany.

" The framing of the doors of the chamber story and pan-
elling are in a state of forwardness, and wnll progress through
the winter; they are all of mahogany. The trimmings of all
the windows of the house are framed and panelled, as linings,
shutters, backs, elbows and soffets. All the window frames of
the house are finished and primed, and all the sashes of the
principal and chamber stories are of mahoganj'^, finished and
ready for glazing. The ornamental decoration of the doors and
windows of the interior of the building are in a state of pro-
gression.

" Of the Cut Stone and Brick-Work. — ^All that part of the
stone and brick-w-ork of the north front of the President's
house, to the west of the centre of the building, has been taken
down to the level of the floor of the principal story; and all
that part of the north front, to the east of the centre of the
building, has been taken down to the level of the floor of the
chamber story; the whole of the walls have been rebuilt, and
the entablature of that front has been finished.

94

THE SECOND PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

"At the west end of the building, the centre part has been
taken down from the circular window in the chamber story,
to the floor of the basement story, the whole of which hiis
been rebuilt, including the Venetian doorway and the Venetian
window, with one Ionic capital for the angle pilaster cut
and set, as also the entablature of the northwest angle of the
building.

" All that part of the east end of the building south of the
centre has been taken down to the level of the floor of the prin-
cipal story; the centre part, including the Venetian doorway,
Venetian window, and circular window, has been taken down
to the level of the basement floor, the whole of which has been
rebuilt, including seven Ionic pilaster capitals, which have been
cut and set, as are also the architrave and frieze, and the
dentil bed of the cornice.

" All the parts of the windows of the basement story that
were found to be any way defective in point of durability have
been cut out, the whole of which have been rebuilt and are
now finished.

" The brick arching of the kitchen and cellar, which had
progressed, but had been suspended until the building was
covered in, will be carried on as the season may permit. The
interior walls have been repaired as far as the scaffolding ex-
tended. The injury they received did not materially affect the
stability of the building.

" Of the Materials on Hand. —
24,000 feet 5-4 yellow pine plank.
10,000 " 4-4 "

10,000 " 4-4 Susquehanna clear pine plank.
2,000 " mahoganJ^
20,000 " yellow heart pine, in stocks.
10,000 " 5-4 flooring plank.

85 kegs of white lead, 25 lbs. each.

95

THE WHITE HOUSE

250 barrels of lime.
50 " " sand.
327 tons of freestone.
10 " " plaster of Pan's.
Copper for gutters and inclined planes; all the nails, brads and
sprigs; Boston glass for glazing the sashes. All the ironmongery
is ordered, and copper for the body of the roof."

James Monroe was Inaugurated President in March,
1 8 17; and the authorities were anxious that his official
home should be ready to receive him by the time Con-
gress opened in the autumn. In pursuance of this plan,
James Hoban wrote to Samuel Lane (Dec. 12, 18 16)
showing exactly what still had to be done, and what
in his opinion should be immediately undertaken. He
says:

" Should it be directed to proceed with the work of the
President's house with a view to the accommodation of the
President of the United States in that building by October
next, I would suggest that the following portion of it, com-
prising the centre and west end, should be carried on, and
which part I think might, with considerable exertion, be got
ready, viz.:

" All the basement story.
" Of the principal story —

The elliptic saloon 30 by 40

The hall or vestibule 45 by 48

Two rooms 22 by 28

Two rooms, dining and drawing. ... 28 by 38

One room 14 by 18

Exclusive of staircase, passage, etc., which will be ready.

96

THE SECOND PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

" Of the Chamber Story—

The elliptic drawing-room 30 by 40

Two chambers 22 by 28

Two chambers 25 by 28

Two chambers 18 by 28

Two dressing-rooms 13 by 28

Exclusive of the passages and staircases.

" N.B. — The principal staircase was put up after Mr. Jef-
ferson came to the President's house, and much of the car-
penter's work and painting were to be done to the hall and
rooms."

Two months later he sends In a detailed estimate
of the work still to be done on the house, and its cost.
Among the items we notice nine hundred panes of glass
18 by 27 inches, and three hundred and ninety 13 by
21 Inches; which Is Interesting as showing how the
windows looked. For the basement story, 1,444 yards
of brick-paving was required. On the principal story,
ten marble chimney-pieces at $300 each were required;
and one in the Elliptic Room, costing $400. The second
story was to be provided with eight more, costing $200
each, five of Aqula stone at $50 each, and two others
of marble at $150 each. The marble columns for the
hall were estimated at $1,100; and the stone and work-
manship for balustrading at $21,839.97. The esti-
mate for the South Portico was $27,301.44; and for
the North Portico, $26,286.72. The total estimate
amounted to $152,230.30.

By great efforts, the work considered absolutely

97

THE WHITE HOUSE

necessary was finished by the end of the summer. On
Sept. 20, 1 8 17, J. Q. Adams notes in his Diary:

" The President, James Monroe, returned last Wednesday
from a tour of nearly four months to the eastern and western
parts of the United States. He is in the President's house, which
is so far restored from the effects of the British visit in 18 14
that it is now for the first time habitable. But he is apprehensive
of the effects of the fresh painting and plastering, and very
desirous of visiting his family at his seat in Virginia. He is
therefore going again to leave the city in two or three days,
but said his absence would only be for a short time."

During the autumn the President and his family
took up their residence in the new mansion, and it was
thrown open to the public on Jan. i, 18 18. The Na-
tional Intelligencer reports on Jan. 2 :

" The charming weather of yesterday contributed to enliven
the reciprocal salutations of kindness and good wishes which
are customary at every return of New Year's Day.

" The President's house, for the first time since its re-asdifi-
cation, was thrown open for the general reception of visitors.
It was thronged from twelve to three o'clock by an unusually
large concourse of gentlemen and ladies, among whom were to
be found the Senators, Representatives, heads of Departments,
foreign Ministers, and many of our distinguished citizens, resi-
dents and strangers. It was gratifying to be able once more to
salute the President of the United States with the compliments
of the season in his appropriate residence; and the continuance
of this truly Republican custom has given, as far as we have
heard, very general satisfaction.

' The Marine Corps turned out on the occasion and made
a fine appearance."

98

THE SECOND PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

Having now followed the reconstruction of the
President's house to its approximate completion, our
next inquiry is as to the fashion of its furnishing.

The Monroes were people of wealth and good
breeding. They were used to kings' courts and the
elegances and luxuries of life. Their tastes were thor-
oughly in harmony with the prevailing vogue of the
Empire style in interior decoration. It is said that dur-
ing his residence in Paris, Mr. Monroe had picked up
quite a number of fine pieces of furniture of the Louis
Seize style which were part of the loot of the royal
palaces at the outbreak of the French Revolution.

We have seen that the house was completely gutted
by fire, and that the Madisons' apartments subsequently
were exceedingly bare and cheerless. On the day before
Mr. Monroe's Inauguration as President, Congress
appropriated $20,000 for furnishing his house, which,
as we have seen, was to be ready for occupancy by the
opening of Congress in the autumn. Mr. Monroe,
thereupon, sent to France for some new furniture and
sold his own to the Government.

The money he received is shown in detail in the fol-
lowing document:

" At the request of Colonel Samuel Lane, Commissioner of
the Public Buildings in Washington, and assisted by the opin-
ions of Mr. Charles A. Burnett, manufacturer and dealer in
plate and ornamental furniture, Mr, William Worthington,
cabinet-maker and upholsterer, and Mr. Alexander L. Jon-
chcrez, dealer in glass and China wares, who examined with us

99

THE WHITE HOUSE

all the articles enumerated in the annexed schedule, we have
estimated each at the value set against them respectively.
Washington, J- Mason,

May 15, 181 7. John P. Van Ness.

" Estimate of furniture in the President's house :

I large sideboard, dining-room $165.00

I " " " 100.00

1 " tea table 14.00

9 chairs at 7 dollars 63.00

1 large press 35-00

2 window curtains 40.00

4 curtain pins 2.00

I pair butler's trays 12.00

I carpet, 50 yards, at one dollar 50.00

I platteau box 5.00

I set of dining-tables 100.00

1 table set of French china, white and gold:

13^2" dozen plates 159 pieces

12 oval dishes, assorted sizes 12 "

13 round dishes 13 "

2 soup tureens 6 "

4 fruit baskets 4 "

3 sauce boats 6 "

2 bowls 2 "

2 sugar dishes • 4 "

4 butter boats 8 "

4 stands 4 "

16 fruit dishes 16 "

20 custard cups 40 "

12 oval fruit dishes 12 "

286 pieces 600.00
100

STANDIN(; CANDI.KSTICK. MONROE
PERIOD

ONK OK A I'AIR OK CAT. UK I.AHRA

BOUCHT BY MONROH; ORICU-

NALl.Y IN THK OVAL AOOM

THE SECOND PRESIDENT'S MOUSE

2 pair decanters at $8 16.00

18 claret glasses at $8 per doz 12.00

49 wine glasses at $6 per doz 24.00

6 tumblers at $6 per doz 3.00

4 pair salts, $6 24.00

I set white and gold tea china, broken 20.00

20 cups and saucers, tea-pot, sugar dish and cream

pot, best French china 60.00

I glass plateau, silver plate on rim 200.00

I set ornaments (biscuit porcelain) 250.00

Table cloths and napkins 600.OO

Passage lamp and fixture 27.00

Front Drawing-Room:

14 chairs, damask cushions, at $12.75 each $178.50

I elegant sofa (damask) 160.00

3 window curtains, do., 87 yards)

, . , r . \ 450.00

21 yards wide irmge I

3 window cornices at $10 30.OO

I Brussels carpet, 96 yards, at $3 288.00

I hearth rug lo.oo

I pair of handsome fire screens 32.00

6 curtain pins 4.50

I lamp bracket 4.00

I pair looking-glasses 600.00

I pair bronze lamps 60.00

I pair japanned lamps 25.00

I " " " with glass globes 40.00

I " bronze gilt andirons (elegant) 1 80.00

I brass mounted grate, fender, shovel, tongs and

poker 45.00

I pair claw-footed tables 50.OO

lOI

THE WHITE HOUSE

Back Drawing-Room:

J 5 chairs at 9 dollars $135.00

1 pair of card tables 35-00

1 sofa 27.00

14 yards wide fringe for curtains] ^r^r^

2 damask curtains, 24 yards J

2 dimit}' window curtains 24.OO

I Brussels carpet, 70 yards at $2 140.00

I pair of book racks 30.00

I pair of window cornices 20.00

4 curtain pins 4.00

Front Bed-Room:

I large bureau $24.00

I small do 20.00

I mahogany bedstead, best quality 65.00

I large bed, bolsters, pillows, etc., complete 140.00

I suit bed curtains and cornice 65.00

1 wash stand 6.00

2 pine tables 3.50

2 window^ curtains at 7 dollars each 14,00

I arm chair 25.00

I looking-glass 1 5.00

I fender 7.00

Bach Room, upstairs:

I high field post bedstead $28.00

I suit of bed curtains 27.00

I bureau 25.00

I wash stand 6.00

I toilet table 2.00

I window curtain 7. 00

1 bed and furniture, complete I lo.OO

102

THE SECOND PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

I low post bedstead

I cot bedstead

I small table

12 plain chairs at $1.50 each

(The kitchen stuff was appraised at $282.50.)

9.00
10.00

1.50
18.00

Plate

Oz. Du-t.

2 dishes with covers 211 . 5 at 2.25

4 do., smaller size 253 . i

1 waiter 67 . o

2 do., smaller size 25 . 5

4 cassaroles 179. 2

I bread basket 33 . 5

I tea pot 21. o

I coffee pot 25.10

I sugar dish 23.18

I cream pot 11. 7

1 mustard pot 4. 5

2 soup ladles 18. 7

8 gravy spoons 32 . 9

23 table spoons 59 • 10

23 forks 64 . 1 2

20 dessert spoons 38. 16

20 do. forks 40. o

20 do. knives 3 1 • 10

12 coffee spoons 1 1 . 18

I fish knife 4 • 1 4

I pair asparagus tongs 4. o

6 salt spoons, gilt bowls 20. o

I pair sugar tongs i . 7

I set castors, silver mounted

2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.00
2.25
2.00
2.00
2.25
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
2.50
2.25
2.25
2.25
2.50
2.50

$455.31^
569.36^
150.75
56.8ii

402.97^
74.8ii
42.00

57-37i

47-8o

27.70

9.56^

36.70

64.90

119.00

129.20

77.60

80.00

78.75

26.77^

10.46I

9.00

5.00

3.37J
80.00

103

$2,610.22^

THE WHITE HOUSE

1 pair branches $35-00

1 pair large sticks to match 24.00

4 phited wine coolers, at $10 40.00

2 pair bottle castors, at $6 12.00

2 large plated dish skimmers, at $20. . . . 40.00

4 large plated dish skimmers, at $18. . . . 72.OO

1 large case for plate, lined with buckskin lOO.OO

4 ladles, 2 oz. lo dwt., at $2.50 6.25

I sugar ladle i-75

$331.00
Add for short extension of the plate 211^ oz. at

$2.25 $9,071.22^

" Rec'd of Samuel Lane, agent for the purchase of furniture
for the President's house, the sum of $9,071.22.

"May 15, 1817. James Monroe."

The Commissioner of Public Buildings agreed with
the President that the latter's furniture should be taken
over by the Government, and that the sumptuous fur-
niture for the state rooms should be procured abroad.
Mr. Monroe knew all about Parisian shopping; and,
therefore, was able to give an exact estimate of the cost
of the articles required. As is so often the case, how-
ever, when the bills came In the money appropriated
was not sufficient to pay them. This appears from the
statement of Mr. Lee already quoted (page 89) :

" On this careful and thorough examination with the Com-
missioner of the Public Buildings, we concluded it was impos-
sible to furnish the house in season for the reception of the

104

SEVRES VASE

THE SECOND PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

President in the fall, without having recourse to his private
furniture, in the house he lately occupied, to which he con-
sented, that the sum appropriated might be laid out to greater
advantage to the public.

" Concerning the furniture ordered from France, which so
far exceeded in price the expectation formed of it, I beg leave
to observe that, in making up the order, particular care was
taken to specify the articles and fix the price of each, according
to direction of the President ; but Messrs. Russell and Lafarge,
who were charged, were not able to complete it at those prices,
and knowing how necessary it was for him to have the furni-
ture here in the fall, they procured it on the best terms in their
power. It must be acknowledged that the articles are of the
very first quality, and so substantial that some of them will
last, and be handsome for twenty years more.

Furniture from France cost $18,429.26

Charges paid thereon in Alexandria and Washing-
ton 1 ,286.82

$19,716.08
Furniture purchased by Mr. Yard of Philadelphia. 3,360.44
Sums disbursed for furniture and incidental ex-
penses at Washington 6,742.70

To which may be added for cut glass from Pitts-
burg, some chairs and some unfinished articles
here, the amount of which has not come in. . . 1,000.00

Total amount of cost of furniture $30,819.22

Total amount paid by the President of the United

States towards furnishing his house $22,199.90

To which add w liat remains to be paid *^, 619.32

Making an excccdant over and above $20,000 ap-
propriated by Congress of $10,819.12

105

THE WHITE HOUSE

" A circumstance which will not appear extraordinarj' If we
consider that every article of the former furniture was totally-
destroyed when the house was burnt."

In conclusion Mr. Lee draws attention to the econ-
omy of plate, which is " never out of fashion : the older
it is, the more respectable it appears." He also advo-
cates " heavy substantial furniture, which should always
remain in its place, and form, as it were, a part of the
house ; such as could be handed down through a succes-
sion of Presidents, suited to the dignity and character
of the nation."

Having sold his furniture to the Government and
sent orders abroad for the furnishings of the reception
rooms on the principal floor, Mr. Monroe set a whole
army of carpenters, upholsterers, and cabinet-makers
to work, dismantling his own residence and getting the
President's house ready for habitation. The bills sub-
mitted to Congress cover every kind of work necessary
in good housekeeping. For example, Isaac Cooper, of
Georgetown, in April, renders a bill *' for repairing
chairs and sofa," and during the summer other bills
Include such items as " for framing four portraits,
$36.00," and for framing the large portrait of Wash-
ington that Mrs. Madison had saved, $150.00.

Kitchen utensils to the value of $94.00 were pur-
chased in April, and the following bill was also ren-
dered by Rene de Perdreauville, a fashionable uphol-
sterer and cabinet-maker:

106

HANNIBAL CLOCK AND ORNAMENTS, PURCHASKI) HV MONROE; EMPIRE

CLOCK AND BRONZE ORNAMENTS, THE LATTER SELECTED BY

MRS. GRANT

THE SECOND PRESIDENT'S HOUSE

I pair crimson curtains for the Yellow Room, with
all the iron rods, gilt bronze ornaments and
trimmings $450.00

I pair of green silk curtains for the Green Room^
with all the iron rods, gilt bronze ornaments
and trimmings 450.OO

I pair crimson silk curtains for the North-East
Chamber, with all the iron rods, gilt bronze
ornaments, etc 300.00

$1,200.00

Another bill of $440.50 Includes the following
Items : " To repairing piano, etc., for the President's
house, $1.25 ; one pair of large dining tables, complete,
$85.00; 16 mahogany chairs, complete, $16.00; to
altering 20 mahogany chairs and covering them with
hair-cloth, $105.00; to repairing Windsor chair, .50;
to putting looking-glass In frame and repairing glass,
$4.00; to one large table, $42.50."

From the bills rendered In November, we learn that
the President bought carpets, curtains, blankets, sheet-
ing, table-linen, china, plate, fenders; and paid goodly
sums to upholsterers, carpenters, and other workmen
to repair and hang lamps, lay carpets, fit stair-rods,
adjust cornices, etc., etc. The carpets bought consisted
of 77 >^ yards Brussels, $177.38; 257 yards of Brus-
sels, $591.10; 21 yards Brussels, $48.30; 14 yards car-
peting $32.20, to match that In the Green Room; one
piece of green baize, 22 yards, $19.80; six pieces ditto,
$119.80. This was Intended for the Elliptical Room.

107

THE WHITE HOUSE

l"'our large mats, $6.00, Is another item. On Nov. 25,
a bill is rendered for " ten cases to fill up recesses for
books at $20 each, $200.00." On December 16, a bill
is sent in for six brass fenders, $270.50, one of which
costs no less than $86.00; and another $82.00; and in
November $100 each was paid to Mr. B. L. Lear for
three marble busts of " Washington, Columbus, and
Americus Vespuccius." These had been at Mount Fer-
non, and had come into Mr. Lear's possession after the
death of Mrs. Washington. The busts of Columbus and
Vespucci are still to be seen in the lower corridor of
the White House; and that of Washington on one of
the mantel-pieces in the East Room.

108

CHAPTER SEVEN
THE FURNITURE OF THE RESTORATION

Arrival and Description of the French Furniture; The Oval Room
and its Famous Carpet; A Fine Piano; Furniture of the Card
Room; Furnishings of the Dining-Room; the Porcelain; the
Plate; Upholsterers and Cabinet-Makers; the President's Mes-
sage; Cut-Glass Ware and other Purchases; Bedrooms and
Boudoirs; the President's Square.

EARLY in the autumn the French furniture ar-
rived. Messrs. Russell and La Farge, writing
from Havre (Sept. 15, 18 17), advise:

"Sir: Our Mr. Russell having been detained at Bordeaux
by business, transmitted us the orders he received from your
Excellency for the purchase of the furniture for the palace of
the President at Washington. . . . Our Mr. La Farge went
to Paris in the beginning of June for this purpose, when the
result of his inquiries soon convinced him that there was no
possibility of purchasing anything ready made, and in order to
comply with the instructions of your Excellency of 23 April,
he was under the necessity of ordering the whole of the furni-
ture to be made, that he might be sure to obtain such articles
as united strength with elegance of form, and combining at the
same time simplicity of ornament with the richness suitable to
the decoration of a house occupied by the first IVIagistrate of a
free Nation.

" It is only a few days since he returned from Paris, where

109

THE WHITE HOUSE

he had been a second time to assure himself that the articles
had been executed agreeably to the orders and to every (sic.)
the packing and the expedition. Everything, with the exception
of the Tapis d'Aubusson Veloute, which will not be ready before
November next, has arrived here, and has been shipped on
board the ship Resolution, Captain Jewett, bound to Alex-
andria. . . .

" There are many articles bought under the price which
your Excellency had fixed, but one of the most important is
the furniture for the large Oval Room, which costs a great
deal more than what your Excellency had calculated, and which
is caused by the change which we have been obliged to make
of gilt wood instead of mahogany. The result of that substitu-
tion has been an increase of expense for the trimmings of the
Fauteuils, etc., and the draperies of the curtains, which must
be richer, that everything might be in harmony. We should also
add that mahogany is not generally admitted in the furniture
of a Saloon, even at private gentlemen's houses.

Francs
Bill of lading for 5 cases of paper hangings amount-
ing as per invoice to 6,185.5

Bill of lading for 39 cases containing 1,200 bottles

Champaigne and Burgundy wine as per invoice. 5,962.47
And bill of lading for seven cases, of which six are

for Mrs. Monroe 9,056.30

And one for Mrs. Decatur 803.00

9,120.00 still due for the carpet d'Aubusson veloute.

" We have handed Captain Jewett the drawing of the
three windows and of the Tapis d'Aubusson.''

Eight months later the same firm writes :

" The christal and gilt bronze Lustre is of superior work-
manship, had originally been ordered by the French Govern-

IIO

THE FURNITURE OF THE RESTORATION

ment; and if it was to be made again would cost 5,000 frs.
We had great difficulty in getting Pendules without nudities,
and were, in fact, forced to take the two models we have
bought, on that account.

" The furniture, for the large Oval Room, is much higher
than the prices limited; it must be ascribed to the gilt-wood
and the crimson silk trimmings, fringes, etc., which is 50 per
cent dearer than other colors. The gilt-wood was made by the
first Ebeniste in Paris, of the name of Bellanger. The silks
were bought by us of Cartier fils, and we had the whole made
up by Laveissier, a very good tapissier.

" Being obliged to take piano of Erard, we could not get
any other ready made but the one sent. He allowed us a very
large discount on account of the many purchases we have made
of him. The Surtout is very handsome — it has been made by
the best manufacturers in Paris, who lost by it near 2,000
francs.

" The dessert set of Porcelain has been manufactured by
Dagoty. All the manufacturers competed for this and Mr,
Nast would not make it for less than 50 per cent more; and
instead of four vignettes, they have made five.

" The Plate has been manufactured by Fauconnier, an ex-
cellent artist, and honest man; the tureens will, we hope, be
found of the highest finish."

The bills rendered by Messrs, Russell and La Farge
are written in French, being evidently transcripts of the
accounts of the firms from whom the goods were pur-
chased. They describe with great minuteness the sev-
eral articles.

The contents of the forty-one packages received at
Alexandria from France were :

III

THE WHITE HOUSE

I.

2. V I gilt bronze and christal lustre for large oval room.

4. I do. do. do. for the sitting-room.

5. I do. do. do. for the card-room.

6. I pcndule for the card-room.

7. I pair candelabres for do.

11. The curtains for the three windows and the Escharpe for

the lustre in the large room.

12. 3 eagles and ornaments for the draperies of the curtains.

13. 2 gondoles, 4 X and 6 tabourets or foot-stools.

14. 2 fire-screens.

15. I pendule, a pair of candelabres and candlesticks for the

parlour.

16. 3 lamps for the dining-room.

17. 12 bronze gilt branches for the four rooms.

19. I 1 he surtout.
20. )

21. The flowers, the surtout and a pair of candelabres for the

card-room.

22. 3 fire fenders.

23. 2 mirrors for the card-room.

24. 2 do. for the large room.

25. The Cornishes of two mirrors for the large oval room.

26. I console and marble for the large oval room.

28. I piano.

29. I round table for the parlour.

30. I console and marble for do.

31. do. do. for card-room.

32. The marble of the two consoles.

33- I sopha.

34- I do.

112

THE FURNITURE OF THE RESTORATION

35

36. (- 18 Fauteuils.

37
38
39
40

41

42

43
44
45
46

47

18 chairs.

3 pair porcelain vases.
I The set of table china.

I The dessert set of porcelain.
1 The Plate."

The furniture imported for the large Oval Room
consisted of a gilt bronze lustre garnished with crystals
with trophies, for fifty lights. It had four arms in the
form of an eagle very richly gilded, and had branches
of fruit decoration for six lights: this cost 2,800 francs.
" A clock representing Minerva leaning on a shield, the
shield containing the face and works." It stood on a
square base, the front and sides of which were deco-
rated with bas-reliefs of military trophies, the whole
being carved and gilded (/r. 2,000) . " A pair of bronze
candelabra with female forms standing on a square
base, also decorated with military trophies (fr. 1,400).
A pair of carved gilt bronze chandeliers, a pair of por-
celain vases richly decorated with landscape subjects
(fr. 600), a gilt set of hearth furniture with trophy
decoration; a gilt wood console (5 feet 10 inches long,
3 feet 4 inches high). The legs were double balusters,

113

THE WHITE HOUSE

carved and gilded, the back framing a mirror, and the
top was of white marble (5 feet 10 inches long and 22
inches wide).

" A mantel mirror (91 inches by 49) ; another one to
go over the console (91 by 47) ; cornices and frames
for the mirrors richly gilded.

*' A set of drawing-room furniture of gilded wood
carved with branched olive leaves and covered with a
heavy satin material of a delicate crimson color, with
a pattern of laurel leaves in two tones of gold."

The sofas, or canapes, had curved ends. They were
nine feet long. Each canape was supplied with two soft
down tasselled pillows of the same material as the sofas
were covered with. The sofas cost 1,684.37 francs.

The two bergeres or gondolas (399.14 francs), of
gilt wood and similar upholstery, had their seats and
backs stuffed with down; the eighteen arm-chairs, or
fauteiiils, eighteen chairs, four X-shaped tabourets, and
six foot-stools were similarly decorated and uphol-
stered, as were also two fire-screens. The fauteuils cost
271.84 francs; the chairs, 191. 91; the tabourets^
^3A-yT^ and the screens, 255.71.

The curtains for the three windows, fifteen feet high,
consisted of drapery thrown over a gilt arch with an
eagle in the centre. The gilded eagle held an olive
branch in one claw and a bunch of arrows in the other.
The gilt wood work cost 240 francs. The curtains were
of taffeta of the same tint as the upholstery of the fur-
niture. They cost 3,243.92 francs.

114

THE FURNITURE OF THE RESTORATION

A fringed silk scarf of the same color draped the big
chandelier.

It will be noticed that the Oval Room, now called
the Blue Room, was a red room under Mr. Monroe:
it was beautifully furnished with console-table, sofas,
arm-chairs, chairs, stools, hearth-furniture, chandeliers,
hanging and standing, clock, vases, mirrors, and cur-
tains. It glowed with rose and glittered with gold. The
only thing lacking was the carpet. Whether there was
any covering on the polished floor when the President
first received his guests there, we do not know. The
carpet did not arrive till early in February: it was
shipped for New York in the General Hamilton on
Jan. 12, 1818. It cost 9,059.55 francs. If any one de-
sires to form a clear idea of this carpet, he must go to
Mount Vernon, where what is practically its twin may
be seen.

Messrs. Russell and La Farge reported in May as
follows: "The carpet was ordered from Roger and
Sallandrouze of Paris. An Aubusson velvet carpet, oval
in accordance with the plan that you sent to us, 27
feet 8 inches, French measure, by 37 feet. The back-
ground green with a beautiful border, and in the cen-
tre the arms of the United States of America, col-
ored according to the design sent us. The whole
carpet is woven in a single piece forming seventy-six
square ells."

The furniture imported for the Sitting Room, or
Parlor, consisted of a round mahogany table with three

115

THE WHITE HOUSE

columnar supports on a triangular socle, the capitals
and other ornaments being of carved and gilded bronze.
It had a white marble top, 3>4 feet in diameter (/r.
500). Next came a mahogany console-table, 4 feet 11
inches long, with a mirror at the back and marble top,
the ornamentations of the columns being also in gilt
bronze (/r. 500). The third conspicuous object was
an Erard piano, supported by three columns with
bronze ornaments. It had four pedals and a tambourin
attachment {fr. 2,200). The other furnishings con-
sisted of a gilt bronze clock representing Hannibal
after the Battle of Cannae {fr. 900) ; a pair of can-
delabra of human figures on square pedestals for six
lights, gilt bronze {fr. 850) ; a gilt bronze and crystal
chandelier for thirty lights of female figures and bust
of Diana with branches of heads of Minerva {fr.
1,500) ; two sconce-arms with lion heads, gilt bronze,
for five lights {fr. 250) ; dogs and andirons in the
form of eagles, bronze {fr. 500) ; two porcelain vases
richly decorated with vignettes of Homer and Beli-
sarius {fr. 500).

The furniture for the Card Room consisted of a
mahogany console-table with glass back and marble top
{fr. 500) ; a gilt bronze and crystal chandelier for
thirty lights with branches and ivy-tendrils and women
blowing trumpets {fr. 1,000) ; a pair of candelabra on
a circular base with a figure on a globe holding a palm
and five lights {fr. 600). Two arms of gilded bronze
with lions' heads {fr. 250) ; dogs and andirons, bronze

116

THE FURNITURE OF THE RESTORATION

antique, lions {fr. 350) ; a pair of porcelain vases
richly decorated, representing views of Passy and
Franklin's house {fr. 460) ; a mirror, 85x44 inches
{fr. 618) ; another, 84x46 inches {fr. 728) ; mirror
frames {fr. 153.75) ; gilding {fr. 289.85). The chairs,
tables, etc., were supplied by native workmen, or came
from Mr. Monroe's original belongings.

The French furnishings for the Dining-Room in-
cluded a carved and gilded lamp with ball and swans
for nine lights {fr. 800) ; two green bronze lamps with
balls ornamented with stars and swan necks with eight
lights {fr. 1,000) ; four sconce-arms with lions' heads
and six lights {fr. 900) ; a table centre-piece {surtoiit
de table) ^ of carved and gilded bronze, the decorations
being garlands of fruits and vines with figures of Bac-
chus and Bacchantes. This stood on pedestals on which
were sixteen figures holding crowns for the reception
of candles and sixteen cups which could be changed at
will. It was composed of seven separate pieces, and
was garnished with mirrors. Other features of the
decoration in this beautiful specimen of the goldsmith's
art consisted of three rich baskets, each with three fig-
ures on a circular base, decorated with ivy leaves and
with flowers, having six lights each, and two rich tri-
pods after the antique and two vases of Etruscan form
all gilded and decorated with flowers. This artistic cen-
tre-piece, with its three-score wax candles reflected in
the mirrors, must have thrown a brilliant glow on the
assembled company. The beautiful chandeliers also

117

THE WHITE HOUSE

helped adequately to light the elegant DIning-Room.
'I'he surloiit cost 6,000 francs, and we have already-
seen (page III) that the manufacturers underesti-
mated its cost, and lost 2,000 francs by making it. When
set up on the table, it covered a space thirteen and a
half feet long and two feet wide.

For the Dining-Room came also from France a
table-service of gilded porcelain for thirty persons.
This cost 3,636 francs. It consisted of two soup tureens,
thirty-two oval dishes of various sizes, eight square cov-
ered dishes, three dozen soup plates, twelve dozen din-
ner plates, four sauce-boats, four deep dishes, thirty-six
custard-cups, four fruit stands, four octagonal salad
bowls, four mustard pots and thIrty-sIx egg-cups.

The dessert service made by Dagoty (see page 1 1 1 ) ,
also for thirty persons, was beautifully decorated with
an amaranth border and five vignettes representing
Strength, Agriculture, Commerce, Art, and Science,
and the centre of the plate, or dish, bore the arms of
the United States. It cost 2,424 francs and consisted of
three dozen deep and seven dozen flat plates; twenty-
four preserve jars and dishes of various forms; four
cheese dishes and four others on raised feet, two chest-
nut bowls, four sweetmeat dishes, four bowls for can-
died fruits, and four fruit baskets.

The silver plate, made by Fauconnler (see page
in), consisted of two tureens with dishes and covers
(/^- 3» 1 74-3 5) ; six dozen knives and forks, six vegeta-
ble spoons, two gravy spoons, thirty-six knives with

118

lAMHS MONKOK

THE FURNITURE OF THE RESTORATION

silver-gilt blades, thirty-six silver-gilt coffee spoons,
thirty-six silver-gilt-blade knives with mother-of-pearl
handles, inlaid with gold shields. The engraving of 304
pieces with the national arms cost 456 francs. A special
trunk for the two soup tureens cost 210 francs; a ma-
hogany box for the table cutlery, 280 francs; and an-
other for the silver-gilt ware, 192 francs.

Thus we see that the table service and lighting ap-
paratus of the Dining-Room were imported from
France, and the tables and chairs were made here, or
were supplied from Mr. Monroe's original household
goods. The room was furnished with two large ma-
hogany dining-tables, and thirty-six mahogany chairs
covered with hair-cloth (see page 107). The curtains
must have been very handsome in this room, since the
bill for " fringe for curtains for dining-room," bought
in 18 18, cost $155.00. The Dining-Room does not
seem to have been finally carpeted till about the same
time that the Oval Room was; for in 1818 the Presi-
dent buys 1773^ yards green and brown Brussels car-
peting for the Dining-Room, $443.75.

On the arrival of the furniture from France, uphol-
sterers and cabinet-makers were immediately put to
work to arrange the rooms to the best advantage. The
work consisted principally in putting up cornices and
hanging the curtains, putting up the great chandeliers
and sconces, and making covers for the furniture when
not in use in order to preserve its brilliancy and prevent
the delicate shades of the satin from fading too quickly.

119

THE WHITE HOUSE

Two bills rendered in December by C. Alexander con-
tain the following items: " Making and putting up two
window curtains of green silk, $22.00; making and
putting up a green silk scarf for the chandelier, $2.00;
making and putting up a crimson scarf, $1.50; making
and putting up a scarlet ditto, $4.00; paid blacksmith
for two supporters for the drapery of the Green Room,
$1.00; putting up the curtains of the eating-room,
$3.00; finishing the carpet of the Secretary and making
a small carpet, .75; laying three oil-cloth carpets,
$9.00; laying three smaller carpets, $7.50; finishing
the saloon carpet, $1.50; making and laying the stair-
case carpet, $18.00; cutting and polishing the thirty-six
brass rods for the stair carpet, $9.00, and fixing the
little conductor, $2.00."

Perdreauville's December bill came to no less than
$1,559.98. He supplied a mahogany bureau for cabi-
net, $70.00; and three yards of green cloth for bureau,
$21.00. He also supplied 750 feet of mahogany,
$187.50; and charged $28 for sawing this into slabs.
He was paid $15.00 for designs and sketches of fau-
teiiils. His charges include: "lengthening twelve iron
rods and hoops to suspend lustres, $4.00; 69^ yards
of scarlet cloth, $311.62; 21^ yards black cloth to
trim, $86.00; fashion and putting up of three pair of
scarlet curtains with trimmings, $18.00; ditto, two pair
of crimson damask curtains, $12.00; furnished four
white curtains with fringe, $42.00; fashion and fur-
nishing of two pair of crimson curtains, $12.00;

120

ANOTHER PORTRAIT OK JOHN ADAMS

THE FURNITURE OF THE RESTORATION

furnishing four muslin curtains for cabinet, etc.,
$38.00; furnished fourteen muslin curtains for the
large apartments, fringe, etc., $157.50; furnished
twenty-two muslin curtains for eleven windows, $11.00;
repairing lustres, $31.50."

Every curtain In the house had an under pair of
muslin, sometimes heavily fringed, and in most cases
very costly, as the above prices prove.

The President's executive offices consisted of an
ante-chamber, audience-room, and cabinet. We have
seen above that his council table was a mahogany bu-
reau covered with three yards of green baize. It was,
therefore, about ten feet long, and would accommodate
twelve people. This was quite large enough for the
seating of the President, his Cabinet, and Secretary. It
will be noticed that, so far, the rooms on the principal
floor have not been richly carpeted by any means. The
funds voted by Congress had been more than exhausted,
and the President had to leave the carpeting to the next
appropriation. When this was forthcoming, we see that
the necessary orders were immediately given, and In
due course the following bills were presented:

" 93 yards Brussels carpeting (73 yds. body, 20 yds.
border), $258.12; loi yards Brussels carpeting (83
yds. body, 18 yds. border), $252.50; I77K> yards
green and brown Brussels carpeting for dining-room,
$443.75; 93 yards yellow and brown ditto, $232.50;
24 yards carpeting (133^' yds. body, 10%. yds. bor-
der), $59.37; two Imperial rugs, $44.00; floor-cloth

121

THE WHITE HOUSE

for large hall and entry, $1,222.94. The new bill for
the floor coverings totalled $3,431.68."

A bill in May, 18 18, charges $117.38 for a carpet
for Secretary's room, and $642.40 for carpet for the
President's cabinet, audience-room, and ante-chamber.
Floor-cloths for small entries came to $295.00. In Feb-
ruary, 18 18, five cases of painted oil-cloths arrived
from Philadelphia.

Another bill presented by George Bridport, of Phila-
delphia, Oct. 19, 18 18, contains items of carpeting as
well as general upholstery.

On February 12, 18 18, the following Message was
received from the President of the United States:

" As the house appropriated for the President of the United
States will be finished this year, it is thought to merit the atten-
tion of Congress in what manner it should be furnished and
what measures ought to be adopted for the safe keeping of the
furniture in future. All the public furniture provided before
1814 having been destroyed with the public building In that
year, and little afterwards procured owing to the inadequacy
of the appropriation, it has become necessary to provide almost
every article requisite for such an establishment; whence the
sum to be expended will be much greater than at any former
period. The furniture in its kind and extent. Is thought to be
an object not less deserving attention than the building for
which it is intended. But, being national objects, each seems to
have an equal claim to legislative sanction. The disbursement
of the public money, too, ought. It is presumed, to be in like
manner provided for by law. The person who may happen to
be placed, by the suffrage of his fellow-citizens, in this high

122

THE FURNITURE OF THE RESTORATION

trust, having no personal interest in these concerns, should be
exempted from undue responsibility respecting them.

" For a building so extensive, intended for a purpose ex-
clusively national, in which, in the furniture provided for it, a
mingled regard is due to the simplicity and purity of our insti-
tutions, and to the character of the people who are represented
in it, the sum already appropriated has proved altogether in-
adequate. The present is, therefore, a proper time for Congress
to take the subject into consideration, with a view to all the
objects claiming attention, and to regulate it by law. On a
knowledge of the furniture procured, and the sum expended
for it, a just estimate may be formed, regarding the extent of
the building, of what will still be wanted to furnish the House.
Many of the articles being of a durable nature, may be handed
down through a long series of service; and being of great value,
such as plate, ought not to be left altogether, and at all times,
to the care of servants alone. It seems to be advisable that a
public agent should be charged with it during the occasional
absences of the President, and have authority to transfer it
from one President to another, and likewise to make reports
of occasional deficiencies, as the basis on which further pro-
vision should be made.

" It may also merit consideration, whether it may not be
proper to commit the care of the public buildings, particularly
the President's house and the Capitol, with the grounds be-
longing to them, including likewise the furniture of the latter,
in a more especial manner, to a public agent. Hitherto, the
charge of this valuable property seems to have been connected
with the structure of the buildings, and committed to those
employed in it. This guard will naturally cease when the build-
ings are finished, at which time the interest in them will be
proportionably augmented. It is presumed that this trust is, in
a certain degree at least, incidental to the other duties of the
superintendent of the public buildings, but it may merit con-

123

THE WHITE HOUSE

sideration whether it will not be proper to charge him with it
more explicitly, and to give him authority to employ one or
more persons under him, for these purposes.
"Washington, Feb. lo, 1818."

In reading books on Washington, one frequently
comes across references to the niggardly appropriations
of Congress for the President's house; but when one
carefully examines the accounts, one forms a totally
different opinion. We have already seen the great sums
that had been expended on the original house and its
rebuilding up to this date, and now Congress appro-
priates another $30,000 to complete the furnishing,
although, as we have seen, Mr. Monroe had incurred
unauthorized debts in buying " the best and latest."
Fifty thousand dollars would not go very far to-day,
perhaps, in furnishing an elegant mansion; but it was
a very respectable sum in the first quarter of the Nine-
teenth Century.

Being now supplied with the necessary sums, the
President proceeded to buy what was lacking in his
establishment. This, as we have seen, consisted prin-
cipally of carpets for the principal floor. " On the
chamber story," there was a great deal to be done in
decorating the boudoirs and bedrooms. The table-
service also does not seem to have been sufficient, for
the President sent in the autumn to Pittsburg for some
fine cut glass.

Bakewell, Page and Bakewell's bill amounted to
^235.75 : " 6 pair cut quart decanters with the United

124

PARTS OK THK snrl'iiii Jr trthlr, ii()U(;ni' ny MoNKoi:; candi-i.ahra and

EMl'IRK IRiron VASI-S, liOUC.HT RY MONROE

THE FURNITURE OF THE RESTORATION

States arms engraved on each, $180,00; 12 doz. cut
tumblers, $180.00; 8 doz. cut wines, $96.00; 4 doz.
clarets, $54.00; 6 doz. tumblers fluted down, $48.00;
6 doz. wine glasses, $30.00; 2 doz. champaign glasses,
$18.00; 2 pair quart decanters, $36.00"; and also 2
pair carvers and steel, $10.00, and 8 doz. table knives
and forks with ivory handles, $92.00, are the chief
purchases.

On Feb. 16, 18 18, more glass was purchased, the
bill amounting to $518.00, and including 6 pairs of
water decanters, $240.00; 2 pairs of oval 13-inch
dishes; 6 pairs of 9-inch ditto, and 6 pairs of salts. In
this year he also bought from A. Joncherez in Wash-
ington: "18 flowered bowls, $2.25; 2 doz. B. E.
plates, $2.00; 3 doz. large china ditto, $13.50; 3 doz.
smaller do., $10.50; 4 pitchers, $i.i8;54; 4 blue ewers
and basins, $12.00; 8 B. P. cups and saucers, $2.00;
2 ditto bowls, $1.50."

In addition to the china and plate already described
on pages 118 and 119, the President also purchased in
Baltimore from J. S. Skinner " two sets of china of
24 cups and saucers and 16 plates, $76.00 "; and from
C. A. Burnett, in Washington, " six silver dishes, wt.
356 oz. I dwt., $712.00; I plated tea-tray with silver
handles, $96.00; i ditto, $56.00; i ditto, $34.00; i
silver sugar dish, 26 oz. i dwt, $59.16; i cream-pot,
13 oz. 6 dwt., $30.70; I pair of sugar tongs, $4.00;
6 salt spoons, $6.40." Burnett also charged $5.00 to
mend two plated urns, and $2.50 to mend a sugar dish

r25

THE WHITE HOUSE

and cream-pot. His bill amounted to $1,006.86.
Messrs. Rasch and WIlHg, Jr., silver-plate manufactur-
ers of Philadelphia, supplied in February, 18 19, a
goblet and waiter for $49.00.

Table-linen to the value of $420.35 was purchased
in Philadelphia. The table-cloths measured 6 ells by 4,
and the napkins ^ ell by |. They were of the finest
damask.

It may be interesting to the reader to be conducted
rapidly through the accounts and have some of the
more important items noted.

The house was warmed with open fires: seven brass
fenders cost $270.50; seven sets of brass fire irons and
six sets of polished steel cost $178.75; the ornate
andirons In the Oval Room were provided with pro-
tecting tin-covers when not in use at a cost of $5.00.
James Yard's bill for household sundries bought In
Philadelphia amounted to $3,346.59, and Perdreau-
vllle's bill for curtains for the upstairs rooms, purchased
in the same city, totalled $1,200.00. Cabinet-makers
and upholsterers were busy all day long throughout the
year. The bills contain charges for all kinds of turnery
and joiners' work, much of which was evidently done
on the premises. There are charges for mahogany of
various lengths and thicknesses, plain and veneered.
Mahogany for one bed cost $4.08, and $2.50 was
charged for turning the four bed-posts, and $65.88 for
35 days' work making mahogany benches. Lewis Salo-
mon received $131.35 for two looking-glasses, and

126

THE FURNITURE OF THE RESTORATION

William Mechlen, $38.00 for a round mahogany table
with gilt claw feet. A bill of $473-75 contains: one
mahogany sideboard, $65.00; one mahogany French
bedstead, fluted posts, $45.00; five large dressing-
tables, at $50.00 each, $250.00; five large mahogany
washstands, at $13.00 each, $65.00; four butler's
trays, at $5.00 each, $20.00; four boxes octagon tops
(knife-cases), $22.50. Waters and Belt were paid
$75.00 for " one large glass stand for Mr. Monroe's
room."

In his purchases the President did not confine him-
self to new furniture. At an auction sale at Kalorama,
Oct. 19, 18 18, he bought a bedstead and curtains,
$200.00; four window curtains, $116.00; one secre-
tary, $130.00; one bureau, $80.00; one washstand,
$35.00; one bowl and pitcher, $6.50.

A good idea of the bed and its bedding may be gath-
ered from William Camp's bill (Baltimore, Oct. 5,
1 8 18) : two mahogany bedsteads, $300.00; two
feather-beds, 180 lbs., $225.00; 2 hair-mattresses,
167 lbs., $167.00; two cotton ditto, 120 lbs., $72.00.

George Bridport's bill, Oct. 19, 181 8, amounting
to $1,182.31, included 3 pairs plated chamber candle-
sticks on ball feet, with snuffers and extinguishers,
$36.00; I set of 4 japanned trays, $22.00; 193 yds.
super chintz, $241.25; 100 do. rich colored do.,
$150.00; 265 do. fine colored cambricks for linings,
$132.50; 4 large swing toilette glasses, $40.00; and
4 rugs.

127

THE WHITE HOUSE

Good care was taken of the furniture and decora-
tions: at the approach of summer precautions were
taken against the ravages of flies, moths, and dust.
Alexander renders a bill for $91.35 in July for taking
down the curtains of the Green Room, Circular Room,
Audience Hall, and Yellow Room; taking up the car-
pets of the Green Room, Saloon, Stairs and Entry,
President's private room, the entry and the Dining-
Room; making cambric cases for lamps and looking-
glasses and making one chair-case. His next bill is
$72.00 for making 12 arm-chairs, and $25.00 for 2
bergcres.

In December, William King charges $792.00 for
twenty-four chairs; and $792.00 more for four sofas.
This suite must have been exceptionally handsome. J.
F. Folk also charges $144.00 for twelve " fauteuils,
or arm-chairs"; $48.00 for one sofa, and $32.00 for
two " bergers, or easy chairs." This suite must also
have been unusually rich and handsome.

An exceptionally fine piece of furniture that was
specially made was a wardrobe : for the mere " finish-
ing " of this, Robert Howison received $55.00.

Special pains were devoted to making the bedrooms
and boudoirs of the ladies of the family comfortable
and luxurious. Mrs. Hay's room, for Instance, was
furnished with eleven arm-chairs and a settee, a crown-
bed draped with nine yards of cambric trimmed with
red and yellow fringe. The windows were of the same.
The North Bedroom had also a crown-bed with dra-

128

THE FURNITURE OF THE RESTORATION

penes and also window curtains, the draperies hung
by rings. To make the curtains for the beds and four
windows of these two rooms, the upholsterer charged
$100.00. The window and bed-curtains in Mrs. Mon-
roe's room were of green cambric trimmed with fringe.
The bedstead was a square four-poster. Under curtains
of muslin also draped the windows. The dressing-
tables, washstands, tables, etc., were of mahogany, pur-
chased at auction sales, made in the house, or belong-
ing originally to Mr. Monroe.

We also find charges for 3 pairs of large mahogany
window cornices, $78.00; 2 crowns for bedsteads, at
$22 per crown, $44.00; 2 urns for ditto, at $5.00 each,
$10.00; 23 yds. rich figured satin, $103.50, and 20
yds. broad and narrow binding, $15.00; a work-table,
$10.00; 8 yds. embroidered French silk, $36.00; 3^
yds. green silk velvet, at $4.00, $14.00, and 6 yds.
green silk cord, $3.00; a charge for making 5 arm-
chairs covered with hair-cloth, $42.17; and in August,
1 8 19, $20.00 to William Thompson for a bath. In
February, 18 19, four marble tables ($75.00) are im-
ported from Leghorn. Other charges include making
chairs, screens, settees, hanging wall-paper, recovering
furniture, polishing tables, hearths, etc., laying carpets,
taking down and hanging curtains, etc., keeping clocks
in order and repairing lamps, etc., etc.

The surroundings and approach to the President's
house were not in keeping with the mansion and its
furnishings; and therefore, in 18 18, Congress made

129

THE WHITE HOUSE

an appropriation of $10,000 for graduating and im-
proving the President's square. Measurements and
plans were carefully made, and a gardener, Charles
Bizet, was employed at $450.00 a year. Work was
begun in 18 18, and by 1821 the square was ready to
be sown with orchard grass seed and clover seed. Bizet
still remained in employ, and the exterior began to
assume something of its present appearance.

130

CHAPTER EIGHT

JAMES MONROE

1817-1825

Mrs. Monroe; Questions of Etiquette; M. de Neuville; Mr. John
Quincy Adams on Precedence and Etiquette; Mrs. Monroe and
Mrs. Adams Offend Washington Society; a Dinner-Party at the
President's House; the Great East Room and Condition of the
House; Maria Monroe's Wedding and Reception; a New Year's
Reception at the President's House; Gay Washington Society;
Monroe's Second Inauguration; Indian Chiefs at the President's
House; a Dinner to General Lafayette; J. Q. Adams on the
President's Transactions Regarding the Appropriations for
Furniture.

THE new house was thrown open for public re-
ception for the first time on Jan. i, 18 18 (see
page 98). Mrs. Monroe and her daughter, Mrs. Hay,
assisted the President in doing the honors of the occa-
sion; and the great crowd of interested, or merely
curious, people gaped and marvelled at the splendors
they saw, and retired satisfied.

On taking up his residence in his official home, how-
ever, Mr. Monroe had been confronted with one of
those thorny questions of etiquette in diplomatic circles
which had troubled more than one of his prede-
cessors. J. Q. Adams was his Secretary of State; and,
therefore, to him the President naturally turned for

131

THE WHITE HOUSE

advice. The foreign Ministers had always demanded
special recognition; and they had not let this oppor-
tunity slip. We read the following entries in Mr.
Adams's diary;

"29 Dec, 1817: At the President's. He told me that his
house would be opened on New Year's Day at noon to receive
company. I enquired if a short time sooner should be appointed
for the foreign Ministers. He at first objected, but afterwards
said he would have a Cabinet consultation upon it to-morrow
bet\veen eleven and twelve.

" 30th. I rode to the President's, where I found Mr. Craw-
ford and Mr. Calhoun. They had agreed and the President
determined to receive the foreign Ministers at half-past eleven
on New Year's Day, half-an-hour before the general com-
pany, and I sent notifications to the foreign Ministers to that
effect."

After the demands of the Diplomats had been satis-
factorily settled, the Secretary of State had more
trouble on the female side of the house, Mrs. Madison
had been so readily accessible to everybody, and so
willing to please by calling on people who had no real
claim to the honor, that the residents of Washington
and those people of Importance who arrived there,
either on a visit or for a term's residence, had come to
expect a call from the wife of the President as a right.
This entailed an enormous expenditure of time and
energy which Mrs. Monroe, who was quite a different
kind of woman from Mrs. Madison, was absolutely
unwilling to undergo. Three weeks after the first New

132

m_

m

MRS. HAY

JAMES MONROE

Year's reception in the new house, Mr. Adams notes
(Jan. 22, 1818) :

" My wife received this morning notes from Mrs. Monroe,
requesting she would call upon her this day, at one or two
o'clock, and she went. It was to inform her that the ladies had
taken offence at her not paying them the first visit. All ladies
arriving here as strangers, it seems, expect to be visited by the
wives of the heads of Departments, and even by the President's
wife. Mrs. Madison subjected herself to this torture, which
she felt very severely, but from which, having begun the prac-
tice, she never found an opportunity of receding. Mrs. Monroe
neither pays nor returns any visits. My wife returns all visits,
but adopts the principle of not visiting first any stranger who
arrives, and this is what the ladies have taken in dudgeon.
My wife informed Mrs. Monroe that she should adhere to her
principle, but not on any question of etiquette, as she did not
exact of any lady that she should visit her."

Mrs. Monroe adhered to her resolution, though It
made her temporarily exceedingly unpopular. She had
the strong support of her daughter, Mrs. Hay, who
relieved her of the social tax of calling, and pleaded
her mother's ill health as an excuse. Writing in March,
1818, Mrs. Seaton says:

" It is said that the dinner parties of Mrs. Monroe will be
very select. Mrs. Hay, daughter of Mrs. Monroe, returns the
visits paid to her mother, making assurances, in the most point-
edly polite manner, that Mrs. Monroe will be happy to see
her friends morning or evening, but that her health is totally
inadequate to visiting at present! Mrs. Hay is understood to
be her proxy, and there this much-agitated and important ques-

THE WHITE HOUSE

tion ends; and as there is no distinction made, but all treated
alike, I suppose it will eventually go down, though this altera-
tion in the old regime was bitter to the palate of all our citi-
zens, especially so to foreign Ministers and strangers."

Mrs. Monroe was eminently qualified for her posi-
tion. The daughter of Lawrence Kortright, a captain
in the British Army and afterwards a citizen of New
York, she had had the best society that New York
afforded; and, after her marriage, as the wife of the
Minister to France, and later President Madison's Sec-
retary of State, had received a thorough training In
matters of court etiquette. Her contemporaries speak
of her as " an elegant, accomplished woman," pos-
sessing " a charming mind and dignity of manners
which peculiarly fit her for her elevated station." Even
the few social duties that she performed must some-
times have proved a trial. The curious medley of
guests at the weekly drawing-room Is described In a
newspaper report that says:

" The secretaries, Senators, foreign Ministers, consuls, audi-
tors, accountants, officers of the navy and army of every grade,
farmers, merchants, parsons, priests, la\\^ers, judges, auction-
eers and nothingarians — all with their wives and some with
their gawky offspring, crowd to the President's house every
Wednesday evening; some in shoes, most in boots, and many
in spurs; some snuffing, others chewing, and many longing for
their cigars and whiskey-punch left at home. Some with pow-
dered heads, others frizzled and oiled, with whose heads a comb
has never touched, half-hid by dirty collars, reaching far above
their ears, as stifE as pasteboard."

JAiMES MONROE

An interesting glimpse of the Monroes is afforded
by Mrs. Crowninshield in a letter dated December i,
1815:

" I think I told you we were to dine at Mrs. Monroe's the
day before yesterday. We had the most stylish dinner I have
been at. The table wider than we have, and in the middle a
large, perhaps silver, waiter, with images like some Aunt Sils-
bee has, only more of them, and vases filled with flowers,
which made a very showy appearance as the candles were
lighted when we went to table. The dishes were silver and set
round this waiter. The plates were handsome china, the forks
silver, and so heavy that I could hardly lift them to my mouth,
dessert knives silver, and spoons very heavy — you would call
them clumsy things. Mrs. Monroe is a very elegant woman.
She was dressed in a very fine muslin worked in front and
lined with pink, and a black velvet turban close and spangled.
Her daughter, Mrs. Hay, a red silk sprigged in colors, white
lace sleeves and a dozen strings of coral round her neck. Her
little girl, six years old, dressed in plaid. The drawing-room
was handsomely lighted — transparent lamps I call them; three
windows, crimson damask curtains, tables, chairs and all the
Furniture French; and andirons, something entirely new."

The knotty question concerning whether the Presi-
dent and his family should pay calls, or attend enter-
tainments given by members of the Diplomatic Corps,
was a burning one throughout Mr. Monroe's first Ad-
ministration. Mr. Adams distinctly says that Mrs. Hay
was " one of the principal causes of raising this sense-
less war of etiquette visiting." His diary shows that
the poor old President was a mere puppet in the hands

THE WHITE HOUSE

of his dashing and dominant daughter in matters of
social observance and domestic concerns.

In December, the French Minister gave a grand
ball; and was very anxious for the honor of the at-
tendance of the President and his wife. The fele was
to be in honor of the evacuation of France by the allied
troops of Russia, Germany, Great Britain, and Austria.
Mr. Adams again affords us a view of a tempest in a
teapot :

"Dec. lo, 1818. At the President's. I mentioned to him
Mr. Hyde de Neuville's extreme desire to have him and Mrs.
Monroe attend his ball next Monday. The President was dis-
posed to gratify him, if there had been an example since the
existence of the present Constitution of a President's going to
the house of a foreign Minister. He said he would send to ask
Major Jackson, who had been President Washington's private
Secretary, what his practice had been, and he would consult
the gentlemen of the Administration concerning it, for which
he appointed a meeting at one o'clock to-morrow. Mr. de Neu-
ville came to the office in high anxiety concerning it, and I
appointed to-morrow at three o'clock.

" nth. At the President's, where I met Mr. Crawford
and Mr. Calhoun.

" The President found, upon enquiry of Major Jackson,
that President Washington never had been at the house of any
foreign Minister; nor had any other President. He determined,
therefore, not to break through the established usage. Next
came the question with regard to Mrs. Monroe, upon which
we could have no deliberation, and which was therefore left
to her own decision. The President went and consulted her,
and she said she did not think it proper for her to go to any

136

JAMES MONROE

place where it was not proper for her husband to go. The
President said he should request his daughter, Mrs. Hay, to go."

De Neuvllle next tried to do what he should have
done in the first place, viz., get Mrs. Hay on his side.
Mr. Adams intimates this, and shows how worried he
is by the whole question of Diplomatic etiquette. He
says: "Among the numberless questions of etiquette
and precedence here which the want of established rule
has occasioned, one has arisen between the ladies of
the foreign Ministers and Mrs. Hay, the consequence
of which is they do not visit." Mrs. Hay, therefore,
was bitterly opposed to the President's attendance at
any of her social enemies' entertainments.

On Dec. 12, while sitting at breakfast, Mr. Adams
received a note from Mrs. Hay requesting him to come
and see her, and, if possible, before calling upon
Mr. de Neuville. He complied, and found her and
Mrs. Monroe sitting in council. Mrs. Hay desired Mr.
Adams to inform Mr. de Neuville that she would at-
tend the ball at the particular request of her father,
but that this in no wise affected her position with re-
gard to the wives of the foreign Ministers — that posi-
tion would remain as it was; in attending, no rank
nor station was to be assigned to her as the President's
daughter, and there was to be no mention of her name
in the newspapers as being present. Mrs. Monroe seized
the opportunity to talk to the Secretary of State on the
question of first visits, and, among other things, told

137

THE WHITE HOUSE

him that the ladies of some Senators did not visit her
because she had adopted the rule of not returning
visits; however, they accepted Invitations to her house.

Four days later, Mr. Adams thinks that he himself
has got Into hot water; he notes (Dec. 19) : "There
was published two days ago in the Washington City
Gazette a card, anonymous, to the heads of Depart-
ments, reproaching them for not returning visits. I
have been in this respect so remiss, that I believe this
card was meant principally for me."

There seems to have been no special Fourth of July
celebration at the President's house this year, for on
June 30 the following intelligence was published in a
Washington paper: "The President left the city on
Saturday on a visit to his farm in Virginia."

When Congress opened In the autumn, the Presi-
dent's house was, as we have seen, far more complete
in its appointments than the year before. It must be
remembered, however, that only the north-front and
west wing had been finished; the East Room was still
awaiting an appropriation.

The New Year's reception was attended in full
force. Mr. Adams says, Jan. i, 1819:

" Went with Mrs. Adams to pay the New Year's visit at
the President's. One of our horses was vicious, so that it was
with difficulty we got there. The President's house was also
more crowded than I ever saw it on a similar occasion."

Questions of precedence seemed to have caused the
Secretary of State more trouble In settling than even

138

MRS. lOHN O. ADAMS

JAMES MONROE

the Government's foreign relations. On March 13,
1 8 19, he writes:

" The President has determined to set out the last week of
this month upon a tour of three or four months to the South
and West. As the Ministers of France, Spain and England are
all going to Europe on leave of absence before he will return,
and it is very doubtful whether either of them will ever come
back, and as the Russian Minister Daschkoff is finally recalled,
they were ail desirous of some occasion upon which they might
take leave of the President and his lady. After some considera-
tion whether it should be by an extra drawing-room, or a
dinner, he concluded upon the last, and invites the whole Corps
Diplomatique to dine with him next Tuesday. The former
Presidents, particularly Jefferson and Madison, have admitted
to a certain extent social visits from the foreign Ministers.
Mr. Monroe, upon principle, has excluded this sort of inter-
course, and receives them only:

" I. At private audiences requested by them; 2. at the
drawing-rooms ; 3. at diplomatic dinners, once or twice a win-
ter. But here arise certain questions of etiquette and precedency
which it has become necessary to settle. Heretofore it has been
invariably customary for the Secretary of State to be invited
by the President to all the dinners given by him to the Diplo-
matic Corps, and, as there are no Ambassadors among them,
but only Ministers of the second order, they have acquiesced
in the principle adopted here, that the Secretary of State takes
precedence of them. Since the commencement, however, of the
present Administration, Mr. Monroe has been given to under-
stand that the other heads of Departments expect an entire
equality with the Secretary of State and would consider it as
an offensive distinction in his favor if he should alone of them
be invited to the diplomatic dinners. On the other hand, the

139

THE WHITE HOUSE

foreign Ministers, though willing to yield precedence to the
Secretary of State, are not willing at dinners of professed cere-
mony given to them to be thrown at the bottom of the table
by postponement to four or five heads of Departments and
their wives. To avoid these difficulties, Mr. Monroe last win-
ter invited the foreign Ministers, without any of the heads of
Departments, and to fill up the table, invited with them the
Navy Commissioners and some respectable private inhabitants
of the city. But this did not escape remark. The foreign Min-
isters were not pleased at being invited with persons of inferior
rank and private citizens, nor at the absence of the Secretary
of State, with whom they had usually been associated on these
occasions heretofore. The slight to the Secretary of State him-
self by the omission to invite him as heretofore was also no-
ticed, not by me, for I knew nothing either of the usage or of
the departure from it till a year after, but by the foreign Min-
isters and by all the gossips of the District, who have drawn
many shrewd conclusions from it. Soon after the commence-
ment of the late session of Congress, the President Informed
me that he meant to give the foreign Ministers a dinner, and
to Invite me and my wife to It. But he delicately alluded to
the punctilious pretentions of the other heads of Departments
to equality, and to the objections of the foreign Ministers to
being crowded down to the bottom of the table, and he asked
my advice. It was at a time when I went Into no company,
and I requested the President, on that account, to put me out
of the question and not Include me In the invitation. This
answered for that time; but now the questions again recurred,
and again the President asked my advice. I know not whether
he had considered It as I did, but, with my sentiments of deli-
cacy, to ask the question was to dictate the answer. I advised
and requested him again to omit sending an invitation to me,
and, with a view to reconcile all parties, hereafter to invite
me to his diplomatic dinners with one of the heads of Depart-

140

MRS. MONROE

JAMES MONROE

ments only — taking them alternately; to which he acceded;
and such is hereafter to be the practice."

The President with his wife and two daughters en-
tertained his friends and political supporters at many
elegant dinners and hospitable " drawing-rooms." The
ladies of Washington society, however, had practically
boycotted the Monroes. On Dec. i8, 1819, Mrs.
Seaton writes:

" The drawing-room of the President was opened last night
to a * beggarly row of empty chairs.' Only five females attended,
three of whom were foreigners. Mrs. Adams, the previous
week, invited a large party which we attended, at which
there were not more than three ladies. In a familiar, pleasing
manner, the sprightly hostess made known to each of her vis-
itors that every Tuesday evening during the winter, when
they had nothing better to do with themselves, it would give
her great pleasure to receive them. The evening arrived, and
with It two other guests besides her sisters! Don't 5'ou think
we must be reforming? Some wise distinctions In etiquette
were, however, probably the cause of the defalcation."

Poor Mr. Adams was evidently at his wits' end to
straighten matters out and make peace between the
warring women. It would never do for the President
to become unpopular with Washington society, with
the exception of his immediate supporters! The Sec-
retary of State thus describes one of the President's
dinners at the close of the year:

" Dec. 21, 1819. I dined at the President's with a company
of twenty-five persons — ladles and gentlemen. The heads of

141

THE WHITE HOUSE

Departments and their ladies, excepting Mr. and Mrs. Cal-
houn, were there; the President of the Senate, Barbour the
Speaker of the House, Clay and several members of both
Houses. Clay told over again his story of the bottle of Ken-
tucky wine that he once brought as a present to Mr. Madison,
and of Robert Smith's saying it tasted of whiskey; of his
(Clay's) disposition at the time to cut off Smith's head for
the remark, and of its afterwards turning out that there really
was whiskey In the wine — identically the same story which I
heard him tell at the President's table once before."

The next day, his diary records that he called at the
President's and left a letter with him which he had
written upon *' the etiquette visiting affair."

The subject was deemed of such importance that it
was brought up for discussion In the Cabinet, and on
Dec. 29, at the President's request, his Secretary of
State wrote a letter dealing with the matter to the
Vice-President. The sum and substance of what Adams
wrote to Monroe on Dec. 25, 18 19, Is as follows:

" The rule which I have thought it best to adhere to for
myself has also been pursued by my wife with my approbation.
She has never considered it incumbent upon her to visit first
ladies coming to this place strangers to her. She could draw
no line of discrimination of strangers whom she should and
strangers whom she should not visit. To visit all, with the con-
stantly increasing resort of strangers here, w'ould have been
impossible. To have visited only the ladies of members of Con-
gress would have been a distinction offensive to many other
ladies of equal respectability. It would have applied even to
the married daughter of the President. The only principle of

142

JAMES MONROE

Mrs. Adams has been to avoid invidious distinctions; and the
only way of avoiding them is to visit no lady as a stranger.
She first visits her acquaintance according to the usual rules of
private life, and receives or returns visits of all ladies, strangers,
who pay visits to her. We are aware that this practice has
given offence to some members of Congress and their ladies,
and we very sincerely regret the result. We think, however,
that the principle properly understood cannot be offensive. To
visit all strangers or none appears to be the only alternative to
do justice to all."

"May 19, 1820. The President mentioned to me that he
wished to give a dinner to Mr. and Mrs. Hyde de Neuville
before their departure for France; and also to General Vives
and the members of his Legation, with all the Diplomatic
Corps. He wished also the heads of Departments and their
families to attend; but Mrs. Monroe has been some time very
ill, and will not be able to appear, and Mrs. Hay has not been
in the habit of visiting with the families of the foreign Min-
isters. I observed to him that, as this was an occasion of par-
ticular compliment to Mr. and Mrs. de Neuville, it would
be best to set aside all question of precedence, and that it
should be conceded for the day to Mrs. de Neuville. Mrs.
Adams would be pleased to have this attention shown to that
lady.

" The day is to be fixed to-morrow.

" Nov. 21, 1820. I dined at the President's with a company
of about thirty-five persons, members of Congress principally —
all men. The state of Mrs. Monroe's health not admitting of
her attendance at numerous dinner-parties. There was a re-
appearance of the jealousies about precedence at this dinner.
The President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives sat on the two sides of the President, and Mr.
Macon, a Senator from North Carolina, opposite to him, the
President sitting at the centre of the table."

143

THE WHITE HOUSE

The following graphic account of a dinner at the
President's house is furnished by James Fenimorc
Cooper:

" On this occasion we were honored with the presence of
Mrs. Monroe and two or three of her female relatives. Cross-
ing the hall we were admitted to a drawing-room in which
most of the company was already assembled. The hour was
six. By far the greater part of the guests were men, and per-
haps two-thirds were members of Congress.

" There was great gravity of mien in most of the company,
and neither any very marked exhibition, nor any positively
striking want of grace of manner. The conversation was com-
monplace and a little sombre, though two or three men of the
world got around the ladies, where the battle of words was
maintained with sufficient spirit. To me the entertainment had
rather a cold than a formal air. When dinner was announced,
the oldest Senator present (there were two, and seniority of
service is meant) took Mrs. Monroe and led her to the table.
The rest of the party followed without much order. The Presi-
dent took a lady as usual and preceded the rest of the guests.

" The drawing-room was an apartment of good size, and of
just proportions. It might have been about as large as a better
sort of Paris salon in a private hotel. It was furnished in a
mixed style, partly English and partly French, a custom that
prevails a good deal in all the fashions of this country. It was
neat, sufficiently rich, without being at all magnificent, and, on
the whole, verj'^ much like a similar apartment in the house of
a man of rank and fortune in Europe.

" The dining-room was in better taste than is common here,
being quite simple and but little furnished. The table was large
and rather handsome. The sendee was in china, as is uniformly
the case, plate being exceedingly rare, if at all used. There

144

JAMES MONROE

was, however, a rich plateau, and a great abundance of the
smaller articles of table-plate. The cloth, napkins, etc., etc.,
were fine and beautiful. The dinner was served in the French
style, a little Americanized. The dishes were handed around,
though some of the guests, appearing to prefer their own
customs, coolly helped themselves to what they found at
hand.

" Of attendants there were a good many. They were neatly
dressed, out of livery, and sufficient. To conclude, the whole
entertainment might have passed for a better sort of European
dinner-party, at which the guests were too numerous for gen-
eral or very agreeable discourse, and some of them too new to
be entirely at their ease. Mrs. Monroe arose at the end of the
dessert, and withdrew, attended by two or three of the most
gallant of the company. No sooner was his wife's back turned,
than the President reseated himself, inviting his guests to imi-
tate the action. After allowing his guests sufficient time to
renew, in a few glasses, the recollections of similar enjoyments
of their own, he arose himself, giving the hint to his company
that it was time to rejoin the ladies. In the drawing-room
coffee was served, and every one left the house before nine."

In February, 1820, we learn from Mrs. Seaton that
" Maria Monroe is to be married on Tuesday to her
cousin, young Gouverneur. The following day, a
brilliant drawing-room will be held, and the immense
ball-room opened. The marriage to be entirely pri-
vate."

Though the decoration of the East Room had not
yet been taken in hand for lack of the necessary funds,
it was used on occasions when the President had to
entertain an unusually large number of guests. As early

145

THE WHITE HOUSE

as Nov. 21, 1818, Mr. Hoban had reported progress
to his superior, Mr. Lane, as follows:

" The principal drawing-room has been floored, and the
walls and ceiling plastered. The cornice, frieze, and architrave,
with the centre-pieces in the ceiling, are nearly finished, all in
stucco ornament ; and the decorations in woodwork of the doors
and windows are nearly completed.

" Early last spring, the arcade of the circular portico to the
south front of the President's house, to give a communication
from the house to the grounds to the south, had been carried
up to the height of the plat band, or to the level of the prin-
cipal floor of the house. Without this portico, the President
could have no access to the south but by the cellar story. A
part of the balustrade for the south portico is also prepared;
and the upper work of the building to the south, the place of
the portico, is insecure from the weather until the portico is
completed.

" All the doors, doorways and windows of the offices east
and west of the President's house, and attached to that build-
ing, containing a temporary stable and carriage-house, ice-
house, coal-house, etc., have been finished, with the exception
of the plastering, which is in part done.

" All the painting and glazing of the President's house and
offices attached thereto, inside and outside, has been completed.

" A temporary fence has been put up to enclose the area to
the north of the President's house. The pedestal wall of granite
stone has been built to receive the coping. The piers for gates,
of cat stone, and the coping are preparing. The gates, braces,
and lamp-brackets, of wrought iron, and the upright bars, of
cast iron, are in a state of preparation."

From the above we gather that the East Room was
in habitable, if not decorative, repair; and could readily

146

MRS. GOUVERNEUR

JAMES MONROE

be made available for the entertainment of a large
company with temporary decoration by housefurnish-
ers and caterers.

Its large area was required on the occasion of the
second wedding celebrated in the official home of the
President of the United States. The wedding, how-
ever, was deprived of much of its gaiety and brilliancy
by the apparent jealousy of the marplot, Mrs. Hay, the
old question of Diplomatic etiquette, and the shadow
cast by the death of Decatur in a duel.

The chief reason the marriage is " to be entirely
private," as Mrs. Seaton asserts, is to be found in the
perennial question of precedence and etiquette. Mr.
Adams writes, March 9 :

" Samuel Lawrence Gouverneur of New York was this day
married to Maria Hester Monroe, the President's youngest
daughter. The parties are cousins by the mother's side, and
Gouverneur has been nearly these two years in the President's
family, acting as his private Secretary. There has been some
further question of etiquette upon this occasion. The foreign
Ministers were uncertain whether it was expected they should
pay their compliments on the marriage or not, and Poletica,
the Russian Minister, made the enquiry of Mrs. Adams. She
applied to Mrs. Hay, the President's eldest daughter, who has
lived in his house ever since he has been President, but never
visits at the houses of any of the foreign Ministers, because
their ladies did not pay her first calls. Mrs. Hay thought her
youngest sister could not receive and return visits which she
herself could not reciprocate, and therefore that the foreign
Ministers should take no notice of the marriage; which was
accordingly communicated to them."

147

THE WHITE HOUSE
Mrs. Scaton's lively pen tells us:

" The New York style was adopted at Maria Monroe's
wedding. Only the attendants, the relations, and a few old
friends of the bride and groom witnessed the ceremony, and
the bridesmaids were told that their company and services
would be dispensed with until the following Tuesday, when
the bride would receive visitors. Accordingly, all who visit at
the President's paid their respects to Mrs. Gouverneur, who
presided in her mother's place on this evening, while Mrs.
Monroe mingled with the other citizens. Every visitor was led
to the bride and introduced in all form. But the bridal festivi-
ties have received a check which will prevent any further atten-
tions to the President's family, in the murder of Decatur! The
first ball, which we attended, consequent on the wedding was
given by the Decaturs! Invitations were all out from Van
Ness, Commodore Porter, etc., all of which were remanded on
so fatal a catastrophe."

Mr. Monroe was elected for a second term and in-
augurated In 1 82 1. We learn that his New Year's
reception in that year was more numerously attended
than ever before. A vivid glimpse of the ladles of the
family Is afforded by a contemporary letter written by
a Mrs. Tuley of Virginia. In describing the reception
she says:

" Mr. Monroe vt^as standing near the door, and, as we were
introduced, we had the honor of shaking hands with him and
passing the usual congratulations of the season. My impressions
of Mr. Monroe are very pleasing. He is tall and well formed;
his dress plain and in the old style — small clothes, silk hose,
knee-buckles and pumps fastened with buckles. We passed on

148

STEPHKN ni;CATUR

JAMES MONROE

and were presented to Mrs. Monroe and her daughters, iVIrs.
Hay and Mrs. Gouverneur, who stood by their mother and
assisted her in receiving. Mrs. Monroe's manner is very gra-
cious, and she is a regal-looking lady. Her dress was superb
black velvet, neck and arms bare and beautifully formed. Her
hair in pufiFs and dressed high on the head and ornamented
with white ostrich plumes; around her neck an elegant pearl
necklace. Though no longer young, she is still a very hand-
some woman. Mrs. Hay is very handsome, also tall and grace-
ful, and I hear very accomplished. She was educated in Paris
at the celebrated boarding-school kept by Madame Campan,
and among her intimate school friends was the beautiful Hor-
tense de Beauharnais, step-daughter of the Emperor Napoleon.
Her dress was crimson velvet, gold cord and tassel round the
waist, white plumes in the hair, handsome jewelry, bare neck
and arms. Mrs. Gouverneur is also very handsome — dress, rich
white satin, with a great deal of blonde lace, embroidered with
silver thread, bare neck and arms, pearl jewelry and white
plumes in the hair. . . .

" All the lower rooms were opened and they were warmed
by great fires of hickory wood, and with the handsome brass
andirons and fenders quite reminded me of our grand old wood
fires in Virginia. Wine was handed about in wine-glasses on
large silver salvers, by colored waiters dressed in dark livery,
gilt buttons, etc. I suppose some of them must have come from
Mr. Monroe's old family seat, Oak Hill, Virginia."

A month later, Mrs. Seaton gives us another lively
picture of life in Government and Diplomatic circles:

" The city is unusually gay and crowded with agreeable
and distinguished visitors. Mr. Canning's initiatory ball seemed
to rouse the emulation of his neighbors, and we have had a

149

THE WHITE HOUSE

succession of fetes. The British Minister's rout was unique.
The English are half a century before us in style. Handsome
pictures, books, and all sorts of ' elegant litter ' distinguish his
rooms, the mansion being decorated with peculiar taste and
propriety.

" Mr. Canning is himself a most unpretending man in
appearance and manners; modesty appears to be his peculiar
characteristic, which for a foreign Minister is no negative
praise. . . . The birthnight ball was brilliant. The contrast
between the plain attire of Mr. Monroe and Mr. Adams, and
the splendid uniforms of the Diplomatic Corps was very strik-
ing; the gold, silver and jewels donned by the foreigners in
compliment to the anniversary festival of our patriot and hero
certainly adding splendor to the scene. The captivating D'As-
prament made his debut in brilliant crimson indispensables
laced with gold, an embroidered coat, stars and orders, golden
scabbard and golden spurs. Poor girls! perfectly irresistible in
person, he besieged their hearts, and not content with his tri-
umphs there, his sword entangled their gowns, his spurs de-
molished their flounces in the most attractive manner possible —
altogether he was proclaimed invincibly charming."

The fourth of March happening on a Sunday, there
was an Interregnum during which the office of President
was vacant. The Inauguration took place the following
day. At the request of the President, the heads of De-
partments assembled at the President's house and ac-
companied him to the Capitol. Mr. Adams says :

" A quarter before twelve I went to the President's house,
and the other members of the Administration immediately after-
wards came there. The Marshal and one of his deputies was
there, but no assemblage of people. The President, attired in a

150

JAMES MONROE

full suit of black broadcloth of somewhat antiquated fashion,
with shoe- and knee-buckles, rode in a plain carriage with four
horses and a single colored footman. The Secretaries of State,
the Treasurj"^, War, and the Navy followed, each in a carriage
and pair. There was no escort, nor any concourse of people on
the way. But on alighting at the Capitol, a great crowd of
people were assembled, and the avenues to the hall of the House
were so choked up with people pressing for admission that it
was with the utmost difficulty that the President made his way
through them into the House.

" After the departure from the House, there was a cheer-
ing shout from the people in the galleries, and the music of the
Marine Band played both at his entrance and departure. I
returned home with my family, and immediately afterwards
went to the President's house, where there was a numerous
circle for congratulation. I then passed a couple of hours at
my office, and in the evening attended a ball at Brown's Hotel.
The President and his family were there, but retired before
supper. We came home immediately after, and finished a
fatiguing and bustling day about midnight."

During Mr. Monroe's second Administration the
friction caused by the establishment of the new rules
of etiquette gradually wore away. The public recep-
tions were largely attended, and the drawing-rooms and
dinners were enjoyed by many guests who have left on
record their appreciation of their entertainment. A
picturesque Incident at the President's house during this
Administration was the reception of a party of Indian
chiefs; and another still more noteworthy was the ar-
rival of General Lafayette, who visited the President
Incognito for Diplomatic reasons. A description of the

151

THE WHITE HOUSE

reception of the Indians on July 31, 1824, Is given by
Mr. Adams as follows:

" At eleven o'clock I went with Mr. Everett to the Presi-
dent's, who half an hour afterwards received the deputation
of Indians who have recently arrived in the city. They are of
six tribes, among the most savage of the desert, part of them
all but naked. They were Saukeys or Sturgeons, Musquke5^s
or Foxes, Piankeshaws or Miamies, Pah-a-geser loways, the
people seem in a fog, Monomone, or Wild Oats, Chippeways
and Nacatas or Sioux, the amiable people. They speak five
languages, and the discourse between the President and them
was rendered by as many interpreters."

The Foxes and Sturgeons had to be translated first
into French and then English. The President made a
short speech, which was answered by the chief of each
tribe. There were also three squaws among the dele-
gation and a little girl of five or six.

All of them were painted red, and one chief had his
face stained with yellow ochre. Among others present
were old Mrs. Calhoun, Mr. Calhoun, Mr. Southard,
Mr. Wirt, C. B. King, the painter, and Mrs. Southard
and Mrs. Wirt with their daughters. These Indians
had a second conference on August 4, w^hen they were
dressed In clothing that had been furnished them. The
President suspended medals around the necks of the
chiefs and gave presents to the squaws and children.

On Jan. i, 1825, both Houses of Congress gave a
dinner to General Lafayette, at which the President
was present. The dinner took place at five o'clock.

152

JAMES FEMMORE COOFEK

JAMES MONROE

" The whole range of front rooms at Williamson's extensive
establishment (now occupied bj^ private families) was thrown
open for the reception of the companjs* and at six o'clock, the
company, in number exceeding two hundred, sat down to a
sumptuous and elegant dinner prepared in Mr. Williamson's
best style."

Eighteen toasts were drunk.

The accounts of the money expended on the Presi-
dent's house and furniture seem to have been kept in
a very slipshod fashion; for when Mr. Samuel Lane,
the commissioner, died, and Congress wanted an ac-
counting, the President was placed in a very embar-
rassing position. In the diary of Mr. Adams this is
explained as follows :

" The President then adverted to another subject, of which
he had never before spoken to me, but which for years has
given him trouble. On the 3d of March, 1817, there was ap-
propriated twenty thousand dollars, and on the 20 of April,
1818, thirty thousand dollars, for furnishing the President's
house, to be expended under his direction. He charged Colonel
Lane, Commissioner of the Public Buildings, chiefly with it.
Lane died about a year and a half ago, a defaulter for several
thousand dollars, and rumors have since been in obscure cir-
culation that the President himself had used large sums of the
money and thereby occasioned the defalcation. At the last ses-
sion of Congress, John Cocke, member of the House from
Tennessee, instituted in the House an enquiry concerning the
state of Lane's accounts after his decease, and, finding upon
examination that the President had received a part of the
money, sent him a message to enquire if he would appear before

THE WHITE HOUSE

tlic Committee, to answer interrogatories or give explanations
concerning these expenditures.

"He desired the person who brought him the message to
tell Cocke that he was a scoundrel, and that was the only
answer he would give him.

" Cocke again raised the question, and Cocke was also
charged with having embezzled moneys entrusted to him as
agent for certain pensioners. He was attacked in the JVashing-
ton Republican and the President was attacked in the Gazette.

"April II. I read this day the President's memoir upon the
transactions relating to the appropriations for furnishing the
President's house. It enters into details of a very humiliating
character, and which ought never to have been, or to be, re-
quired of him. The principal difficulty appears to have sprung
from his having used his own furniture until that provided for
by the appropriations could be procured, and having received
for it six thousand dollars, to be repaid upon the redelivery of
his furniture to him. This produced an intermingling of Lane's
public and private accounts with him, which, by Lane's sick-
ness and death, remained unsettled at his decease."

In conclusion, Mr, Adams deeply regrets that the
President should be forced to thus expose the details
of his household.

154

CHAPTER NINE

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

1825-1829

John Q. Adams's Early Life and Marriage; Ball to General Jackson;
Poem on Mrs. Adams's Ball; the Adams and Jackson Contest;
Adams's Description of his Inauguration; Mr. Crawford's Plate;
Removal to President's House and Daily Life; Fourth of July
Celebration; Visit of General Lafayette; Daily Life; New Year's
Reception; Summer Holidays; Mr. Ringgold Suggests Order for
Carriages at Drawing-Rooms; Mr. Adams's Love of Gardening;
New Year's Reception of 1828; the President's Simple Tastes;
New Year's Reception of 1829; Last Days in the President's
House.

MR. MONROE'S successor in the President's
house was John Quincy Adams. He may be
said to have been trained for the position from his
birth; and he spent the whole of his hfe in harness.
In his early youth, his father, the second President,
had taken him on his embassy to Europe, where he
received the best educational advantages that the period
could afford in Paris, The Hague, and London. On
his return, he was graduated from Harvard at the age
of twenty-one, and then studied law and wrote for the
newspapers. At the age of twenty-seven, Washington
appointed him Minister at The Hague; and three years
later he married Louisa Catherine, the daughter of

155

THE WHITE HOUSE

Mr. Johnson of Maryland, who was Consular agent
in London, where she was born and married. Mrs.
Adams was well educated, and proved a worthy wife
and a brilliant ornament to her husband's household.

During the Monroe Administration their home was
only second in importance to the President's. One of
the most brilliant entertainments in the early days of
Washington was given there on the 8th of January,
1824, in honor of General Jackson, on the anniversary
of his victory of New Orleans.

The excitement that this ball created is shown by the
fact that on the morning of Jan. 8th, the National In-
telligencer published the following poem by John F.
Agg:

MRS. ADAMS' BALL

"Wend you with the world to-night?

Brown and fair, and wise and witty,
Eyes that float in seas of light,

Laughing mouths and dimples pretty,
Belles and matrons, maids and madams,
All are gone to Mrs. Adams'.
There the mist of the future, the gloom of the past,

All melt into light at the warm glance of pleasure,
And the only regret is, lest, melting too fast,

Mammas should move off in the midst of a measure.

"Wend you with the world to-night?
Sixty gray, and giddy twenty.
Flirts that court, and prudes that slight.
State coquettes and spinsters plenty.
156

J. y. ADAMS

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

Mrs. Sullivan is there,

With all the charm that nature lent her;
Gay McKim, with city air;

And winning Gales and Vandeventer;
Forsyth, with her group of graces;

Both the Crowninshields in blue;
The Pierces, with their heavenly faces,

And eyes like suns that dazzle through.
Belles and matrons, maids and madams,
All are gone to Mrs. Adams'.

"Wend you with the world to-night?

East and West, and South and North,
Form a constellation bright.

And pour a blended brilliance forth.
See the tide of fashion flowing;

'Tis the noon of beauty's reign.
Webster, Hamiltons arc going.

Eastern Lloyds and Southern Hayne;
Western Thomas, gayly smiling,

Borland, nature's protegee,
Young De Wolfe, all hearts beguiling,

Morgan, Benton, Brown and Lee.
Belles and matrons, maids and madams.
All are gone to Mrs. Adams'.

"Wend you with the world to-night?

Where blue eyes are brightly glancing,
While to measures of delight

Fair>^ feet are deftly dancing
Where the j'oung Euphrosyne

Reigns the mistress of the scene.
Chasing gloom, and courting glee,

With the merry tambourine.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Many a form of fairy birth,

Many a Hebe, yet unwon,
Wirt, a gem of purest worth,

Lively, laughing Pleasanton,
Vails and Tayloe will be there,
Gay Monroe, so debonair,
Hellen, pleasure's harbinger,
Ramsay, Cottringers, and Kerr.
Belles and matrons, maids and madams.
All are gone to Mrs. Adams'.

"Wend you with the world to-night?

Juno in her court presides,
Mirth and melody invite,

Fashion points, and pleasure guides!
Haste away, then, seize the hour,
Shun the thorn, and pluck the flower.
Youth, in all its spring-time blooming.
Age, the guise of youth assuming.
Wit through all its circles gleaming,
Glittering wealth and beauty beaming.
Belles and matrons, maids and madams,
All are gone to Mrs. Adams'."

Mr. Carter, editor of the New York Statesman,
wrote the following account for his paper, from which
we gain a delightful glimpse of Mrs. Adams :

" At nine o'clock General Jackson entered the room, and
with great dignity and gracefulness of manner conducted Mrs.
Adams through the apartments. He was in a plain citizen's
dress, and appeared remarkably well, saluting and receiving
the congratulations of his friends with his usual urbanity and
affability.

158

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

" Mrs. Adams was elegantly but not gorgeously dressed.
Her headdress and plumes were tastefully arranged. In her
manners she unites dignity with an unusual share of ease and
elegance; and I never saw her appear to greater advantage
than when promenading the rooms, winding her way through
the multitude by the side of the gallant general. At the approach
of such a couple the crowd involuntarily gave way as far as
practicable and saluted them as they passed.

" Mr. Adams, who is known to be proverbially plain, un-
assuming and unostentatious in his manners, received his guests
with his usual cordiality and unaffected politeness.

" At about ten o'clock, the doors of a spacious apartment
were flung open, and a table presented itself to view loaded
with refreshments of every description, served up in elegant
style, of which the company were invited to partake without
ceremony.

" Conviviality and pleasure reigned throughout the evening,
and I never saw so many persons together where there was
apparently so much unmingled happiness."

On Washington's written advice, John Adams ap-
pointed his son Minister to Berlin, where he added to
his linguistic and literary accomplishments. Being re-
called by Jefferson, he appeared in the Senate at the
age of thirty-six. He soon resigned, and accepted a
professorship at Harvard In 1806. Three years later,
Madison sent him as Minister to Russia. In 18 13, he
was one of the Commissioners who negotiated the
Treaty of Ghent, and In 18 15 was made Minister to
England, but was soon called home by Monroe to be
Secretary of State. In 1824, he received 84 votes for
President, while Jackson received 99, Crawford 41,

159

THE WHITE HOUSE

and Clay 37. The decision being left to the House of
Representatives, Adams was elected, by the influence
of Clay, who was made Secretary of State. This en-
gendered much bitterness in the hearts of Jackson and
his supporters, by whom Adams was overwhelmingly
defeated four years later.

Though Adams was exceedingly punctilious in mat-
ters of etiquette, as we have already seen, he was re-
markably easy of access to everybody. His doors were
open to all. No one in the Government worked harder
than he ; and, though willing to meet the demands made
upon him as head of the Government, he loved to
live the life of a simple country gentleman. He was
exceedingly considerate to all, and does not seem to
have been in the least disturbed by the fact that the
Monroes were in no hurry to move out of the Presi-
dential Mansion on account of Mrs. Monroe's real, or
feigned, illness.

In describing Mr. Adams's occupancy of the Presi-
dent's chair, it is unnecessary to do more than to tran-
scribe passages from his own diary in which he scrupu-
lously recorded his doings day by day. To begin with
his Inauguration:

" March 4, 1825. — ^About half-past eleven o'clock I left my
house with an escort of several companies of militia and a
cavalcade of citizens, accompanied in my carriage by Samuel
L. Southard, Secretary of the Navy, and William Wirt, Attor-
ney-General, and followed by James Monroe, late President
of the United States, in his own carriage. We proceeded to the

160

ANOTHER 1'OKIRAH OK MRS. J. o. ADAMS

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

Capitol, and to the Senate Chamber. The Senate were in ses-
sion and John C. Calhoun presiding in the chair, having been
previously sworn into office as Vice-President of the United
States and President of the Senate. The Senate then adjourned,
and from the Senate Chamber, accompanied bj' the members of
that body and by the Judges of tiie Supreme Court, I repaired
to the hall of the House of Representatives, and, after deliver-
ing from the Speaker's chair my inaugural address to a crowded
auditory, I pronounced from a volume of the laws held up to
me by John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States, the
oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United
States, and, to the best of my ability, to preserve, protect, and
defend the Constitution of the United States. After exchanging
salutations with the late President, and many other persons
present, I retired from the hall, passed in review the military
companies drawn up in front of the Capitol, and returned to
my house with the same procession which accompanied me from
it. I found at my house a crowd of visitors, which continued
about two hours, and received their felicitations. Before the
throng had subsided, I went myself to the President's house,
and joined with the multitude of visitors to Mr. Monroe there.
I then returned home to dine, and in the evening attended the
ball, which was also crowded, at Carusi's Hall. Immediately
after supper I withdrew and came home."

" 1825, March 8. — Dickins came to make definitive ar-
rangements respecting Mr. Crawford's plate. The usual appro-
priation of fourteen thousand dollars for refurnishing the
President's house was made by an Act of Congress at the close
of the session. Mr. Crawford being desirous to dispose of his
plate, and as there was no probability that he could dispose of
it here, I agreed to take it for the public service and pay for it
from this appropriation. There were during Mr. Monroe's
Administration fifty thousand dollars appropriated for furnish-

161

THE WHITE HOUSE

ing the house. He had placed the fund under the management
of Colonel Lane, who, two or three years since, died insolvent,
with twenty thousand dollars of public moneys unaccounted
for, which has given rise to much obloquy upon Mr. Monroe.
I have determined, therefore, to charge myself with the amount
of the new appropriation, and to be myself accountable to the
Treasury for its expenditure. Tlie plate, by Mr. Crawford's
desire, has been appraised by two silversmiths: one, Mr. Bur-
nett of Georgetown, named by Mr. Crawford ; the other, Mr.
Leonard, of this city, named by me."

Mr, Adams was naturally solicitous as to when he
might take possession of his official residence. In the
evening of March 9, we read: " I visited Mr. Monroe
at the President's house. He is making preparations for
his departure with his family, but is somewhat delayed
by the illness of Mrs. Monroe."

The President's daily routine is frankly stated in an
entry two months later:

" Sunday, May i. — Since my removal to the Presidential
Mansion, I rise about five, read two chapters of Scott's Bible
and Commentary, and the corresponding Commentary of Hew-
lett; then the morning newspapers and public papers from the
several Departments ; write seldom and not enough ; breakfast
an hour from nine to ten; then have a succession of visitors,
upon business in search of a place, solicitors for donations, or
for mere curiosity from eleven till between four and five
o'clock. The heads of Departments, of course, occupy much of
this time. Between four and six I take a walk of three or four
miles. Dine from half-past five till seven, and from dark till
about eleven I generally pass the evening in my chamber, sign-

162

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

ing land-grants or blank patents, in the interval of which, for
the last ten days, I have brought up three months' arrears in
my diary index. About eleven I retire to bed."

Again, early in June, he notes that he rose between
four and six, spent two morning hours swimming in
the Potomac, and that the interval between breakfast
and dinner was filled with " incessant and distractingly
various occupations," while the evenings were " filled
with idleness or at the billiard-table."

From an entry in July, we learn that he rose from
4 to 5.30, bathed in the river and then read; break-
fasted from 8 to 9 ; received visitors till 4 or 5 ; dined
from 5 to 6 ; played billiards from 6 till 7 or 8 ; and
retired about 8 or 9 o'clock. He constantly complains
of feeling the heat terribly.

He celebrated the Fourth of July as follows:

" The procession to the Capitol was formed only of one
company of cavalrj^ and a school of young girls, one of whom
represented the Union. . . . Four or five of the new States
were represented by boys in the costume of Indians and painted.

" Governor Barbour and my son John went with me to the
Capitol, where a prayer was made by Mr. Hawley; the Decla-
ration of Independence was read by Mr. Daniel Brent, and an
oration was pronounced by Mr. Asbury Diclcins. Wc returned
home, and at the gate found a company of cavalry from Prince
George's County, Maryland, commanded by the late Governor
of the State, Sprigg. For about two hours we received the
crowd of visitors, of both sexes and of all conditions. About
three o'clock the company were all gone."

163

THE WHITE HOUSE

Mr. Adams maintained the open hospitality of his
predecessors, as is shown by the following contempo-
rary account:

" At sunrise, noon and sunset the usual salutes were fired
at pubh'c stations, and besides these, there were a number of
salutes fired during the day by the artillery and infantry com-
panies of the city.

" About ten o'clock the several volunteer companies of the
City formed in line on the Avenue in front of the entrance to
the President's house, and having received him, with his Sec-
retaries, the Reader of the Declaration of Independence and
the Orator of the Day, proceeded in procession to the Capitol.
The day was remarkably fine, and the troops looked well. Mr.
McLeod, with his usual spirit, had prepared a stage, mounted
on wheels, on which were four and twenty States, represented
by so many pretty female scholars, which formed part of the
procession, being followed in it by his male scholars, some of
them painted and habited as the aborigines of our country and
the remainder in uniform.

" After the ceremonies at the Capitol, the mansion of the
President was thrown wade open for the reception of those
whom friendship, respect, or curiosity attracted thither. An
immense concourse thronged the spacious halls, and were kindly
and frankly received by the President and his family. The
occasion was enlivened by the cheering notes of music from the
Marine Band, and refreshments were liberally distributed."

Mr. Adams scrupulously adhered to the time-hon-
ored observances of his predecessors, and was unwilling
to make exceptions even in extreme cases. For example,
he notes, Aug. i, that he had to refuse to attend a
party in honor of General Lafayette at General

164

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

Gaines's: "Following the example of all my prede-
cessors, none of whom ever attended at private parties."

The great event of this year was the visit of La-
fayette, who was welcomed enthusiastically here, and
made a sort of triumphal progress through the country.

The General was universally entertained as the Na-
tion's guest. He was a constant visitor at the official
mansion during his stay in Washington, as he and the
President were on the most intimate terms. Mr. Adams
even accompanied him on a visit to the ex-President.
This is evident from the following entries in his diary:

"Aug. I. — My son John went out to Ross's to meet Gen-
eral Lafayette, and they arrived here between 4 and 5 o'clock
P.M. The General was accompanied by Colonel Howard and
Colonel Randall, member of a Baltimore Committee of ar-
rangements. Mr. George Washington Lafayette and Mr. Le
Vasseur came in the stage which the General and his two
companions from Baltimore had quitted."

On the following day President Adams escorted his
distinguished guest to the Navy Yard to see the frigate
Brandywine, and on Aug. 6, after an early dinner, at
four o'clock the President,

" General Lafayette, his son, George Washington Lafayette,
Mr. Tench Ringgold, Marshall of the District, Mr. Le Vas-
seur and John went on a visit to Mr. Monroe at Oakhill. The
General's valet de chambre Bastien and Antoine Michel Giusta
in a carryall with one horse took the baggage. William the
groom followed us on horseback."

165

THE WHITE HOUSE

Nathan Sargent says that on the 7th Sept., 1825,
General Lafayette took leave of this country. The
banks were closed in Washington, and all business was
suspended.

About twelve o'clock the authorities of Washington,
Alexandria, and Georgetown, officers of the govern-
ment— civil, naval, and military — ^members of Con-
gress and distinguished strangers, assembled In the
President's house to bid farewell to the guest. The
President delivered a fine address, to which General
Lafayette replied. Immediately after, he left the man-
sion; and went down the Potomac to the mouth, where
the Brandywiney that had been specially fitted out to
take him home, awaited him.

At the end of the year the President indulges us
with another description of his daily life. In December,
1825, he writes:

" The life that I lead is more regular than *it has perhaps
been at any other period. It is established by custom that the
President of the United States goes not abroad into any pri-
vate companies; and to this usage I conform. I am, therefore,
compelled to take my exercise, if at all, in the morning before
breakfast. I usually rise between five and six — that is, at this
time of the year, from an hour and a half to two hours before
the sun. I walk by the light of moon or stars or none, about
four miles, usually returning home in time to see the sun rise
from the eastern chamber of the House. I then make my fire,
and read three chapters of the Bible with Scott's and Hewlett's
Commentaries. Read papers till nine. Breakfast, and from ten
till five P.M. receive a succession of visitors, sometimes without

166

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

intermission — very seldom with an interval of half an hour —
never such as to enable me to undertake any business requiring
attention. From five to half-past six we dine; after which I
pass about four hours in my chamber alone, writing in this
diary, or reading papers upon some public business — excepting
when occasionally interrupted by a visitor. Between eleven and
twelve I retire to bed, to rise again at five or six the next
morning."

His first New Year's reception is described as fol-
lows:

" The Mansion of the President of the United States was
yesterday thrown open, not to his particular friends only, but
to his fellow-citizens generally, in conformity to the custom
which invites all who are so disposed to pay their respects to
the Chief Magistrate of the Nation and his family on the first
day of the New Year. The concourse was vast, but orderly,
their reception kind, and their deportment frank and decorous.
All the apartments on the first floor were thrown open ; and,
spacious as they are, were crowded. The Band of Music
attached to the Marine Corps attended. The Vice-President,
the heads of Departments, and other Civil Officers, the Mem-
bers of Congress, and the Military and Naval Officers of the
Seat of Government, with the Foreign Ministers and their
Suites were generally present. An unusual number of ladies
graced the occasion. Among the persons who made up the com-
pany were the Indian Chiefs, who are now in this city, and
who were far from being the least striking objects in the
scene."

Mr. Adams, following the custom of his prede-
cessors, stayed in Washington through the heat of the

167

THE WHITE HOUSE

summer. He never left the capital till after the Fourth
of July celebrations. His diary has many an entry com-
plaining of his suffering from the heat. The illness of
his aged father afforded him an excuse to visit his
ancestral home in Massachusetts in 1826, and this visit
he repeated in the succeeding years of his Administra-
tion. He stayed away from Washington through the
second half of July, and the whole of August and Sep-
tember. On July 9, 1826, he notes in his diary that his
father is ill, and he immediately took his departure
from the capital, not returning till October 19, when
he was met by his son, Charles, at Baltimore with a
coach and horses. His absences from the seat of Gov-
ernment gave rise to many paragraphs of carping
criticism in the opposition papers.

He had doubtless benefited by the change of scene
and climate, for, on October 26, he gave a dinner-
party; and on the two following days attended the
races. Later in the year, he notes :

" I am resuming my regular habits of the last
winter."

He rises between four and seven, walks four miles,
and on his return sees the sun rise from the north-
eastern window. He breakfasts at nine, dines at five,
receives visitors in the intervals; and also writes letters,
or official papers, reads despatches and newspapers, and
goes to bed at ten.

We have seen that Mr. Monroe was worried by a
certain amount of disorderly conduct at his drawing-

168

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

rooms, which Mr. Adams, as Secretary of State, had
quietly pooh-poohed. It seems that he himself needed
a Marshal to maintain order in the court-yard when
Mrs. Adams held her drawing-rooms. On Dec. 15,
1826, he writes:

" Mr. Ringgold, the Marshal, came to ask if I should wish
his atte.ndance here at the drawing-rooms for the preservation
of order among the coachmen and carriages in the yard, as has
been usual. I desired that he would. He had lately lost his
wife, and said he did not generally go into society, but that
he would very readily attend here, considering it in the line
of his duty. He did accordingly attend this evening, when Mrs.
Adams held the first drawing-room for the season, a week
earlier than usual, for the sake of the members of the Canal
Convention, many of whom were here. The attendance was
full, but not crowded."

In the following year, he returned from his old home
on Oct. 17, after an absence of eleven weeks. The next
day he received a committee of mail contractors who
were introduced by Mr. Clay. He received them in the
winter parlor, shook hands with them all, and at sug-
gestion of Mr. Clay showed them the rooms on upper
floor with the exception of the bedchambers. Cake and
wine were served, and he " drank success to them all
through highways and byways."

Before going away, Mr. Adams had helped to cele-
brate the Glorious Fourth in the old style. His descrip-
tion of the day ends as follows: "I returned home,
escorted by Major Andrews and his troop of horse,-

169

THE WHITE HOUSE

and received visitors — that is the whole population —
from one to three."

Mr. Adams had the tastes of an English squire.
During the June heat in Washington, of which he so
feelingly complains, he delighted In gardening in the
dew of the dawn, as appears In the two following ex-
tracts :

" In this small garden of not less than two acres there are
forest and fruit-trees, shrubs, hedges, esculent vegetables,
kitchen and medicinal herbs, hot-house plants, flowers and
weeds to the amount, I conjecture, of at least one thousand.
• . . Ouseley, the gardener, knows almost all of them by their
botanical names. . . . From the small patch where the medi-
cinal herbs stand together I plucked this morning leaves of
balm and hyssop, marjoram, mint, rue, sage, tansy, tarragon
and wormwood, one-half of which were known to me only by
name — the tarragon not even by that."

"June 13, 1827. — ^The attractions of the garden and the
objects of curiosity constantly multiplying upon my attention
there, have rendered my walks abroad for mere exercise tedious
and irksome, so that I have omitted them the last three days.
But this morning, after planting in my eastern seed-bed eigh-
teen whole red-cherries and visiting the southern bed, where
the casual poppies are now all (six) in flower, the mustard
and anthemis in full bloom, the alth^as still coming up and
the wild cherries apparently stationary, I remarked that the
strawberries are ceasing, and the currants, red and black, be-
coming ripe. The catalpa trees are in full and beautiful blos-
som, and Holyoke's bladder senna, and other flowers, are
blossoming. The rue, sage, and hyssop are also in bloom. I re-
marked that the honey-bees had keen relish for the poppy-
flowers, and the wasps for the wormwood, though not in

170

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

blossom. The border of thyme is still in full bloom. I walked,
after leaving the garden, half-way to College Hill."

With the simple tastes of a country-gentleman, the
indulgence of which satisfied all his cravings for recrea-
tion, and his devotion to official routine, which was
dominant with him to the very end of his life, we are
not astonished to find that he regarded entertainment
at the President's house in the light of a necessary bore.
To this, however, he submitted with sufficient grace.
He thus describes his New Year's reception of 1828:

** From noon till three o'clock the New Year's drawing-
room was held, and as numerously attended as on any former
occasion. About two-thirds of the members of both Houses of
Congress and all the foreign Ministers now in the city were
present. The scruples of the late Ministers from France and
Russia seem to have been personal, and not sustained by their
Governments. Baron Krudener, Mr. Vaughan, and the Cheva-
lier Huygens, with their families and Legations, were all here;
also Mr. Obregon, the Count de Menou, Baron Stackelberg
and Mr. Rebello; all the heads of Departments and their
families, the subordinate officers of Government — civil, mili-
tary, and naval — and many hundreds of private citizens of this
place and all the neighboring regions. All the open rooms were
crowded and overflowing. The day was uncommonly fine and
the weather temperate."

From an entry (Feb. 20, 1828), we see how he
chafed under his duties as the host of the Nation :

"This evening was the sixth drawing-room. Very much
crowded ; sixteen Senators, perhaps sixty members of the House

171

THE WHITE HOUSE

of Representatives and multitudes of strangers — among whom
were the Institutors of Deaf and Dumb from Philadelphia,
New York, and Hartford. The heat was oppressive and these
parties are becoming more and more insupportable to me."

On July the Fourth he held no formal reception,
but spent the day in the public service nevertheless. On
this occasion, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was
begun, and the President broke the ground. The party
started away at seven o'clock in the morning, returning
at half-past two in the afternoon. Mr. Adams writes :

" I was landed at Davidson's wharf, where my carriage was
waiting; and, after taking Mr. Rush home, I returned to mine.
The Marshalls of the day escorted me home on horseback, came
in and took a glass of wine and took leave with my thanks for
their attentions."

It is very plain that the fads and fancies of Mr.
J. Q. Adams were horsemanship, swimming, garden-
ing, and statesmanship. In April, May, and June, his
diary affords evidence of his activities.

On April 28, we read that he " visited the garden
and found In the eastern seedling bed a tree which had
shown Itself last week — a white oak " — and In the
western enclosure he found " several oaks, peaches,
cherries, plums, apricots, and row^s of apples planted
last month by Antolne coming up." In May, he notes
black walnuts and other nuts, elghty-tu^o trees along
the northern border; twenty-one chestnuts, thirty oaks,

172

4

i

>;,

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

twenty-five black walnuts, and eight cork oaks. Mr.
Foy, he says, planted several rows of white mulberry
trees, and *' I planted twenty rows of shellbarks, pig-
nuts, black walnuts and cork oak acorns in the nursery
westward of the row of transplanted cherries."

On May 23, he tells us that he rose before daylight
and wrote two hours; then rode two hours with John;
then he visited the nursery, where he found fifty Span-
ish cork oaks up. " I discovered," he says, " several
black walnuts planted on March 22, several almond
trees, the kernels of which were also then planted, ash
and ash-leaved maples planted last November by Mr.
Foy." On May 26 he writes: " I visited the garden
and nursery this day, and noticed in the nursery the
shellbark hickories planted last autumn. ... In the
garden the black walnuts are still coming up."

In June he counts ninety-seven Spanish cork oaks,
watches the plants in his pots and boxes, reads Evelyn's
Sylvia, and describes his routine as follows:

" I rise generally before five — frequently before four. Write
from one to two hours in this diary. Ride about twelve miles
in two hours on horseback, with my son John. Return home
about nine; breakfast; and from that time till dinner between
five and six, afternoon, am occupied incessantly with visitors,
business and reading letters, despatches and newspapers. I spend
an hour, sometimes before and sometimes after dinner in the
garden and nursery; an hour of drowsiness on a sofa, and two
hours of writing in the evening. Retire usually between eleven
and midnight."

173

THE WHITE HOUSE

The President's account of his last New Year's re-
ception is contained in the following brief notice:
"Jan. I, 1829. Our last New Year's drawing-room
was crowded beyond all former example, and passed
quietly off."

Others, however, described in much greater detail
what was practically the fall of the curtain on the
Adams regime. The correspondent of the New York
Spectator writes:

" The first thing on New Year's morning is the fellow who
brushes your clothes, wishing ' massa happy New Year,' and
you yawn out, ' hand me my vest,' which is thereupon light-
ened of a dollar, or if you feel economist, of a half; but a
dollar is very small change here. While picking your teeth, and
looking into the street, a number of sable and mahogany-col-
oured peripatetics accost you with ' Do, good massa, give me a
fip ! ' Beau Brummell would have said, * Fellow, I do not know
the coin.' I tried it upon one of them ; and, though it was no
old joke to him, he immediately replied, ' Then, massa, give
me a dollar! ' He got something for his wit, though not to the
full amount of ft.

" There are many calls made, and much driving about. The
hackmen are busily employed — by the way, they are more civil
than yours, and less extravagant in their demands. Let me ob-
serve that I think a person might live in New York for ever
and meet with no insolence or rudeness, nothing but the kindest
and most civil treatment from all classes, except those fellows.
I am sure that hundreds of fellows besides myself would occa-
sionally employ the survivors were the corporation to hang up
two-thirds of them.

" The President's house was the great mart of compliments

JOHN QUINCY ADAiMS

from twelve to three o'clock to-day. There all the world has
been, shaking hands, making bows, and exchanging greetings.
You would suppose there had never been any such thing as a
Presidential canvassing. There is little in this ceremony to in-
terest one, except you see all the world together. The squeeze
was tremendous to-day; and after one o'clock, people began to
retire as fast as others came in to fill their places. There is no
ceremony, except that you do your utmost on your first entrance
to make your bow to the President and his lady. If you are
introduced by some public character so much the better. After
that you may go about the rooms, if you like, or go home, as
most people do.

" The foreign Ministers called soon after twelve, in the
court costumes of their respective nations, servants in livery,
etc. They take no precedence, and, in fact, there is nothing in
the whole proceeding to shock the delicacy of a republican.
Every one goes in or out whenever he pleases, and can do so
without inconvenience to others."

The National Journal gives the following additional
particulars :

" On no former occasion have we witnessed a greater crowd,
nor have we ever seen the annual tributes of good feeling
offered with more apparent sincerity on the one hand, or re-
ceived with more evident satisfaction and cheerfulness on the
other. Mr. Adams seemed to be in excellent spirits, and the
slight shade of pensiveness on the countenance of Mrs. Adams
was the necessary, although to be regretted, consequence of
the almost incessant indisposition by which she has been for
some time afflicted. Mr. Calhoun occupied a prominent situa-
tion in the principal room; while Mr. Clay stood in the centre
of the East Room, and Mr. Southard in the intermediate apart-
ment, to receive the greeting of their friends. The other Secre-

THE WHITE HOUSE

tarios, the Postmaster General, the Commanding General, the
Clergy of the District and the Members of both Houses, with
only a few exceptions, were present; and it was near three
o'clock before the last of the visitors had retired. The Marine
Band stationed in the vestibule played frequent airs; and re-
freshments, consisting of wines, punch, lemonade, cakes, jellies,
ice-creams, etc., were handed round in profusion."

Another report of the New Year's reception speaks
of the " great concourse of gentlemen and ladies," who
" were received with cordiality and grace by the Presi-
dent and his family; and the music and refreshments
liberally supplied, whilst they befitted the occasion,
hardly added to the cheerfulness of the scene."

The burden of social duty required of the Chief
Magistrate had, as we have seen, weighed very heavily
on the shoulders of Mr. Adams. He loved office and
power; but cared little for the glitter of the salon.
When, after a bitter Presidential campaign, he had to
resign the reins of the State coach to other hands, it
was fated that he Was to be forced to do so with ap-
parent ill-grace and with extreme reluctance, as had
also been the case with his father. Just before his suc-
cessor was inaugurated as President, he wrote :

" My rising hour has ranged from four to quarter past
seven, the average being about half-past five, and the changes
regulated by the time of my retirement to bed, which has
varied from half-past ten to one a.m., which happened only
once — the day of the last drawing-room. My usual time of re-
tirement is half-past eleven; giving six hours to the bed. On
rising, I light my lamp by the remnant of fire in the bed-

176

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

chamber, dress and repair to my cabinet, where I make my
fire, and sit down to writing till between nine and ten. After
breakfast I read the morning National Intelligencer and Jour-
nal and from eleven a.m. to four P.M. receive visitors, transact
business with the heads of Departments, and send messages to
one or both Houses of Congress. My riding on horseback has
been interrupted almost the whole month by the weather and
the snow and ice. From four, I walk an hour and a quarter,
till half-past five; dine and pass one or two hours in the bed-
chamber or nursery ; then write again in my cabinet till the
time for repose. This routine has now become so habitual to
me that it forms part of the comfort of my existence, and I
look forward with great solicitude to the time when it must
be totally changed. I never go abroad, unless to visit a sick
friend. But a large dinner-part>^ once a week, a drawing-room
once a fortnight, occasional company of one, two or three to
dine with us in the family, and the daily visitors, eight or ten,
sometimes twelve or fifteen, keep me in constant intercourse
with the world, and furnish constant employment, the oppres-
siveness of which is much relieved by its variety. This is a
happy condition of life, which within five weeks more must
close."

We have seen the splendid furniture that the Mon-
roes selected for the White House at the beginning
of their regime. The following inventory made when
John Qulncy Adams was about to move in shows the
arrangement and condition of the rooms and their fur-
nishings.

The " Third Room " on the upper floor is evidently
the family sitting-room, or parlor, over the Oval Room;
and it is interesting to note that what is now the Red

177

THE WHITE HOUSE

Room was then known as the Yellow Drawing-Room,
although the curtains and furniture covers are red.

This inventory was taken on March 24, 1825. Be-
ginning at the northeast room of the upper story and
proceeding west, we find:

" First Room: empty.

" Second Room : one mahogany bedstead, with cor-
nices complete; one cherry ditto, with ditto; two sets
chintz bed curtains; one feather bed, bolster and pil-
low; one fender; one pair brass andiron ornaments;
one pair elegant bronze gilt andirons; two sets gilt
ornaments for windows; one set window curtains, ele-
gant; four gilt eagle brackets, old; four sheet Iron
hearth covers; one small low post pine bedstead; one
glass passage lamp, not complete; one fire poker; one
close stool, one painter's easel.

"Third Room: two book presses, defective; one
large pine clothes-press; one mahogany table with
green cover; five old flag-bottom chairs, one broken;
one chamber looking-glass, injured; one Brussels carpet
more than half worn; one washstand, with basin and
ewer; one brass fender, very old; one pair tongs, shovel
and poker.

*' Fourth Room : one elegant mahogany gilt mounted
bedstead; one husk mattress, feather bed, bolster and
pillow; one pair blankets; one set yellow silk dome
bed curtains; one set yellow silk window curtains; one
mahogany dressing-table ; one gilt f ram.e dressing look-

178

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

ing-glass (large); one mahogany bureau; one ma-
hogany washstand with marble top; one basin and
ewer; one elegant mahogany gilt mounted close stool;
six mahogany hair cloth bottom chairs; one pair bronze
and gilt lamps (fractured) ; one Ingrain carpet, much
worn; one wire fender; one pair tongs and shovel.

" Fifth Room: one elegant mahogany bedstead, gilt
eagle mounted; one hair mattress, feather bed, bolster
and pillows; one pair sheets, one pair blankets, Mar-
seilles quilt; two sets chintz window curtains; one set
chintz dome bed curtains; one pine wardrobe, ma-
hogany doors; one mahogany secretary; one mahogany
dressing-table; one toilette looking-glass; one large
mirror, mahogany frame, injured; one mahogany wash-
stand, with marble top; one basin and ewer (frac-
tured) ; one chintz covered sofa, old; six chintz covered
arm chairs; one Ingrain carpet more than half worn;
one wire fender, one shovel; tvvo ostrich egg mantel
ornaments on silver stands; one screen.

"Sixth Room: empty.

" Beginning at the southeast corner and proceeding
west:

" First Room : empty.

"Second Room: one large pine clothes-press; four
door screens; one sheet iron hearth cover.

" Third Room : one gilt mounted pianoforte, in-
jured; one sofa, figured silk cover, with backs and
rollers; one dozen gilt chairs with satin covers, much
worn; two arm-chairs, gilt, with ditto; two card-tables,

179

THE WHITE HOUSE

one claw foot card-table, with castors; two fire screens,
broken; one large door screen; one large brass fender;
one pair tongs, injured; one pair mantel lamps, in-
jured; two sets elegant figured satin window curtains;
one Brussels carpet (more than half worn) ; one old
work table.

*' Fourth Room: one mahogany and oak patent bed-
stead (English) with curtains and cornices complete;
one mattress, wool, feather bed and pillow; three sets
window curtains to match; one pair blankets and coun-
terpane; one large wardrobe, mahogany front; one
mahogany dressing-table; two mahogany bureaus, in-
jured; one dressing-glass, large and elegant; one wash-
stand with marble top; one basin and ewer, fractured;
one clawfoot table, broken; one pine clothes-press; five
rush bottom chairs, injured; one Brussels carpet, sur-
rounded with green baize, much worn ; one wire fender,
one pair tongs and poker; one pair bronze mantel
lamps, injured; two large door screens.

"Fifth Room: one mahogany bedstead (French);
one mattress, feather bed, bolster and pillow; one pair
mantel lamps, injured; one mahogany dressing-table;
one small toilette glass; one mahogany bureau; one
pair tongs, shovel and poker; two cane bottom settees,
old; two sets crimson silk window curtains, new; five
rush bottom chairs, old; five card-tables, broken; one
door screen; one carpet, composed of Brussels and
Scotch carpeting, and green baize, much worn; one
common washstand."

1 80

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

A little household linen was kept here, including
twenty-five large and " elegant " damask table cloths,
and ninety-five " elegant damask napkins."

*' Sixth Room : one superb mahogany wardrobe, one
pillar pine; one elegant mahogany gilt bronze mounted
secretary; one elegant gilt mounted bureau, with mar-
ble top; one mahogany dressing-table, with dressing-
glass damaged; one large panelled mahogany ward-
robe; one large mounted bedstead; one set dome cur-
tains, chintz, for ditto; two sets window curtains, with
cornices complete; one elegant mahogany washstand,
with marble top; one China basin and ewer; one Span-
ish chair; five arm-chairs covered with haircloth, dam-
aged; one mahogany table; one Ingrain carpet and
hearth rug, worn out; one wire fender; one door
screen; one pair tongs, shovel and poker, injured; one
pair bronze mantel lamps, injured; one elegant mantel
time piece (French) ; two old damaged spy glasses;
one mattress, feather bed, bolster and pillows.

"Seventh Room: one large wardrobe; one Ingrain
carpet, worn out; one painted pine table, large; four
pairs dimity fringe curtains.

"Passage and Staircase: one long passage carpet,
much worn; one Turkey ditto; one Brussels stair carpet
with rods complete, much worn; one passage lamp."

Turning now to the " Principal Story " we find that
the East Room, or " Large Levee Room," was still
unfinished and contained a heterogeneous collection
of articles. The account reads as follows:

iSi

THE WHITE HOUSE

"Entrance Hall: four mahogany settees; two mar-
ble * consul tables,' two elegant brass fenders, one oil
cloth carpet, one thermometer and barometer, one lamp
with branches, wants repair.

" In the Large Levee Room : twenty-four large ma-
hogany arm-chairs and four large mahogany sofas, all
unfinished; eight pine tables; one door screen; one pa-
per screen partition; book-shelves in three pieces; one
mahogany map stand; one common washstand, basin
and ewer; one pine clothes-press."

Next comes the Green Drawing-Room. Here we
find: " one elegant chandelier, glass and gilt; two ditto
gilt framed mantel glasses ; one ditto gilt mounted con-
sul table, marble top; fourteen ditto gilt green silk-
bottomed chairs; two sets elegant green silk and white
dimity window curtains, worn; one pair mantel lamps,
old and damaged; one large mahogany writing-table
with worn green cover; one mahogany clawfoot card-
table; one ditto common ditto; one Brussels carpet
and hearth rug, much worn; one brass fender; one
shovel, tongs and poker; one pair elegant bronze
and gilt candelabras; one ditto lion head ditto; four
gilt curtain pins and cornice; one pair French China
vases.

" Elliptical Drawing-Room: one large glass and gilt
chandelier, elegant; two ditto gilt framed mirrors; one
gilt consul table, with marble top; two China vases;
one bust of Washington; one elegant French gilt man-
tel time piece; one pair elegant bronze and gilt mantel

182

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

branches; four bronze and gilt candelabras, eagle-head;
one pair bronze and gilt andirons, one shovel and
tongs; two elegant gilt and satin fire-screens; two ditto
sofas and pillows; twenty- four ditto chairs; four ditto
settees for recesses; five ditto foot-stools, one broken;
one pair gilt bronze candelsticks; three sets of double
silk window curtains; three elegant gilt eagle cornices;
six small curtain pins; one large elliptical French
carpet.

"The Yellow Drawing-Room : one large elegant
and gilt chandelier; two ditto gilt framed mirrors; one
ditto gilt consul table, with marble top; two China
vases; one marble bust of Columbus; one elegant
French gilt bronze mantel time piece; one pair elegant
bronze and gilt mantel branches; two bronze and gilt
candelabras, lion heads; one large gilt framed portrait
of Washington; two sets of elegant red silk and dimity
curtains, dimity injured; two sets gilt cornice; four
curtain pins; one elegant mahogany gilt mounted piano-
forte; one elegant mahogany gilt mounted circular
table, marble top; one mahogany crimson cloth sofa
(cover damaged) and fourteen ditto arm-chairs (cov-
ers damaged) ; one brass fender; one brass shovel,
tongs and poker; one Brussels carpet and a hearth rug,
both much worn."

The large Dining-Room was furnished with " one
large mahogany sideboard, and two small ditto ; two
consul tables with marble top; one large mahogany
dining-table in four pieces; one bust of Americas

183

THE WHITE HOUSE

Vespuclus; two small chandeliers, Injured; three sets
crimson cloth curtains, damaged; three sets gilt cor-
nices for ditto; thirty mahogany chairs, haircloth cov-
ers, one broken; one elegant brass fender; one elegant
shovel and poker; one fire screen, injured; one common
side table; four butler's stools; one door screen; one
Brussels carpet, very much worn."

In the China Closet were 270 pieces of French
China for the " first service," consisting of 2 large soup
tureens, 4 large dishes and 31 dishes of various sizes;
8 vegetable dishes, 2 sauce boats, 4 celery dishes, 4
mustard pots, 12 dozen and 6 plates (150 altogether),
4 stands for custards, 27 custard cups, 32 egg cups and
2 tureen stands.

For the second service — Dessert — there were 157
pieces of crimson and gilt china. Including 4 large ele-
gant ice-cream urns, 28 stands for preserves, 4 fruit
baskets, 6 shells, 4 sauce boats, or sugar stands, 9
dozen and 3 plates.

The white and gilt china consisted of 232 pieces:
2 large soup tureens; 2 large dishes, 15 dishes of
various sizes, i large round dish, 14 fruit dishes, 16
oval dishes; 3 stands for custards, 16 custard cups, 7
sauce boats, 2 sugar ditto, 4 fruit baskets, 2 shells,
2 bowls, 10 small round dishes, 11 dozen and 4 plates
(136 pieces).

The white and gilt French tea service comprised
156 pieces: 22 tea plates, i teapot, 2 dozen and 9 tea
saucers (33 pieces), 4 dozen and i coffee ditto (49

184

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

pieces), i dozen and 3 tea cups (15 pieces), 3 dozen
coffee cups (36 pieces).

The Blue China Dining Service : i soup tureen and
stand, I large dish, 6 variously sized dishes, 20 plates,
16 small dessert plates, i bowl, 13 tea saucers, 8 cups
— 66 pieces altogether.

Then there were 6 carving knives and forks, 5 dozen
and 3 table kniv^es, and 3 dozen and 5 dessert knives,
all much worn.

There were 207 pieces of glass: "12 large elegant
cut water decanters; 12 ditto for wine and 4 plain
ones; 3 large preserve dishes and 9 smaller ones; 16
salt cellars; 23 cut-glass tumblers; 39 champagne
glasses; and 89 wine glasses."

There were 44 pieces of silver: " 2 elegant large sil-
ver dishes (solid) ; eight ditto of smaller size; 4 castor
rolls; I coffee pot; i teapot; i urn, needing repair;
I sugar dish; i pair sugar tongs; i cream pot, injured;

1 set of castors; 5 nut crackers; 2 large soup tureens,
elegant, with buckskin cases; 6 plated bedroom can-
dlesticks, worn out; i large plated waiter; 2 ditto
smaller; i large water urn; i smaller ditto, injured;
5 salt spoons; i bread tray, solid, wants repair."

In the large Plate Chest: "4 wine coolers, plated;
4 decanter slides, ditto; i teapot, solid; i sugar dish,
ditto; I ditto tongs, ditto; i cream pot, ditto; 4 can-
dlesticks, plated; 2 branches, ditto; 4 castor rolls, solid;

2 soup ladles, ditto; i fish knife, ditto; 4 gravy spoons,
ditto; 22 table spoons, ditto; 22 forks, ditto; i mustard

185

THE WHITE HOUSE

pot, ditto; 3 ditto spoons, ditto; 4 labels for wines,
ditto; I pair asparagus tongs, ditto; 2 large dish heat-
ers, plated; 4 second size, ditto; 4 large dishes, solid;
8 smaller ditto; 6 dish handles, solid; i bread tray,
ditto; I large waiter, ditto; 2 small, ditto; i elegant
set of castors, ditto, injured; 18 dessert spoons, solid;
18 ditto forks, ditto; 20 ditto knives, ditto."

The French Plate Case contained 2 large silver soup
ladles; 6 gravy spoons; 72 table spoons; and 72 table
forks — 152 pieces. There was also i large elegant gilt
Plateau, with 7 pieces and 7 ornaments, and 19
branches for candles, damaged; and i plated rimmed
Plateau, with biscuit ornaments, damaged.

In the Pantry: 2 common tables; 6 old candlesticks;

4 butler's trays (wood) ; 4 knife boxes; 8 plated hand
trays; 4 wood and tin slush boxes; 3 old Japan trays;

5 ditto smaller; i table in the passage; and i set of
fixtures for mahogany tables.

In the Small Dining-Room : " one large mahogany
sideboard; one ditto writing table; one settee; twenty-
four rush bottom chairs, much worn ; four door screens ;
one Brussels carpet, much worn; one elegant brass
fender; one pair tongs and poker, injured."

The Porter's Room contained a cot, a door screen,
and a chair.

In the " Basement Story " were situated the Stew-
ard's Back and Steward's Front Room; Kitchen;
Cook's Room; Servants' Hall; four servants' rooms;
wash-room and meat kitchen.

186

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

To this the following note describing the condition
of the furniture is added:

" The furniture in the President's house, having been seven
years or upwards, in use, is of necessity more or less injured
and defaced, notwithstanding the utmost care and attention
that has evidently been paid to its preservation. A large por-
tion of it, hastily collected for Mrs. Madison in 1814, at
auctions, etc., never was suited to the house in which it is
placed, and where it has become altogether useless."

An accurate idea of the appendages to the Presi-
dent's house at the close of the Adams Administration
can be gathered from Charles Bulfinch's report to S.
van Rensselaer. In this he says that the offices are con-
tained in a long line of one-story buildings extending
east and west from the mansion house. He also writes :

" I find that the carriage house is conveniently situated at
the end, about 20 feet square. The stable for eight horses ac-
commodates the number now kept by the family; it is airy and
well ventilated. . . . The west wing is divided in the same
manner as that on the east, and a number of cows for family
use are kept here. . . .

" These buildings have never been finished ; the ceiling of
the colonnades is lathed but not plastered; and it was intended
to cover the whole exterior with hard stucco in imitation of
stone. The appearance is certainly not in conformity with the
style of the house, and is such as no gentleman of moderate
property would permit at his own residence.

" I also examined the unsightly sheds built against the en-
closing wall near the Treasury office. I find that there are
twelve of them, and that they have been put up, by indulgence,

187

THE WHITE HOUSE

by those clerks In tliat and the State Department who reside
at a distance, for the purpose of sheltering their horses.

" The old building which you called my attention to is an
encroachment, but the Government is the aggressor: it is occu-
pied by the gardener who has the care of the grounds, and par-
ticularly of the kitchen garden.

" Convenient accommodations may be had for the hay and
straw by raising a part of each wing used for stables one story
higher, as is shown in a pencil sketch on the drawing; and this
might be done, and the repair of the wings, for $2,000."

On Jan. lO, 1829, James Hoban writes to Joseph
Elgar regarding the portico and other improvements:

" I have to state that a portico to the north front is part of
the original plan of the President's House, according to my
design, approved by General Washington." (Owing to lack of
funds the house was finished without the porticoes.) " That to
the south front has since been constructed, and the one In-
tended for the north is the only part of the entire design re-
maining unexecuted.

" As regards the proportions of the building, the want of
the portico to the principal front is a material defect, making
the extension appear too great for the elevation ; and one which
nothing but its addition would cure."

His estimate for finishing the President's house and
appurtenances, dated Jan. 24, 1829, is as follows:

North portico, per detailed estimate formerly

submitted $24,769.25

Stables, per plan and estimate annexed 8,023.15

Gates and piers to the southwest entrance 1,275.00

Gates to the southeast entrance 400.00

188

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS

900 feet of coping for south wall, at $2 1,800.00

1000 feet of pedestal wall and iron railing fence

at $5 5,000.00

Improving grounds, including salary of $450 to

the gardener 1,400.00

N.B. Stone posts and chains will not make a
fence sufficient to protect the grounds. I have
substituted the pedestal wall and iron railing
as better calculated to answer the purpose of
a permanent fence.

106 stone posts and setting for chain fence at

$9-31 $986.86

Mr. van Rensselaer's report from the Committee
on the Public Buildings, dated Feb. 4, 1829, enables
us to fix the date of the construction of the north por-
tico. He writes :

" The committee concur entirely in the opinion of
the architect of the President's house, Mr, Hoban, that
the construction of the portico on the northern front
is essential to the finished appearance of the building.
That portion of the building to be covered by the por-
tico was left Incomplete on rebuilding the edifice, In
expectation of this addition, the absence of which is
consequently an Important defect. It Is also absolutely
required by a regard to the health and comfort of the
residents or visitors at the house.

" No other than a temporary provision (subject to
considerable Inconvenience) has ever been made for
stabling at the President's house. A plan was submitted

189

THE WHITE HOUSE

to the committee by Mr. Hoban for the erection of a
permanent stable, on a scale conformed to the style of
the building, at the extremity of one of the wings.
But as this would require a corresponding building at
the other end, and as the existing inconveniences ad-
mitted of a simpler remedy, which the committee have
preferred, they have not recommended that item in
Mr. Hoban's estimates. Conceiving that stone posts
and chains will furnish a more suitable enclosure for
the grounds in front of the house than the pedestal
wall proposed, they also make the deduction of the
latter item of the estimate.

" A part of the President's house never having been
furnished, and other parts of it being deficient in many
articles of necessity and comfort, the committee have
recommended the appropriation of the usual sum for
this object."

190

CHAPTER TEN

ANDREW JACKSON
1829-1833

Jackson's Career; Reign of Andrew the First; the "Kitchen Cab-
inet"; Mrs. Jackson; Popularity of General Jackson; the Inau-
guration; Mob at the President's House; Mrs. Donelson; Mrs.
Andrew Jackson, Jr.; Public Receptions; Mrs. Eaton; Levees
and Receptions.

W[TH General Jackson in the President's house,
a new era began. There had never been such
a bitter contest as that which resulted in his triumph,
by which he supplanted the mild-mannered J. Q. Adams
as First Magistrate. He had long been a picturesque
figure in public life with a commanding, rough, and
even brutal personality. He had won the great victory
of New Orleans, successfully conducted Indian wars,
fought several duels, ridden rough-shod over the laws
when they conflicted with his own Ideas of what was
advisable, and was quite ready to hang his political
opponents as he had not hesitated to hang his foes.
He did not scruple to arrest a judge for daring to
issue a writ of habeas corpus, and threatened to cut
off the ears of Senators who had the temerity to criti-
cize his high-handed proceedings. Such a character was

191

THE WHITE HOUSE

not likely to be a mere figure-head in an Administra-
tion. Those who expected lively times during his two
terms had no cause for disappointment. His Cabinet
Ministers had to be his obedient servants. If they
ventured to disagree with him, they immediately were
discharged. During his tenure of office, he had four
Secretaries of State, five Secretaries of the Treasury,
three Secretaries of War, three Secretaries of the Navy,
three Attorney-Generals, and the two Postmaster-Gen-
erals. On his death-bed, when asked by a clergyman
whether there was anything in his life for which he
would like to express contrition, he said he was sorry
he hadn't hanged Calhoun. This was presumably be-
cause Mr. Calhoun had resigned the Vice-Presidency,
and opposed his Chief's measures.

A contemporary satirist, writing The Voice of
Future History (1834), in reviewing "The Reign of
Andrew the First," says:

" As one evidence of Jackson's judicious selection of his
constitutional advisers, I shall barely mention the fact that
during both his terms of service no change whatever was made
in his Cabinet. This speaks well for the amiable disposition
which the President was said to possess. All seemed to have
but one object in view and but one object to accomplish. The
utmost harmony prevailed in his councils; and the Chief who
permitted the members of it to advance opinions that some-
times conflicted with his own was never known to be the least
ruffled in temper, or to allow a harsh word to escape him.
Mild as a summer's morn, he commenced the duties of the day
with a smile upon his lips; and when the shades of evening

192

'.r^^^W-

ANDKKW lACKSON

ANDREW JACKSON

admonished him to discontinue his arduous labors he retired
into the quiet of his drawing-room, to which he was always
glad to give his friends a hearty welcome, and to afford them
the happiness of listening to his admirable and instructive
conversation."

A long description of the *' Coronation " ends with
the following paragraph:

" In the open space about the throne were collected all the
general officers and those persons, to the number of three hun-
dred, whom by an imperial edict the Emperor had lately
created Lords and Princes of the Empire. All were arrayed in
the most gorgeous dresses, but the officers of the household,
Martin, Prince of Kinderhook, Arch-Chancellor; Amos, Lord
Scullion, the Emperor's favorite Cup-bearer; Lord Lewis, the
Groom of the Chambers; Taney, Prince of Baltimore, Arch-
Treasurer, and others equally illustrious, far outshone all the
rest."

Jackson was naturally a figure of commanding in-
terest in Washington society long before he unsuccess-
fully contested the election of 1824. On the eighth of
January of that year, Mrs. Adams gave a very brilliant
reception, which was ordered as she so well knew how
to do. Fourteen hundred cards were Issued, and a com-
pany of about eight hundred were present. The ladles
were so anxious to get a good look at the hero of New
Orleans that they stood up on the chairs and rout-
scats. Mrs. Adams took his arm and paraded around
the apartment, so that the general curiosity might be
thoroughly gratified.

193

THE WHITE HOUSE

Running affairs with such a high hand, it is not sur-
prising that his advisers became generally known as
" The Kitchen Cabinet." We shall see that life in the
President's house under " Old Hickory " was simple,
and lacking in the elegance that had characterized the
terms of Monroe and Adams. It recalled the days of
Jefferson in its frank democracy.

By her death, Mrs. Jackson doubtless escaped many
humiliating experiences. The effects of Jackson's mar-
riage to the divorced Rachel Robards under unusually
peculiar circumstances were felt by him on many occa-
sions while he was President.

It may readily be imagined that there was more than
one lady in the land who was willing to preside over
the widowed President's household. Many newspaper
paragraphs of the day comment on the attentions the
General received in his early days of mourning. Thus
we read (Feb. 19, 1829) :

" Many ladies went yesterday to call on the General. Most
of them were over forty, and a number in the advance of sixty.
Many of them were widows; a few were those who had
scorned previous offers."

Gifts and attentions of all kinds were showered upon
the President-elect by his admirers of both sexes, as is
evident from the following paragraph (Feb. 25,
1829):

" General Jackson continues to receive, at his lodgings,
strangers, citizens, members of Congress, etc., without distinc-

194

ANDREW JACKSON

tion of party. He also gives, occasionally, large dinner-parties,
which are the more acceptable to our gourmands, as canvas-
backs, venison and champagne were becoming scarce at Gads-
by's, after the retreat oi the New York anti-auction committee.
The General is not likely to lack stores for the maintenance
of the Republican hospitality of the palace. His supplies are
daily coming in from every quarter in the shape of voluntary
and gratuitous tribute. A great cheese, for instance, has been
sent to him from New England; whiskey from Pennsylvania;
beef from New York; and the Kentuckians, they say, are to
send him * a whole hog.' "

The bitterly contested Presidential campaign had
apparently engendered extreme animosity towards Mr.
Adams in the mind of General Jackson; for, although
he took up his residence in Washington two weeks be-
fore his Inauguration, he did not call at the President's
house. Therefore, It was well understood, several days
before the Inauguration, that the retiring President
would not grace the occasion with his presence. The
friends of the General said that the ordinary courtesies
due to Mr. Adams, which had been studiously and
avowedly withheld, were omitted under the dictation
of the Washington committee of arrangements. The
following card was Inserted In the National Intelli-
gencer on March 2 :

** The citizens of the District of Columbia and others,
friends of Mr. Adams, who might be disposed, conformably
to the usage heretofore, to pay him a friendly visit, after the
Inauguration of the President elect, on Wednesday the 4th

THE WHITE HOUSE

inst., are requested by Mr. Adams to dispense with that for-
mality, \\hich the distance of his residence from the Capitol
would render inconvenient to them. He thanks them for all
the kindness which they have constantly extended to him, and
prays them to accept the assurance of his best wishes for their
health and happiness."

The editor comments on the above as follows:

" It is a matter of sincere regret that political animosities
should have been carried to such an extent as to interfere with
the courtesies of life. So far as Mr, Adams is concerned, Gen-
eral Jackson has been treated with respectful delicacy through-
out the whole of the late bitter and trying conflict; and it
argues ill for the boasted magnanimity of the new President
that he should have suffered a political club to prevent his
paying a visit to the distinguished citizen whom he was to
succeed in the highest ofliice in the nation. It was such a mark
of indignity that self-respect forbids Mr. Adams to overlook it."

Mr. Adams left the President's house on March 3,
early in the morning; and joined his family at his new
residence on Meridian Hill. His absence from the In-
auguration naturally excited remark. It was editorially
explained In the following paragraph:

" The President-elect was inaugurated to-day. Mr. Adams
did not attend. General Jackson came here a citizen; and has
never called on the President since he arrived. This marked
disrespect to the President and the oflSce could not be other-
wise than intentional. No explanation has ever been given by
himself or his friends. The more moderate of them disapprove
of it, and consider it as an insult to the office as to Mr.

196

ANDREW JACKSON

Adams personally. They appear to regret sincerely that Gen-
eral Jackson should have taken that course to gratify his private
resentments."

From a news letter, describing General Jackson's
first Inauguration, the following extracts are worthy of
quotation :

" The rush of people to this place Is unprecedented. Where
the multitude slumbered last night is inconceivable, unless It
were on their mother earth, curtained by the unbroken sky.
The morning was ushered in by a salute of 13 guns. At 11,
the breathing mass were around the Capitol, dense and wide.
At about 12, a rending shout announced the presence of the
General. He appeared In the eastern portico, which, from Its
elevation, rendered the ceremony extremely conspicuous and
imposing. Order being reclaimed, the oath was administered,
when another shout went up from the multitude. After a dig-
nified, sweeping bow, the President commenced his address.
His manner was simple and emphatic. His voice was distinct
and audible at a considerable distance. The address being fin-
ished, another acclamation rent the air. There was now a
general rush among the foremost to reach the President's hand.
But his Excellency, withdrawing into the Capitol with his
suite, the crowd was soon seen moving down the Avenue
towards the President's house. Here followed a scene of the
most nondescript character. High and low, old and young,
black and white, poured In one solid column Into this spacious
mansion. Here was the corpulent epicure grunting and sweating
for breath — the dandy wishing he had no toes — the tight-laced
Miss, fearing her person might receive some permanently de-
forming Impulse — the miser hunting for his pocketbook — the
courtier looking for his watch — and the office-seeker In an

197

THE WHITE HOUSE

agony to reach the President. The press of flesh and blood was
so cogent that every man, as he came away, seemed to question
his Identity. The ladies probably said nothing about the matter,
or congratulated themselves upon their patriotism, at the ex-
pense of their delicacy. The foreign Ministers were out on this
occasion in full dress; but the insignia of their rank and roy-
alty were noticed as little as the gewgaws of children."

An eye-witness informs us that a rabble and mob of
negroes, boys, women, and children took possession of
the house and scrambled, romped, and fought in the
rooms both for refreshments and " to shake hands with
Old Hickory." After a time, he, having been nearly
crushed to death and suffocated, " retreated through
the back way and escaped to his lodgings at Gadsby's.
Several thousands of dollars' worth of cut glass and
china were broken In the attempt to get at the refresh-
ments; punch, lemonade, and other articles were car-
ried out of the house In buckets and palls; women
fainted; men were seen with bloody noses; and no
police had been placed on duty." The narrator con-
cludes that It was the People's Day, and the People's
President; and the People would rule. It is estimated
that 20,000 were present.

Another writes:

"A profusion of refreshments had been provided. Orange-
punch by barrels full was made; but as the waiters opened
the door to bring it out, a rush would be made, the glasses
broken, the pails of liquor upset, and the most painful con-
fusion prevailed. To such a degree was this carried, that wine

198

ANDREW JACKSON

and ice-creams could not be brought out to the ladies, and tubs
of punch were taken from the lower story into the garden to
lead off the crowd from the rooms. ... It was mortifying to
see men with boots heavy with mud, standing on the damask-
satin-covered chairs and sofas."

Judge Story said: " The President was visited at the
palace by Immense crowds of all sorts of people, from
the highest and most polished down to the most vulgar
and gross In the nation. I never saw such a mixture.
The reign of King Mob seemed triumphant."

Nathan Sargent, better known as " Olivier Old-
school," says that " I was then In the city, and the
reports of those present confirmed the above accounts."

General Jackson walked from his lodgings at Gads-
by's to the Capitol for his Inauguration, and afterwards
rode to the President's house on horseback.

The ladles who helped the President to entertain at
the necessary social functions were Mrs. Donelson and
Mrs. Andrew Jackson, Jr. Mrs. Donelson's maiden
name was Donelson: she had married a cousin. She
was a relative of General Jackson's wife, whose maiden
name had also been Donelson. Mrs. Andrew Jackson
came to the President's house and took up her residence
there as a bride soon after the Inauguration. She was
a Miss Yorke of Philadelphia. These two ladles main-
tained their station with dignity and grace. Mrs. Donel-
son Is especially praised by contemporary scribes. Her
husband acted as the President's private secretary. She
died just at the close of Jackson's second term. The

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THE WHITE HOUSE

JVashington Globe prints the following obituary on

Jan. 4, 1837:

" This most estimable lady went to Tennessee during the
summer and expected to return with her uncle on the first of
October. For the most part since the beginning of this Ad-
ministration, Mrs. Donelson has presided at the President's
Mansion ; and all who have visited it know with what amenity
of manners, with what engaging and unpretending kindness,
she welcomed the guests to its hospitalities. She was destined
not to share the affectionate farewell greetings with which the
country is prepared to salute the close of the President's resi-
dence in Washington; with which, in all its private and social
relations, she was identified."

A pleasant glimpse of domestic life at the President's
house in 1832 Is supplied by Mrs. Ellet:

" The large parlor was scantily furnished ; there was light
from the chandelier, and a blazing fire in the grate; four or
five ladies sewing round it; Mrs. Donelson, Mrs. Andrew
Jackson, Mrs. Edward Livingston, etc. Five or six children
were playing about, regardless of documents or work-baskets.
At the farther end of the room sat the President in his arm-
chair, wearing a long loose coat and smoking a long reed pipe,
with a bowl of red clay; combining the dignitj^ of the patriarch,
monarch and Indian chief. Just behind was Edward Living-
ston, the Secretary of State, reading him a despatch from the
French Minister for Foreign Affairs. The ladies glance ad-
miringly now and then at the President, who listens, waving
his pipe towards the children when they become too boisterous."

We may add here that several christening parties
were given In the President's house during this Ad-

200

ANDREW JACKSON

ministration; and that two weddings took place — one
General Jackson's niece, Miss Easten, to Mr. Polk of
Tennessee; the other Miss Lewis of Nashville to M.
Paqueol, afterwards the French Minister to this
country.

The custom of holding public receptions on New
Year's Day and July the Fourth was maintained. The
following is a description of the first Fourth of July
celebration under Jackson :

" At one o'clock on the Fourth, the doors of the President's
house were thrown open ; and, notwithstanding the falling
weather, almost unexampled for this season, the public officers
and foreign Ministers generally, and a number of citizens and
strangers, paid their respects to the Chief Magistrate. The
visitors were received by the President and his Family with
the courtesy and affability which befitted the place and the
occasion. The Marine Band enlivened the occasion with its fine
music, and refreshments were bountifully provided."

Another newspaper correspondent adds the follow-
ing details:

" Our 4th of July was a dull anniversary. The incessant
rains prevented the public ceremony of laying the first stone of
the Eastern Lock of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and cir-
cumstances operating quite as fatally prevented any respectable
assemblage — I speak of numbers — from attending the Presi-
dent's levee. There is very little disposition among the old and
settled population of the city to mix in the present political
circles. Some there will always be found, who, like the gaudy
and silly butterfly, will be fluttering where the blaze is, but
from these the feeling of society is no more to be derived than

201

THE WHITE HOUSE

the tone to society is to be given by such. There will always be
strangers too, brought by business or pleasure to the city who
would deem it the most damnable of heresies not to be found
at the levees of the President, and the evenings of the Cabinet,
basking in the meridian beam, or offering their adorations to
what they deem the rising sun.

" There are now very generally known to be three distinct
parties in the Cabinet — ist, the Jackson party, consisting of
General Jackson, Messrs. Eaton, Branch and Barry; 2dly, the
Van Burcn party, consisting of Messrs. Van Buren and Ber-
rien; and 3dly, the Calhoun party, consisting of Mr. Ingham
solus."

Of the above gentlemen, the elegant and luxurious
Martin Van Buren was always General Jackson's de-
voted follower, and at the close of the General's second
term reaped his reward in his Chief's support to his
claims to the Presidential mantle.

Mr. Eaton, who had been a close friend of General
Jackson for many years, had been Senator from Ten-
nessee since 1829. Five days after the President's In-
auguration, he was appointed Secretary of W^ar. He
had been married on the first of January in that year
to a notorious character named Margaret O'Neil, the
daughter of a hotel-keeper in Washington, who had
been married to a purser in the U. S. Navy. A note of
Senator Eaton's wedding appears in the New York
Spectator in its correspondent's account of the Wash-
ington New Year's Day festivities:

" There was a great show of fashion at Georgetown, and a
western frolic at the wedding of Senator Eaton. What the

202

EDWARD LIVINGSTON

ANDREW JACKSON

peculiarities of a western frolic are, other than an exuberance
of good cheer and warm feeling, we do not know. General
Jackson's Boswell is entitled to enjoy himself, now that his
hero has been elevated. May his union be auspicious."

The union was far from an auspicious one for the
new Secretary of War, and it was the means of causing
his Chief no end of trouble. The other ladies of the
Cabinet refused to visit, receive, or associate with Mrs.
Eaton. She was beautiful and fascinating, and the Presi-
dent espoused the cause of his " little friend Peg," as
he called her. Opposition to Mrs. Eaton extended to
the Diplomatic Circle, and for more than a year the
social war waged. The President demanded of his Cabi-
net immediate recognition of Mrs. Eaton; and all re-
fused except Van Buren. Her name was then coupled
with the President's, and the lady was scorned and
shunned. The President then wrote a note to the Vice-
President; but Mr. Calhoun called it a " ladies' quar-
rel," and refused to be drawn into it. The President
at this juncture (1831) asked Mr. Van Buren to send
in his resignation. This was done; and the rest of the
Cabinet and foreign Ministers followed suit, not giv-
ing, of course, the real reasons for their withdrawals.
Margaret Bayard Smith tells us:

" The papers do not exaggerate, nay do not detail one half
of his imbecilities. He is completely under the government of
Mrs. Eaton, one of the most ambitious, violent, malignant, yet
silly women you ever heard of. You will soon see the recall
of the dutch minister announced. Madm Huygen's spirited

203

THE WHITE HOUSE

conduct In refusing to visit Mrs. E. Is undoubtedly the cause.
The new Cabinet If they do not yield to the President's will
on the point, will, it Is supposed, soon be dismissed. Several of
them In order to avoid this dilemma, are determined not to
keep house or bring on their families. Therefore, not keeping
house, they will not give parties & may thus avoid the disgrace
of entertaining the favorite. It was hoped, on her husband's
going out of office, she would have left the city, but she will
not. She hopes for a complete triumph & is not satisfied with
having the Cabinet broken up & a virtuous & intelligent min-
ister recalled, & many of our best citizens frowned upon by
the President. Our society Is in a sad state. Intrigues & para-
sites in favour, divisions & animosity existing. As for ourselves,
we keep out of the turmoil, seldom speak & never take any
part In this troublesome & shameful state of things. Yet no
one can deny, that the P.'s weakness originates In an amiable
cause, — his devoted & ardent friendship for Genl. Eaton."

In 1836 Eaton was sent as Minister to Spain, where
Mrs. Eaton was liked, and became a great friend of
Queen Isabella. The remainder of her life was tragic.
After Senator Eaton's death, she again was married
— this time to an Italian adventurer, who taught in
Marini's dancing-school in Washington. Her young
husband subsequently ran away with one of her grand-
daughters, a Mrs, Randolph (one of the Timberlake
children) ; and they lived abroad, and finally in Mon-
treal and New York. Mrs. Eaton spent her last days
In Washington, where she died in 1879, ^t the age of
eighty-three.

Though the President was willing to hold an occa-

204

ANDREW JACKSON

sional reception, his house was dull in comparison with
that of his immediate predecessors. He scarcely enter-
tained at all during his first year of office. On Dec. i6
a reporter writes:

" The gaieties of the winter season have not yet commenced.
There is some doubt among those who are not admitted to
court secrets whether there will be any Presidential levees.
Some contend that the discontinuance of these soirees is to be
among the reforms of the day; while others contend that they
are to commence after the introduction of the New Year. Mr.
Van Buren is expected to rank as the highest saint in the
almanack des gourmands', and it is believed that he will devote
his time equally between Vatel and the ladies, and that his
most brilliant productions will savour of the drawing-room
rather than the lamp."

Early in January all doubts were set at rest by the
President opening his house weekly and holding a levee
to which practically all were welcome. On Jan. ii,
1830, it is reported:

" The Mansion of the President was opened on Thursday
evening last to receive guests generally, and is to be open every
Thursday fortnight during the Session for the same purpose.
We learn that a large Company of Ladies and Gentlemen as-
sembled on the occasion.

" There was a numerously attended Ball at Carusi's Assem-
bly Rooms on the Evening of Friday, the 8th Inst., in com-
memoration of the Victory of New Orleans, at which the
President of the United States was present by invitation and
also the heads of Departments, etc."

205

THE WHITE HOUSE

On the first day of the year, the President had held
his first New Year's reception. From all accounts, this
was a very democratic and even boisterous affair.

" A great concourse of people of every rank and condition
in Society availed themselves of the usage of the day to pay
their respects to the President of the United States, by whom
and his family they were received with that courteous demeanor
which it seems to be the General's pride to show alike to the
opponents and the approvers of the course of his administration.
The members of the foreign Legations, the several heads of
Departments, members of both Houses of Congress, Officers,
Civil, Military and Naval, from the General-in-Chief to the
Cadet, and from the oldest Commodore to the youngest Mid-
shipman, numerous as they were, formed but a small propor-
tion of the gathered multitude. The Marine Band lent its aid
to harmonize the scene, and the day went off pleasantly, with
the exception of a little too much rushing after refreshments,
and the total contempt of all ceremony, and indeed of all pro-
priety, by a portion of the younger persons who were admitted
into the mansion, but who ought never to be admitted there
again unless accompanied by elders who will be responsible for
their good behaviour. We are satisfied that the humblest in-
dividual amongst us would have been scandalized to see his
son behave as some of these boys did. It is, indeed, a reproach
to our city that the common decencies of civilization are so
much neglected, as we see them of late among the rising gen-
eration. It is an evil which requires reform and to the reforma-
tion of which it is in the power of every individual to con-
tribute something if he will."

206

CHAPTER ELEVEN
ANDREW JACKSON

1833-1837

A Follower of Jefferson; Van Buren's Tastes; Infirmities of the Pres-
ident; New Year's Day, 1834; Mrs. Fremont's Reminiscences
of Jackson and the White House; Levees and Receptions; the
"Mammoth Cheese"; N. P. Willis at the White House; Old
Hickory's Hickory Carriage and the "Constitution Phaeton";
Luxurious Furnishings.

JACKSON seems to have modelled himself on Jeffer-
son in more ways than one. In his social intercourse,
he was more sociable, familiar, and democratic in his
dealings with the common people than his predecessor
Adams had been, just as Jefferson had been more ap-
proachable by ordinary citizens than Adams's father,
or Washington, had been. It had been the custom before
Jackson's time for the President to spend by far the
greater part of the year at the seat of government,
only absenting themselves for very short intervals, for
necessary private business, or for making a tour north-
wards or southwards. We have seen, however, that
Jefferson spent as much time as he could on his own
estates even while he was President, and Jackson did
not hesitate to absent himself from Washington on

207

THE WHITE HOUSE

what may be called political progresses; even if he
thereby was unable to celebrate the Glorious Fourth
at the National Capital. Thus on July 8, 1830, a carp-
ing critic complains:

" llic Secretary of State left this city on Monday for the
northward ; the Secretary of the Treasury left the city at some
time previous to that day; a majority of the Cabinet, as well
as the President of the United States, are now absent from the
Seat of Government. The President and his family arrived at
Cincinnati on Monday, the 28th ultimo. The Secretary of the
Navy has left this city on a visit to N. C, his native state. It
is believed that there remains now not one of the heads of
Department at the Seat of Government. We do not complain
of the absence of the President and all his Cabinet, though so
general an absence of the high officers of the government is
unusual, if not unprecedented. We know that occasional ab-
sences are unavoidable and justifiable ; but we feel for the dis-
tress which this aberration must cause to the Editor of the Rich-
mond Enquirer, and its New York Coadjutor, and others of
the same family, who uttered such bitter denunciations a year
or two ago whenever the President, or one of his secretaries,
found it necessary to visit his domicile to look into his private
afEairs. If we remember right, one of these Editors carried his
patriotic indignation to such an extreme as to offer a reiuard
for the apprehension of the fugitive, when President Adams,
after the decease of his father, retired for a few weeks to the
shades of Quincy; and no member of the cabinet was allowed
to leave this city for a day, even to visit his sick family, without
a hue and cry being raised upon his trail."

Jackson was impervious to criticism. In 1833, he
was again en tour early in June and July, and arrived

208

ANDREW JACKSON

in Washington late in the afternoon of July the Fourth,
thus shocking many patriots by his negligence of estab-
lished usage. The following year he sinned even more
deeply in the eyes of many; for, on July 5th, a Wash-
ington paper contains the following report:

" The President did not yesterday, according to the practice
in better times, open his doors to receive the congratulations
of the people on the return of our great anniversary and holi-
day. He and his cabinets probably have no objection to see this
day sunk into oblivion; and if such be his disposition, or such
his policy, so much the more ought the people to rejoice and
show their gladness by their public actions and acclamations.

" I saw nothing stirring except at the door of the boarding
house of the new Secretary of State, where there were assembled
Mr. Woodbur)'^ and Mr. Van Buren and others who had
apparently gathered at that spot for the purpose of abducting
the new Cabinet Minister, as a barouche was in waiting for
that purpose. Mr. Van Buren, although a Republican of the
democratic species, according to himself and friends, has no
predominating taste for republican habits and fashions. His
dinners have been the frequent as well as the most aristocratic
of any which have been given during the session ; and he drives
no republican carriage but an autocratic vehicle built either in
Russia, or in the latest Russian model, drawn by a pair of
superb trotters, which carry him to the Capitol, or any similar
distance from his residence (about a mile and a half) in four
minutes."

It may be that the true explanation of the lapses
complained of lies in his increasing years and infirmi-
ties. It is known, at least, that he had long suffered
from a complication of diseases, which, in all proba-

209

THE WHITE HOUSE

bility, accounted in a great measure for his extreme
irascibility and violent behavior towards many of
those with whom he came in contact. For instance, we
are told on March 8, 1833:

" The ceremonies of the Inauguration and the Levee in the
evening were too much for the shattered constitution of the
President. His attendants were obliged to take him abruptly
from the drawing-room, and carry him to bed."

The New Year's reception of the following year
also found the President ailing, though he did his best
to entertain his numerous visitors. One reporter writes :

"Jan. 7, 1834. — The city is full of strangers from all quar-
ters. Some for pleasure — more for office — and many to exam-
ine for themselves and learn, as far as they can, the truth of
matters and things in general about the ' White House,' and
especially in particular about the ' Kitchen Cabinet.' "

Another correspondent writes to his paper as fol-
lows :

" A happy new year to you and all — even down to the
' Kitchen Cabinet.' . . . According to custom, the President's
house was opened at 12 o'clock to-day for the reception of the
multitude — a sort of hotch-potch day — and the palace a kind
of ' salmagundi ' — that is a jumbling together of honest men
and knaves — men with coats and men without them — men of
all principles — and men of no principles — dandies — cockneys —
hostlers and animals * dyed in the wool.'

" The Diplomatique Corps paid their court to the Chief
Magistrate and departed before the crowd arrived. The old

2IQ

ANDREW JACKSON

President seemed to stand the siege pretty well — though he
looked thin and much worn. On entering the East Room, I
was at once reminded of the famous East Room letter said
to have been written by Senator Benton to Mr. Ritchie, which
described this room as gorgeously furnished — and denounced
the late President, Mr. Adams, for his extravagant and waste-
ful expenditure of the public money — when in fact the room
was without a carpet, chandeliers, curtains, or anything else
I believe save only a few old massy chairs and those with no
bottoms. But the present economical administration has fitted
up this same room with a costly carpet, costly chandeliers, win-
dow curtains, tables and glasses, and what attracted my atten-
tion not a little, was some of the very men in the crowd who
then assisted in imposing the falsehood of the East Room better
upon the American people but who were now bowing and
fawning about the President as spaniels do about their master.
Shame on such men! They and patriotism have no fellow-
ship."

It will be noticed that the above writer refers to the
President's house as the " White House," and puts the
title In quotations, as he does also the " Kitchen Cabi-
net." It would seem, therefore, that the term " White
House " was applied to the Presidential mansion as a
nickname during Jackson's Administration, and as late
as 1834 was not yet thoroughly established In polite
parlance. Hitherto in these pages, we have seen that
in all letters, newspaper paragraphs and official docu-
ments, the building was referred to as the President's
house, or, sometimes, mansion, or even, half-humor-
ously, as by Mrs. Seaton, as the palace.

On account of the President's ill health, we are told

211

THE WHITE HOUSE

that the first levee of the season In 1834 was not held
until Feb. 6 :

" They began to assemble about eight o'clock and the mul-
titude continued coming and going till 10 o'clock and after.
The concourse of people was very great. There were many
ladies present — but all the beauties and belles did not make
their appearance. 'Tis not fashionable the first night. So, at
least, say the dandies — and the ladies, dear souls, always have,
at least, an ear and eye for them. The old President looked
quite well, and seemed to enjoy himself. Mrs. Donelson is a
charming w^oman — and fills her station with credit to herself
and the country."

General Jackson was greatly beloved by his support-
ers and friends, and bitterly hated by his political
opponents. The notes, therefore, we have of his per-
sonality often strongly contrast with one another. Mrs.
Fremont, the daughter of Mr. Benton, who was Sen-
ator from Missouri for thirty years, says:

" Among my earliest memories of the White House is the
impression that I was to keep still and not fidget, or show
pain, even if General Jackson twisted his fingers a little too
tightly in my curls; he liked my father to bring me when they
had their talks, and would keep me by him, his hand on my
head — forgetting me of course in the interest of discussion —
so that sometimes his long bony fingers took an unconscious
grip that would make me look at my father, but give no other
sign. He was sure to praise me afterward if I did not wince,
and would presently contrive my being sent off to the nursery
to play with the Donelson children.

" We would find the President in an upper room, where the

212

1 IM\I \ ^ H . lil N l<

ANDREW JACKSON

tall south windows sent in long breadths of sunshine; but his
big rocking-chair was always drawn close to the large wood-
fire. Wounds and rheumatism went for much in the look of
pain fixed on his thin face.

" President Jackson at first had suppers at the general re-
ceptions, but this had to be given up. He had them however
for his invited receptions of a thousand or more. It was his
wish I should come to one of these great supper parties ; and
I have the beautiful recollection of the whole stately house
adorned and ready for the company — (for I was taken early
and sent home after a very short stay) — the great wood-fires
in every room, the immense number of wax lights softly burn-
ing, the stands of camelias and laurestina banked row upon
row, the glossy dark green leaves bringing into full relief their
lovely wax-like flowers; after going all through this silent
waiting fairyland, we were taken to the state dining-room,
where was the gorgeous supper-table shaped like a horse shoe,
and covered with every good and glittering thing French skill
could devise, and at either end was a monster salmon in waves
of meat jelly."

It seems that at Jackson's New Year's receptions
there was no distinction of persons: It was first come,
first served. We have an interesting description of
Jan. I, 1835:

" A cloudless sky and a broad surface of shining white have
rendered the first day of the New Year a very bright one in
Washington. . . . On this day, as you well know, the Yankee
King holds a levee for the democracy of his dominions — and
all the world (viz.: the top and bottom of the community in
striking distance) go to see the President. Accordingly at an
early hour all the hacks and other vehicles, both rolling and

213

THE WHITE HOUSE

sliding, were put in requisition for this important enterprise;
but on this occcoslon, notwithstanding Washington is usually
so well stocked with hacks that the Orator of Roanoke once
dubbed it ' Hacktown,' the supply fell much short of the de-
mand, and many dependent pedestrians were obliged to trudge
to the palace on foot, or forego the pleasure of the motley
spectacle of royalty grouped and compounded with Democracy.
" Time and chance, which happen to all men, threw me into
a division of footmen; and we made our way in the best order
we could, sometimes in the open ranks on the broad surface of
the well-cleared sidewalks, and sometimes In single file through
the crooked and narrow defiles of the snow-path footways to
the President's square. . . . But some thousands had arrived
there, before us, of all ages and sexes and shades and colors and
tongues and languages. There met the loud and whiskered
representative of kingly legitimacy, with the plumed and
painted untamed native of the western forest. The contrast
was interesting and amusing. In the midst of the crowded
assemblage, tall and stately, stood the commanding figure of
the venerable President, for the present the centre of attraction
and seemingly the centre of motion — for all motion seemed to
be directed to that centre. Each new-comer took the old Hero
by the hand, courtesled or bowed, wished him a ' happy New
Year,' and then passed on to give place to others to participate
in the same privileges. When I seized the old gentleman's
hand, it seemed to have lost, through fatigue, the power of
giving the friendly shake. The celebrated East Room was
crowded to a real jam — and there at one extreme of the room
stood like so many statues the aforesaid natives of the western
wilds, hemmed In by a dense mass of gazing and wondering
spectators. One was an old man, tall and venerable as the
President himself. He was dressed in the Indian costume,
painted and jewelled — and wore on his head the favorite plume.
There were six or eight of this group of Indians — and after

214

ANDREW JACKSON

keeping their position awhile, they were persuaded to take the
circuit of the room, and I was most agreeably surprised by the
dignity and majesty of the old Chief's movement. He seemed
to rise in stature and overtop the multitude that surrounded
him.

" I put myself under the escort of Col. Crockett, and passed
from the palace of the President to the residence of Mr.
Adams."

Jackson's last public reception was held on Wash-
ington's birthday, 1837. Like Jefferson, he had been
the recipient of a " Mammoth Cheese " made by Mr.
T. S. Meacham, a dairy farmer of Sandy Creek,
Oswego County, New York, who wanted to bring the
excellence of the dairy products of his neighborhood
prominently into notice. He, therefore, presented enor-
mous cheeses of various sizes to the President, Vice-
President, and other officials. His cheese was very con-
spicuous at this reception. An Interesting report tells us:

" It had been officially given out that the President's man-
sion would be thrown open to the people on this day, and that
they would be entertained with a cheese, sent from your own
state, my dear editors, four feet in diameter! two feet thick!!
and weighing fourteen hundred pounds!!! a cheese which,
according to the official organ, beats quite hollow the great
cheese that was made an offering to Mr. Jefferson, as the most
appropriate present the farming class could tender to the Presi-
dent. . . .

" The whole city was on the move ; and as the morning was
mild and sunny, Pennsylvania Avenue was quite gay and ani-
mated with tile various groups rapidly wending their way to

215

THE WHITE HOUSE

the White House, or as sounds more pleasantly to royal ears,
the Palace. . . .

" The spectacle at the President's house was a strange one.
The rooms were not only crowded to overflowing, but the hall,
the doorway, and every vacant place around were filled. People
had poured in from Baltimore in the railroad cars, from the
country in all sorts of vehicles, and the steamboats and stages
from Alexandria were so crowded as to render passage by any
of them extremely hazardous. The company reminded one of
Noah's ark — all sorts of animals, clean and unclean. There
was quite a superabundance of the latter for the rag-a-muffins
of the city had got into the gardens — thence clomb to the ter-
race— and thence entered by the windows into the East Room.
The marshali of the city and his deputies did their best to keep
the canaille from entering by the front door, but ' the bo5'S '
were too clever for them and got in by the windows!

" The President looked thin, pale and emaciated. He main-
tained his place in the audience room for upward of an hour,
and then retired, leaving the honors of the mansion to be per-
formed by the President elect, who received with his accus-
tomed ease and grace, those who came ' booin' and booin' to the
' great mon.' Mr. Woodbury and his lady stood in the apart-
ment between the audience room and the East Room. This
apartment might be called the gi-een room, from the color of
the walls and the furniture, and is odious to the ladies from
the sallow look it imparts. Mr. Forsyth flitted through the
crowd, now here now there, with his countenance expressing
mingled pleasure and disdain, whispering in the ear of many a
fair lady, but resolutely fleeing from the boredom of any po-
litical conversation. Mr. Benton paraded himself through the
East Room about which he wrote the famous letter, in which
there was not a particle of truth.

" I forgot the Cheese. It was served up in the salle-a-manger,
and the whole atmosphere of every room, and throughout the

2l6

i-f

N. V. WII I 1'

ANDREW JACKSON

city, was filled with the odor. We have met it at every turn
— the halls of the Capitol have been perfumed with it, from
the members who partook of it having carried away great
masses in their coat-pockets. The scene in the dining-room soon
became as disagreeable as possible, and I gladly left it, after a
brief observation, and mingled with the beauteous and brilliant
throng in the East Room.

" The city is full of gayety to-night."

A delightful description of this last reception is given
byN. P. Willis:

" I joined the crowd on the twenty-second of February to
pay my respects to the President and see the cheese. Whatever
veneration existed in the minds of the people toward the for-
mer, their curiosity in reference to the latter predominated,
unquestionably. The circular pave, extending from the gate to
the White House, was thronged a\ ith citizens of all classes,
those coming away having each a small brown paper parcel and
a very strong smell; those advancing manifesting, by shakings
of the head and frequent exclamations, that there may be too
much of a good thing, and particularly of a cheese. The beauti-
ful portico was thronged with boys and coach-drivers, and the
odor strengthened with every step. We forced our way over the
threshold, and encountered an atmosphere, to which the me-
phitick gas floating over Avernus must be faint and innocuous.
On the side of the hall hung a rough likeness of the General
emblazoned with eagle and stars, forming a background to the
huge tub in which the cheese had been packed; and in the
centre of the vestibule stood the ' fragrant gift,' surrounded
with a dense crowd, who without crackers, or even * malt to
their cheese ' had, in two hours, eaten, purveyed away fourteen
hundred pounds! The small segment reserved for the Presi-
dent's use counted for nothing in the abstractions.

217

THE WHITE HOUSE

" Glad to compromise for a breath of cheeseless air, we
desisted from the struggle to obtain a sight of the table and
mingled with the crowd in the East Room. Here were Diplo-
mats in their gold coats and officers in uniform, ladies of sec-
retaries and other ladies, soldiers on volunteer duty and Indians
in war-dress and paint. Bonnets, feathers, uniforms and all, it
was rather a gay assemblage. . . . Great coats there were and
not a few of them, for the day was raw, and unless they were
hung on the palings outside, they must remain on the owner's
shoulders; but with the single exception (a fellow with his
coat torn down his back, possibly in getting at the cheese), I
saw no man in a dress that was not respectable and clean of
its kind, and abundantly fit for a tradesman out of his shop.
Those who were much pressed by the crowd put their hats
on. . . .

" The President was downstairs in the Oval reception room,
and, though his health would not permit him to stand, he sat
in his chair for two or three hours, and received his friends
with his usual bland and dignified courtesy. By his side stood
the lady of the mansion, dressed in full court costume, and
doing the honors of her place with a grace and amenity which
every one felt, and which threw a bloom over the hour. Gen-
eral Jackson retired, after a while to his chamber, and the
President-elect remained to support his relative and present to
her the still thronging multitude, and by four o'clock the
guests were gone, and the ' banquet-hall ' was deserted. Not to
leave a wrong impression of the cheese, I dined afterwards at
a table to which the President had sent a piece of it, and found
it of excellent quality. It Is like many other things, more
agreeable in small quantities.

" Some eccentrick mechanick has presented the President
with a sulky, made entirely (except the wheels) of rough-cut
hickorv', with the bark on. It looks rude enough, but has very
much the everlasting look of Old Hickory himself; and if he

2i8

ANDREW JACKSON

could be seen driving a high-stepping, bony old iron-graj' steed
in it, any passer-by would see that there was as much fitness
in the whole thing as in the chariot of Bacchus and his reeling
leopards. Some curiously-twisted and gnarled branches have
been very ingeniously turned into handles and whip-box, and
the vehicle is compact and strong. The President has left it to
Mr. Van Buren.

" In very strong contrast to the sulky, stood close by, the
elegant phaeton made of the wood of the old frigate Constitu-
tion. It has a seat for two, with a driver's box covered with
superb hammercloth, and set up rather high in front ; the
wheels and body are low, and there are bars for baggage be-
hind; altogether it would be a creditable turn-out for Long
Acre. The material is excessively beautiful — a fine grained oak,
polished to a very high degree, with its colors brought out by
a coat of varnish. The wheels are very slender and light, but
strong, and, with all its finish, it looks like a vehicle capable
of a great deal of service, A portrait of the Constitution, under
full sail, is painted on the pannels.

"The accompanying motto was: ' P atria victisque lauda-

. > >>
tus.

The condition of the interior of the White House
and the amount of money expended on Its furniture
and decorations Is plainly set forth In a Report of the
House Committee on Expeuditures ou the Public Bnihl-
hi^s^ dated April i, 1842. This document, although
chiefly devoted to a savage attack on Jackson's suc-
cessor, Van Buren, gives facts and figures that show
us that the appointments of the White House under
Jackson were anything but simple.

The Committee report that they have examined the

219

THE WHITE HOUSE

Acts of Congress since March, 1829, and herewith give
an abstract:

Act of March 3, 1829, " for furnishing the President's
house, under the direction of the President of the
U. S." $14,000

Act of March 2, 1831, "for furniture and repairs of

furniture " 5,000

Act of March 3, 1833, " for furnishing the President's
house, to be expended under the direction of the
President in addition to the proceeds of such de-
cayed furniture as he may direct to be sold " . . . . 20,000

Act of June 30, 1834, " for completing the furniture

of the President's house " 6,000

Act of March 3, 1837, " for furniture for the Presi-
dent's house " 20,000

In addition to all this, It appears that the net pro-
ceeds of sales of old furniture, from December, 1833,
to December, 1837, amounted to $5,680.40.

The " proceeds of decayed furniture " were directed
to be expended in other furniture by the Act of March,
1833, and by the Act of April 6, 1838.

By the Act of May 22, 1826, It was enacted " that
all furniture purchased for the use of the President's
house shall be, as far as practicable, of American or
domestic manufacture."

" So far as the committee are advised, this provision
is in full force; but how little it has been adhered to
will be apparent by reference to the bills.

"The furniture was purchased by agents of the Presi-

220

ANDREW JACKSON

dent's own selection, and in part by a member of his
own family (Abraham Van Buren, Esq.).

"We have been recently told, by one in high authority,
that in order to avoid a national debt, ' severe economy
is necessary ' ; and also : ' This is the surest provision
for the national welfare, and it is, at the same time,
the best preservative of the principles on which our
institutions rest. Simplicity and economy in the affairs
of State have never failed to invigorate republican prin-
ciples, while these have been as surely subverted by
national prodigality, under whatever specious pretexts
it may have been introduced or fostered.' Further
from the same source : ' These considerations cannot
be lost upon a people who have never been inattentive
to the effect of their policy upon the institutions they
have created for themselves ; but at the present moment
their force is augmented by the necessity which a de-
creasing revenue must impose.' Again: 'These are cir-
cumstances that impose the necessity of a rigid econ-
omy, and require its prompt and constant exercise.
With the Legislature rest the power and duty of so
adjusting the public expenditures as to promote this
end.'

" The committee fully concur in the above senti-
ments, and they only regret that practice has not ac-
companied profession. How little they correspond will
be apparent by reference to the papers.

" We are all prone to follow the examples of those
in high places; and hence it seems to be imperatively

221

IHE WHITE HOUSE

the duty of men occupying them to be especially care-
ful to furnish no other than such as may with propriety
be acted upon by persons in inferior stations.

" It is useless to speculate upon the effects of sim-
plicity and economy in chastening and invigorating re-
publican institutions, while men in the prominent official
places of the land practise the reverse of what they
preach."

The above arraignment of Mr. Van Buren's lavish
outlay by the House Committee at the close of his Ad-
ministration is entirely in sympathy with the Log Cabin
campaign. By their own showing, however, Mr. Van
Buren had not been as extravagant in furnishing the
mansion as his predecessor, plain General Jackson, had
been. In his two terms, the latter had spent $45,000
of the Nation's money; whereas, in his one term, Mr.
Van Buren had spent only $25,680; and, of this,
$5,680 was the proceeds of the sale of " decayed fur-
niture." The furniture turned out by Mr. Van Buren
to make room for other stuff more to his taste must
have been large in quantity and fairly good in condition
to realize any such sum as $5,600 at public auction;
but still the fact remains that he spent less of the public
money on the White House than his predecessor had
done.

If we now cast a glance at some of the bills rendered
during Jackson's terms, we shall see that the General
by no means neglected the interior decoration of his
official residence.

222

siiniiip

mi:.

lifii i

ANDREW JACKSON

The bill of L. Veron & Co., of Philadelphia, for
furnishing the East Room (Nov. 25, 1829) amounted
to $9,35 8.27 3/<. The document affords a clear vision
of the decorations of the room at that period. Among
the items are "three i8-light cut-glass chandeliers,
$1,800; three sets heavy bronzed chain and hooks for
ditto, $75 ; one 3-light centre lamp supported by female
figures, $65 ; 2 astral lamps for round table, $65 ; 4
pair light mantle lamps, with drops, $356; 4 pair vases,
flowers and shades, fine paintings, $200; eight 5-light
bracket lights, bronzed and gilt, $300; 4 bronzed and
steel fenders, new style, $120; 4 sets fire brasses, with
pokers, $40; 4 pair chimney hooks, $12 ; 4 astral lamps
on pier tables, $100; 4 pair vases, flowers, and shades,
$120; 3 round tables, black and gold slabs, $335; 4
pier tables with Italian slabs, $700; 4 mantle glasses,
rich gilt frames, French plates, 100 by 58 inches,
$2,000; 6 blue and yellow window curtains, $630;
I large window curtain, $210; 498 yds. fine Brussels
carpet and border, $1,058.25; 4 Imperial rugs, $68;
24 arm-chairs and 4 sofas, stuffed and covered, ma-
hogany work entirely refinished, and cotton covers,
$600.40; ornamental rays over the door, $25; 84 gilt
stars, $17.50; white curtains inside the blue and yel-
low, $75; 20 spittoons, $12.50."

On the same date, Messrs. Veron rendered another bill
of $211 for " 2 pair plated candlesticks and branches,
$85; 2 pair plated chamber candlesticks, $18; 2 sets of
fine green tea-trays, real gold leaves, five in each set,

223

THE WHITE HOUSE

$70; 13 extra cut lamp glasses, $26; 24 extra chim-
neys, $6 ; and 6 gross wicks, $6." Two years later, the
same firm supplied for the East Room two 3-light
lamps, $150; and J. Boulanger was paid $200 " for two
very large size French bronze gilt lamps, surmounted
with two cristal globes for the President's house."

Expenses were also incurred for other rooms, as well
as for carpeting halls, stairs, and passages. The most
important items were 88 yds. Brussels carpeting with
19 yds. border for sitting-room, $214; hearth rug to
match, $25; 66 yds. Imperial Saxony, $214.50; blue
cloth for the stairs, $105; one large door rug, $19.12;
one small ditto for the stairs, $4.00; 36 brass stair
rods and eyes, $36; 6 pairs plated chamber candle-
sticks, $57; 6 pairs plated bottle stands, $48; 9 pairs
plated table candlesticks, $76.80; 4 pairs plated 12-
inch waiters, $48; 18 pairs plated snuffers and trays,
$53-25; 9 hearth brushes with brass handles, $18; 6
side lamps for the lower passage, $15 ; 2 3-light lamps
for the lower hall, $150; i 2-light lamp for the upper
hall, $57.50; 12 bunches artificial flowers, $27; one
4-C0I. black marble clock for the audience room, $75;
one pair marble lamps for ditto, $20. For reframing
2 looking-glasses, $100 was charged; and repairing
and partially gilding the 14 chairs in the green room
cost $35. Finally there was a charge of $500 for re-
papering the President's chamber, and the puMic din-
ing-room, private dining-room, sitting, elliptic, and
green room.

224

ANDREW JACKSON

There was music in the President's house during
Jackson's occupancy. On Nov. 21, 1831, the following
bill was receipted:

I piano forte of rosewood, 6 octaves $300

By second hand piano exchanged 100

$200

On May 30, 1831, Martin Van Buren bought at
auction, *' for the use of the President's house," a
chintz-covered sofa, $60; and two pair of plated can-
dlesticks, $20. It is interesting to see Jackson's Secretary
of State taking interest in such small matters.

Under Jackson, there is no hint of total abstinence
in the White House. On Jan. 27, 1830, the sum of
$1,451.75 was paid for glass to the Pittsburg firm of
Bakewell, Page and Bakewell. The items were: 12 doz.
richest cut tumblers, $240; 6 pair cut decanters to
match, $168; 5 doz. cut wines to match, $90; i elegant
cut centre bov/l and stand, $40 ; 2 elegant smaller bowls
and stands, $60; 6 cut Islam floating dishes, $90; 7
doz, cut wines to match, $126; 6 doz. cut clarets to
match, $120; 6 pair cut pint decanters, $120; 3 pair
cut celeries to match, $60; 6 pair cut pitchers to match,
$180; 6 pair salts and stands, $60; 2 pair ii-inch cut
dishes to match, $40; 2 pair 9-inch ditto, $30; 2 pair
7-inch ditto, $24.

The bill of L. Veron & Co. (Feb. 14, 1832)
amounted to $2,952.90. It included 4 pier mirrors in

225

THE WHITE HOUSE

rich gilt frames, io8 by 54 inches, at $600 each; 4
pier tabic lamps, at $45; one pair bracket lamps, $60;
one 4-light hall lamp, $117.90.

In 1834, $6,000 was appropriated, of which $5,953
was spent with the above firm. They charged $3,300
for 3 chandeliers for the East Room; $700 for 2 mir-
rors for the Green Room ; $700 for 2 mirrors for the
DIning-Room; $1,200 for oil-cloth for the great pas-
sage; and $53 for sundries.

The glass bought in December (1833) for the
service of White House hospitality cost $924. This was
also supplied by Lewis Veron & Co., and was pre-
sumably imported by that firm. The set comprised 12
doz. wine glasses; 12 doz. claret; 12 doz. champagne;
6 doz. wines, straight stem; 12 doz. tumblers; 6
doz. goblets; 23^ doz. cordials; 9 pairs quart decan-
ters; 6 pairs claret ditto with handles; and 48 water
bottles.

The cutlery supplied for the Presidential table by
Messrs. Veron cost $585.74. It consisted of 43^ doz.
knife blades for silver handles; 4^ doz. new handles
for old blades; 10 doz, table knives, plated on steel,
silver ferrule, and transparent ivory handles; 6 doz.
dessert to match; 6 doz. table knives, steel blade, with
silver ferrule; 6 doz. dessert to match; 2 doz. knives
and forks, with French fork; 6 pairs guard carvers,
same; 3 pairs round of beef ditto.

In addition to the things already mentioned that
were purchased this year for the East Room, Messrs.

226

ANDREW JACKSON

Veron supplied 4 steel fire sets, $20; and 2 pairs pol-
ished steel tongs and shovel, $17.00.

In addition to the beautiful table service of glass,
china, and cutlery bought this year (1833), we have
also an " Invoice of a dinner and dessert set of French
sterling silver plate, purchased for the use of the Presi-
dent's house." This weighed 2,693 o^- '" ^^^ ^"d cost
$4,308.82, The service comprised 2 soup tureens, 4
vegetable dishes, 2 sauce-boats and plates, 8 large and
12 small round plates and 6 oval ditto, 2 sets casters,
2 baskets, very rich work; 18 bottle stands, 12 skewers,
I large and i small coffee pot, i cream jug, i fish knife,
8 double salts and two mustard stands, 36 tablespoons,
60 table forks, 8 long gravy spoons, 2 soup ladles.

The gilt dessert service, weighing 204 oz., consisted
of 2^ spoons, 36 forks, 36 fruit knives, silver blades;
4 sweetmeat spoons, 2 sugar spoons, 48 tea or coffee
spoons, 8 small spoons, 2 mustard spoons.

In addition to the above, there were 60 table knives
with silver handles, 36 dessert knives, silver handles
and blades; 36 do., silver handles and steel blades; 3
large carving knives and forks — 2 silver, i steel; 11
silver ladles, 4 silver ladles, gilt, and 2 trunks to con-
tain the whole service.

Though President Jackson bought his glass in
Pittsburg in accordance with the expressed wishes of
Congress in the Act of 1826, he did not hesitate to
send to France for his fine silks and porcelains. These
he Imported through L. Veron & Co. One of their

227

THE WHITE HOUSE

invoices of certain silk stuffs purchased in Lyons by
Messrs. Perrot and Mulot (Aug. 25, 1833) totals
12,183.25 francs. The items are:

168 ells 7-inch fringe.

38

36
168

373

58§
157I

I33i

heavy silk cord fringe,
heavy cotton cord fringe,
embroidered curtains, eagle,
satin border, blue and yellow.
" " yellow and blue,
yellow silk, heavy.
blue "
white "

Veron's account covering the months from April
to December, 1833, inclusive, came to $12,728.23.
The most important Items were $1,545 for 515 yards
of Wilton carpet for the East Room; 4 French bracket
lights for ditto, $300; "one set of French China, for
dinner, with the American eagle," $1,500; a dessert
set, blue and gold, with eagle, $1,000; a suit of cur-
tains for the East Room, of heavy silk and fringes,
muslin curtains, made to order, with eagles, $3,875.35;
and table and household linen, $882.14. The dinner
set consisted of 440 pieces " made to order " and in-
cluded 32 round and 32 oval dishes, 6 doz. soup
plates, 20 doz. flat plates, 4 long fish dishes, 12 veg-
etable dishes with covers, 8 sugar covers and plates,
6 pickle shells, 6 olive boats, and 4 octagon salad
bowls. The dessert set contained 412 pieces, also
" made to order," consisting of 6 stands for bonbons,

228

ANDREW JACKSON

3 stages, 8 tambours for do., 3 do., 12 sweetmeat
compotiers on feet, 6 round sugars and covers, 6 large
fruit baskets on feet, 4 ice-cream vases and covers
with inside bowls, 18 doz. plates, 6 Greek form cups
and saucers, 4 oval sugar dishes, 4 cream jugs.

229

CHAPTER TWELVE

MARTIN VAN BUREN

1837-1841

Tastes and Character of Martin Van Buren; Inauguration and Ball;
the Bodisco Wedding and Entertainment of M. and Mme.
Bodisco at the White House; Martin Van Buren as a Host; Mr.
Ogle's Reproaches on the President's Luxury; Expenditures on
the President's Mansion and Grounds; Elliott's Description of
the President's House; the East Room; the Blue Elliptical Room;
Luxurious Table Service; Lamps and Mirrors; Rich Furniture;
Discomforts Described by Mrs. Fremont; James Silk Bucking-
ham's Description of the President's First Drawing-Room; the
President at Church; Captain Marryat's Description of Van
Buren; Mrs. Abram Van Buren; New Year's Receptions; a
Monster Cheese; Van Buren leaves the White House.

MR. VAN BUREN, with the strong aid of
General Jackson, succeeded the latter in the
Presidency at a very inopportune moment. Business
was in a panicky condition, and " hard times " were
charged up to the Administration. Mr. Van Buren
was a courtier by nature with luxurious tastes. His
contemporaries in the opposite camp bitterly re-
proached him for his elegance; and, as they called it,
effeminacy. We shall see that he was made to suffer
In the eyes of his countrymen for his taste for every-
thing that was elegant, luxurious, and poHte. His

230

MARTIN VAN BUREN

enemies had animadverted on his liking for fast
horses and high living during the previous Adminis-
tration (see page 209). An appreciation of Mr. Van
Buren's character and abilities is afforded by an in-
timate acquaintance, William Allen Butler, who says:

" According to a popular view of it, Mr. Van Buren's Presi-
dency was a prolongation of General Jackson's term. It was
twelve years, instead of eight, of the same Administration. The
old issues had been settled, and no new issues were developed.
Mr. Van Buren * followed in the footsteps of his illustrious
predecessor.' The predecessor had been too illustrious and his
footsteps had so shaken the whole social system that a great
shock was inevitable. . . .

" Mr. Van Buren in his personal traits was marked by rare
individuality. He was a gentleman, and he cultivated the so-
ciety of gentlemen. He never had any associates who were
vulgar or vicious. He affected the companionship of men of
letters, though I think his conclusion was that they are apt to
make poor politicians and not the best of friends. Where he
acquired that peculiar neatness and polish of manner which
he wore so lightly, and which served every turn of domestic,
social and political intercourse, I do not know. As far as my
early recollections go, it was not indigenous in the social circles
of Kinderhook, I do not think it was essentially Dutch. It
could hardly be called natural, although it seemed so natural
in him. It was not put on, for it was never put off. As you
saw him once, you saw him always — always punctilious, al-
ways polite, always cheerful, always self-possessed. It seemed
to any one who studied this phase of his character as if, in some
early moment of his destiny, his whole nature had been bathed
in a cool, clear and unruffled depth, from which it drew this
life-long serenity and self-control.

231

THE WHITE HOUSE

" If any vulnerable point was left, I never discovered it. It
has been conjectured that Aaron Burr, who was in great social
as well as professional repute at the time Mr. Van Buren first
came to New York as a student of law, and whose hands were
as yet unstained with the blood of Hamilton, was the model
after which he copied. If this be so, he improved on the orig-
inal, for Mr. Van Buren's manner had in it nothing that was
sinister, or which roused suspicion."

His imperturbability was most remarkable, for he
was not disturbed " when he repeated the oath which
Inaugurated him In the Presidency"; nor when "at
the close of the day which decided the election of
Harrison, he heard the urchins of Washington repeat-
ing about the White House, the favorite Log Cabin
refrain, ' Van, Van Is a used-up man.' "

One of the charges against him was that he was
no Democrat. " He dressed too well, he lived too well,
the company he kept was too good, his tastes were
too refined, his tone was too elegant."

President Van Buren was honored by the escort of
General Jackson to the Capitol for his Inauguration.
After the ceremonies, they both returned in the Con-
stitution phaeton drawn by four grays (see page 219)
to the White House, where a multitude of carriages
and a mob of enthusiastic citizens made Ingress and
egress almost Impossible. The carriage folk had the
utmost difficulty In penetrating the throng to the re-
ception-rooms.

N. P. Willis says:

232

MARTIN VAN BUREN

" Mr. Van Buren held a levee immediately afterwards, but
I endeavored in vain to get my foot over the threshold. The
crowd was tremendous. At four the Diplomatick body had an
audience, and in replying to the address of Don Angel Cal-
deron, tlie President astonished the gold coats by addressing
them as the democratick corps. The representatives of the
crowned heads of Europe stood rather uneasily under the
epithet, till it was suggested that he possibly meant to say
diplomatick."

He continues:

" The ball in the evening at Carusi's saloon was the most
magnificent thing of the kind that has ever taken place in
Washington. Many of the most beautiful and accomplished
women who have resorted to the metropolis were present, and
gave grace and lustre to the scene. . . . About half-past nine,
President Van Buren entered the rooms, attended by the heads
of Departments. He took his stand on an elevated platform
and there received the devoirs of the company. General Jackson
did not attend. The tables were spread with the utmost pro-
fusion and luxury; and champagne flowed most bounteously."

General Jackson not only graced his successor's
Inauguration with his presence, but also accepted his
hospitality for nearly two weeks. On March 6, we
learn from a newspaper paragraph that he is " still
an inmate of the President's mansion. He will leave
on Wednesday, March 15, for The Hermitage, by
way of Charlottesville, Virginia."

Mrs. Fremont (see page 212), bears witness to
Mr. Van Buren's graces as a host and talents as an

233

THE WHITE HOUSE

entertainer. Perhaps the most striking figure in Wash-
ington Diplomatic society for many years was the Rus-
sian Minister, Bodisco. He married a girl of sixteen,
the daughter of a comparatively obscure resident of
Georgetown. He had a great eye for theatrical effect
and Mrs. Fremont describes the wedding, at which
she, a girl of fourteen, was a bridesmaid, in consid-
erable detail. The other bridesmaids were also in
their teens. Mr. Van Buren, who had shortly before
given a dinner to his young son. Smith, which was
also a children's affair, soon afterwards tendered
a hymeneal feast to the elderly bridegroom and youth-
ful bride. Mrs. Fremont says:

" Here again Bodisco prepared his tableau. He gave us
our directions, and our little procession crossed that windy
hall Into the drawing-room. Mr. Van Buren had it, later,
somewhat protected by the glass screens that now extend
across, but many a cold was taken there after wraps were laid
aside.

" We were grouped either side of the bride, our bright white
dresses serving as margin and setting to the central figure. This
night her dress was of pale green velvet, its long train having
a border of embroidery in gold thread not brighter than her
jellow hair, and pearls and emeralds were her ornaments.^

" Mr. Van Buren brought over from London a fine chef,
and his dinners were as good and delicate as possible; but his
was a formal household — none of the large hospitality of Gen-
eral Jackson, who held it as ' the People's House,' and himself

' Madame Bodisco, whose maiden name was Harriet Williams,
was, perhaps, the most important figure in Washington diplomatic so-
ciety for a quarter of a century.

MARTIN VAN BUREN

as their steward ; and still less of the * open-house ' of the Tyler
regime, where there were many young people who kept to their
informal cheery Virginia ways. . . .

*' Mr. Van Buren had great tact and knew how to make each
one show to advantage. He was also very witty, though he
controlled this, knowing its danger to a man in public
life. . . ."

When Mr. Van Buren took possession of the White
House there was a great house-cleaning and renova-
tion of the interior. Nearly $27,000 was expended
under the directions of the new President, He had
no sooner been inaugurated than the work began, as
is shown by the following bill for work done and
goods supplied by C. Alexander from March 1 1 to
March 20. The total was $1,037.35, and the changes
In the mansion are show^n by the following entries:

" Removing the furniture of the audience-room to the
Major's room, and from the Major's room to the
audience-room; taking off the large dining-room car-
pet, cleaning it, and removing all the furniture; taking
off the four passage carpets and cleaning them; put-
ting down the carpets for the dining-room and up-
stairs passage."

The President's private office was entirely redec-
orated and furnished. The articles and materials sup-
plied Included "screen for the room and serge; 22
pieces of paper; 33^ pieces baize; putting up 22 pieces
paper; putting up 3 J/ pieces baize; 72 yds. scarlet
damask; 22 yds. silk fringe; 50 yds. silk binding; 3

THE WHITE HOUSE

sets of cornices; 36 yds. muslin; 25 yds. cotton fringe;
21 gilding rings; taking down and putting up 3 win-
dows; a bell pull; 513/^ yds. Brussels carpet; 15^^
yds. baize; making carpeting and baize and 4 window
curtains; 15 yds. matting; 3 iron rods; brass rings;
a sofa; hearth rug."

In the " Book Case " the upholstery work comprised
43 yds. of green merino, 4 iron rods, brass rings,
binding and making 8 curtains, $29.

The dining-room was ornamented with three sets
of window curtains, $135.

The decorations of the " Green Room " cost $355.-
68. The items of the bill are: 30 pieces silver paper,
4 pieces border, putting and setting up ditto ditto,
96 yds. green silk, 33 yds. muslin, 16 yds. cotton
fringe, making and putting up window curtains, etc.,
75 yds. matting, putting down ditto, 3 pieces green
worsted binding.

Mr. Alexander rendered a bill for $1,135.47 for
work done also in May and June. The principal work
done was taking up, cleaning, and packing carpets and
curtains for the summer, moving the furniture, pa-
pering rooms, making curtains, " preparing the Presi-
dent's office," supplying a circular table, laying green
broadcloth (33^ yds.) on it, altering another, supply-
ing bell pulls, tablecloth covers, washing, making, and
repairing 34 chair covers, 2 new screen covers, 2
bureau covers, 28 yds. brown Holland, and repairing
chair, arm-chair, sofa, and stool.

236

MARTIN VAN BUREN

For similar upholstery work in June, Edward Burke
received $585.i6>^.

Zachariah Nicholas, of Alexandria, was paid $150
in July and $800 for work done in August. This con-
sisted principally of " cleaning, repairing, and rclacker-
ing 7 chandeliers, 3 pairs of pier tables, French fig-
ures, I pair of column velvet lamps, 4 pair cornucopia
bracket branches; i pair mantle branch lamps, i pair
candlesticks, i passage lamp and chain; i plateau"
(see page 117); and taking down and putting up such
ornaments.

The charges for repairing old furniture in some of
the bills show that Mr. Van Buren did not condemn
it just because it was old-fashioned and not suited to
his taste. He seems to have tried to have made the
White House, however, as splendid as could be man-
aged with the money allowed. One of the early bills
is that of A. F. Cammeyer, New York, for $2,000,
" for gold leaf, gilding materials, labor, and ex-
penses."

For new furniture, the President paid C. H. and
J. F. White (Phila.) $1,599.50. llie charge for
boxing this was considerable, amounting to $97.50.
We may be sure, therefore, that it was very choice.
The items were : i elegant dressing bureau, i pair
double-jointed sconces for do., 3 dressing bureaus, 18
mahogany chairs, i elegant statuary centre table, i
elegant dining-room common do., i statuary marble
top for do., I elegant enclosed washstand with marble

237

THE WHITE HOUSE

top, 3 marble top washstands, i large elegant French
bedstead, i palliasse, i hair mattress, i feather bed,
bolster, and 2 pillows in linen tick, i large French
bedstead with furnishings as above, i French bed-
stead, I set large French castors.

Bills, In 1837 and Jan. 1838, for napkins, towels,
table-cloths, bed, and other household linen came
to $2,460.29.

Jas. Paton & Co.'s bill for $4,316.08 (Dec. 12,
1837) evidences other new decorations, especially In
the bedrooms.

"Bed Room No. i, ii^Yz yds. furniture chintz,
116 yds. muslin lining, 43/2 yds. silk cord, 6 silk tas-
sels, curtain ornaments, etc.

"President's Chamber, iio^ yds. furniture chintz,
114 yds. muslin lining, 4^ yds. silk cord, 29 yds.
chintz for sofa, 6 silk tassels, curtain ornaments, etc."
(Thus, with the sofa, elegant dressing bureau, ma-
hogany chairs, marble-top washstand and French bed,
the President's bedroom was very luxuriously fur-
nished.)

" Room No. 4, 3 1 yds. blue and white cotton, 40
yds. bordering, 3 yds. cord, 4 silk tassels, ornaments,
etc.

Room No. 6 was similarly upholstered.

" Room No. 8, 48 yds. scarlet cotton, 60 yds. yellow
galloon, 4^ yds. cord, 6 tassels, ornaments."

For bell-pulls, 793^ yds. silk cord, 14 tassels, and
10 pussetts were used.

238

MARTIN VAN BUREN

"Ladies' Room: 45/> yds. crimson taffeta, 90 yds.
muslin, 16 yds. cord, 6 tassels, ornaments."

The sum spent on the " Circular Room " on the
second story was $1,041.00; and $1,085,55 on
the " Circular Room " on the first story. For the
latter, the curtains with cords, tassels, including
satin, galloon, and gauze, for three windows cost
$409.30. In addition to this, In this room, 14 chairs,
2 sofas, 4 tabourets, 2 screens, 5 footstools, 4
silk pillows, and i music stool were repaired and
covered.

The paper for covering the walls of Rooms Nos.
I, 2, 4, 8, Ladies' Room, and Circular Room was
supplied on June 12, July 26, and Aug. 8 by Messrs.
Pares and Faye. The total cost was $706.50.

In other rooms also 14 chairs, i sofa, and 2 pil-
lows were re-upholstered with drab cloth, silk cord,
gimp, and tassels at a cost of $140.27.

" President's Room. Repairing and covering 16
chairs, cleaning carpet, 29^ yds. satin, 49 J/2 yds. gal-
loon, 593^ yds. cord, 62 yds. gauze, 10 silk tassels,
^yi yds. cotton tick, 14^ yds. brown Holland, 2 ro-
settes."

Another bill, rendered by A. Lyambur, for $170,
was for " 6 French comfortables, made of extra ma-
terials and extra covers"; and P. Valderon received
$100 for one divan and cushions.

New carpets for the house, 364 yds. of Wilton,
1703^ of Saxony, and 430 of Brussels were purchased;

239

THE WHITE HOUSE

these together with 8 rugs cost $4,050.81. This is
additional to the carpeting already noted.

John Williams, in March and April, 1837, supplied,
for $57.50, " dining-table with 2 tops; covering table
with cloth, finding knobs; repairing secretary's desk,
finding glass knobs; repairing book-case, finding lock;
and letter box."

We have seen that General Jackson bought a goodly
supply of cut glass of foreign manufacture (see p.
226). What was left when Mr. Van Buren came in
did not suffice, however, for his table. To I. P. Drum-
mond, of Maiden Lane, New York, importer of
China, glass, and earthenware, he paid, June 8, 1837,
$220.75 for 6 qt. and 12 pt., all fluted decanters, cone
stoppers, barrel shape; 6 doz. claret wines, cut pillar
stem; 6 doz. green finger cups; 6 doz. cut wine coolers;
2 doz. cut champagnes; 18 pint water bottles, flint
and fluted; and 2 casks.

On Sept. 2, 1837, also, C. W. Spileker, of Balti-
more, collected $36 for 33 doz. glass dishes.

It would seem that the beautiful china dinner ser-
vice bought by Jackson (see p. 228) had not yet gone
the way of all earthenware in the hands of careless
scullions. Mr. Van Buren, however, had occasion to
spend $201.21 for various crockery during the first
year of his term. Among the items we find a fancy
toilet set, 5 blue printed foot tubs, a white China
glazed toilet set, 24 blue printed mugs, 24 hard China
glazed bowls and saucers, 2 rosette pitchers, 9 stone

240

MARTIN VAN BUREN

milk pans, 48 blue printed plates, one-half soup, 6
blue printed dishes, 6 blue edged dishes, 3 blue printed
ewers and basins, 6 cream colored chambers, 2 printed
sugars, I printed pitcher, 2 printed oval baking dishes,
6 printed bowls, 12 purple printed handled bowls and
saucers, i cut-glass cruet, 36 glass chimneys, 72 rich
cut tumblers, 4 large edged dishes, 1 2 China gold
band coffees, i bowl, 24 lamp glasses, 3 white China
pitchers, 2 peg lamps, 2 yellow bowls, 2 blue printed
beakers, i blue printed soup tureen, i blue edged
ditto, 6 large cream colored bowls, 198 cream colored
jars, 12 knob tumblers, 12 yellow covered jars, 30
yellow jars, i fancy toilet set.

In 1839, the same tradesman supplied the White
House with 24 rich cut tumblers, 12 gold band China
plates, 24 willow plates, 36 blue printed bowls and
saucers, 30 ditto mugs, 6 ditto bowls, 24 ditto
pitchers, 2 pairs salts, 6 willow dishes, 2 sets black-
handled knives and forks, 6 edged dishes, 12 China
gold band bowls and saucers, 12 ditto slop, 12 wooden
spoons, 4 lemon squeezers, 6 stone milk pans, 12
baffled tablespoons, 24 ditto teaspoons, 4 large cream
colored w^ash basins, 12 glass chimneys, etc.

The elegance of the appointments of the White
House was made the most of as party capital by the
opposition during the bitter " Log Cabin " campaign
of 1840. The most savage attack was made by a Mr.
Ogle, who was a member of Congress from Pennsyl-
vania and a strong Harrison man. When the general

241

THE WHITE HOUSE

appropriation bill came up for consideration in the
House (July ii, 1840), he moved to strike out an
item of $3,665.00 for additional furniture for the
President's house, on the ground that there was suffi-
cient furniture there already, or, at any rate, money
enough had been spent in purchases since Mr. Van
Buren had taken possession. In support of his con-
tention, he produced an array of figures, bills, vouchers,
etc., to show how much money had recently been
spent on the President's house and grounds, inside
and out. He bitterly reproached the President as the
chief apostle of retrenchment and reform for not
showing his faith by his works. Apostrophizing the
absent offender, he exclaims :

" You say the People's prodigality has involved them in
trouble: why do you not set them a better example? You say,
excessive importations have plunged the Country in Embar-
rassments: why do you not buy the furniture of 5'our house —
its carpets, its sofas, its curtains, etc., etc. — from the products
of American artisans instead of crowding it with the costly
fripperies of Europe? . . . Your house glitters with all imag-
inable luxuries and gaudy ornaments ; you set an example which
your subordinates are eager to imitate ; and the result is shame-
ful and ruinous prodigality in every branch of the public
service."

The critic quotes the Act of May 22, 1826, which
ordained that " All furniture purchased for the use
of the President's house, shall be, as far as prac-
ticable, of American, or Domestic Manufacture." Mr.

242

MARTIN VAN BUREN

Ogle's indignation is consequently aroused by the fact
that in 1837 four bills for carpeting were rendered,
amounting in all to $4,050.81, and these were for
Brussels, Wilton, and Saxony carpets and Imperial
rugs.

Mr. Ogle, undoubtedly, expressed the feelings of
the plain people during the Log Cabin campaign.
He objected to the appropriation for alterations and
repairs of the house and furniture, for purchasing
trees, shrubs, and compost, and for superintendence
of the grounds as anti-democratic. He says:

" I put it to you, sir, and to the free citizens of this countr)%
whose servant the President is, to say whether, in addition to
the large sum of $100,000 which he is entitled to receive for a
single term of four years, they are disposed to maintain for his
private accommodation, A Royal Establishment at the cost of
the nation! Will they longer feel inclined to support their chief
servant in a Palace as splendid as that of the Casars, and as
richly adorned as the proudest Asiatic mansion?"

He continues:

" Previous to its destruction by the British . . . there had
been expended in building the palace $333,207, and since that
period the further sum of $301,496.25, in rebuilding the in-
terior, and in erecting the two splendid porticoes; making to-
gether the large amount of $634,703.25 laid out on the palace
structure alone, to say nothing about the verj' liberal sums that
have been expended from time to time on the furniture, on
alterations and repairs, on the garden, grounds, stone walls,
iron fencing, and for the ' stalls of the Royal stable steeds.' . . .
All the disbursements for iron fencing, stabling, and the superb

243

THE WHITE HOUSE

porticoes at the north and south fronts of the palace, have been
incurred since the Administration of John Quincy Adams went
out of power — the porticoes alone costing $24,769.25. Great
improvements have been made within a few years past in the
President's Garden. It is believed to correspond in its general
arrangements with the style and fashion of some of the most
celebrated royal gardens in England. It has a choice collection
of both native plants and exotics, many of the latter having
been gathered from almost every clime. Ornamental trees and
beautiful shrubs have been * selected with great care ' from the
most celebrated specimens, and are now growing luxuriantly.
The orangery, though not as yet on a very extensive scale, is
fast improving. Rich and charming shrubbery and parterres
greet the eye in every direction. Nor should I omit to mention
that, in addition to the numerous families of the tulip, lily,
pink, rose, and many other sweet flowers and shrubs, the garden
contains some exceedingly rare botanical and medical speci-
mens: false foxglove, golden mad, golden club, enchanter's
nightshade, dragon's head, lizard's tail, lion's foot, adder's
tongue, monkey flower, virgin's bower, heartsease, touch-me-not.
" But there are some other varieties that address themselves
more immediately to the palate than to the eye, such as fine
Neshanock potatoes, honest drumhead and early York cabbages,
white and red sugar and pickle beets, marrowfat peas, carrots,
parsnips, &c., &c., with an abundance of the strawberry, dew-
berry, raspberry, &c. In short, the President's garden, in all
its arrangements and beauties, its trees, shrubs, vines, plants,
flowers and esculents, is in perfect keeping with the sumptuous
and magnificent palace. In December last we were informed
that ' the public grounds have been faithfully attended to by
the public gardener and the hands under him. The trees have
been skilfully pruned and trained; many choice ornamental
trees and shrubs have been planted ; and the plats, borders, and
gravel walks have been kept in superior order.'

244

MARTIN VAN BUREN

" Before the Administration of J. Q. Adams, the appropria-
tions for improving the President's grounds had been very
trifling. During his term, however, two considerable sums were
voted by Congress for that purpose. The first of these grants
(Feb. 25, 1825) was $5,000 for leveling, grading and improv-
ing the President's square; the second (May 22, 1826) was
$5,865 for finishing the fences, graduating and improving the
President's square. Prior to the disbursement of these appro-
priations, the grounds presented a rude, uneven and shapeless
appearance ; not a few of the pristine sandy knolls and small
hollows still remained. The fencing too was quite imperfect;
but, by the exercise of a commendable economy and by the ap-
plication of the money in the most beneficial manner to accom-
plish the objects contemplated by the laws, the grounds were
brought into fine condition, the fences were put into excel-
lent order, the high hills were made plain, and the deep
valleys were made smooth, and the entire grounds, by the
close of Mr. Adams's Presidency, wore a style and finish quite
acceptable to the taste and judgment of our plain, respectable
farmer.

" Here we have the enormous amount of $88,722.58 squan-
dered in erecting stables, building dwarf walls and coping,
constructing fountains, paving footw^ays, planting, transplant-
ing, pruning and dressing horse chestnuts, lindens, Norway
spruce, and balm of Gilead ; hauling and depositing rich soil
for top-dressing flower-beds and borders, training and irrigating
honeysuckles, trumpet creepers, primroses, lady slippers and
dandelions, cultivating sweet-scented grass, and preparing
beautiful bouquets for the palace saloons. The President's
grounds contain about twenty acres. Our pseudo reformers
have, therefore, expended on what they are pleased to call
improvements an average of $4,436.10 per acre, or $8,065.68
per annum since ' retrenchment and reform ' have come into
successful operation."

245

THE WHITE HOUSE

In his zeal for the people's cause, Mr. Ogle con-
veniently forgets Mr. Adams's love for landscape gar-
dening; and that, perhaps, Jackson and Van Buren
were only carrying on what Mr. Adams had so beau-
tifully begun. It seems that Mr. Adams's expenditures
in this line had aroused criticism which the speaker de-
nounces as follows:

" A large majority of the American people about this time
were incautiously led to believe that Mr. Adams was a lavish
spendthrift, and that his Administration was not only waste-
fully extravagant, but that it was rapidly verging to the very
confines of monarchy, in the magnificent decorations of the
Presidential palace, and by the studied introduction of court
ceremonials. You will doubtless well remember the voluminous
reports and the indignant denunciations on the fruitful themes
of extravagance and aristocracy that were spread before the
country by the renowned champions of economy in both
Houses of Congress during the never-to-be-forgotten winter of
1827-8. You, sir, cannot fail, too, to recollect the lugubrious
homilies which were then addressed to all pious and devout
Christians in relation to the purchase by President Adams of
a billiard table, billiard balls, cues and chessmen. . . . Ever
since 1829, this doctrine of ' Retrenchment and Reform ' has
been the order of the day. ... Be good enough to turn to a
book of the United States statutes for the last eleven years
and you will there discover not less than ten several acts of
Congress, appropriating large sums of money to improve the
President's grounds, etc.

Mch. 3, 1829. Work on the house and enclosures. $6,361.86

Mch. 2, 1 83 1. Alterations and repairs 500.00

Painting inside and out 3,482.00

246

MARTIN VAN BUREN

Planting trees, improving grounds and gardener's

salary 4,000.00

Mch. 2, 1833. Alterations and repairs 500.OO

Planting trees, etc., etc 4,660.00

Pedestal, wall coping, railing and footway 10,000.00

Constructing reservoirs and fountains, and en-
closing and planting fountain square 6,723.00

Jun. 30, 1834. Alterations and repairs, flooring the

terraces and erecting stables 6,670.00

Gardener's salary and labor 2,850.00

Paving footways and making gravel carriage-way 13,744.00

Mch. 3, 1835. Alterations and repairs, gardener's

salary, trees and shrubs 4,200.00

July 4, 1836. Do., do 3,460.00

Constructing dwarf wall and fence 1,165.50

Mch. 3, 1837. Alterations and superintendence. . . 7,300.00

Wall and fence 1,300.00

Apr. 6, 1838. Alterations, etc 4,815.00

Apr. 7, 1838. Labor, etc 2,015.00

Mch. 3, 1839. Alterations, repairs and furniture. . 3,465.00

Special repairs and deficiencj' 1,51 1.22

$88,722.58

Descending now to details, the speaker describes
the house, with which his hearers were doubtless well
acquainted, considering its propinquity.

" The site of the Presidential palace is perhaps not less con-
spicuous than the King's house in many of the royal capitals
of Europe. It is situate at the intersection of four spacious
avenues, which radiate from this point as a centre. The ' palace
pile 'is 170 ft. front and 86 deep, and stands about the centre

247

THE WHITE HOUSE

of a plot of pround containing 20 acres, the whole whereof Is
surrounded by firmly built stone walls and lanceolated iron-
railing, with imposing portal abutments and well barred iron
gates. The main entrance front faces north upon Lafayette
square, and the garden front to the south opens to an extensive
view of the river Potomac. Mr. Elliott says in his ' Picture of
Washington ' :

" ' It is built of white freestone, with Ionic pilasters, com-
prehending two stories of rooms, crowned with a stone balus-
trade. The north front is ornamented with a lofty portico, of
four Ionic columns in front, and projecting with three columns.
The outer intercolumniation is for carriages to drive Into and
place company under shelter; the middle space is the entrance
for those visitors who come on foot; the steps from both lead
to a broad platform in front of the door of entrance. The
garden front Is varied by having a rusticated basement story
under the Ionic ordonnance, and by a semi-circular projecting
colonnade of six columns, with two flights of steps leading from
the ground to the level of the principal story.' "

The rest of Mr. Elliott's description, which Mr.
Ogle did not quote, but will be of interest to the
modern reader, runs as follows:

" In the Interior, the north entrance opens Immediately Into
a spacious hall of forty by fifty feet, furnished simply, with
plain stuccoed walls. Advancing through a screen of Ionic
columns, apparently of white marble, but only of a well exe-
cuted imitation, In composition: the door In the centre opens
Into the Oval Room, or saloon, of forty by thirty feet — the walls
covered with plain crimson flock paper, with deep gilded bor-
ders. The marble chimney-piece and tables, the crimson silk
draper>' of the window curtains and chairs, with the carpet of

248

MARTIN VAN BUREN

French manufacture, wove in one piece, with the arms of the
United States in the centre, two large mirrors and a splendid
cut glass chandelier, give the appearance of a rich and con-
sistent style of decoration and finish. On each side of this room,
and communicating therewith by large doors, is a square room
of thirty by twenty-two feet. These three rooms form the suit
of apartments in which company is usually received on parade
occasions. To the west of these is the company dining-room,
forty by thirty, and on the northwest corner is the family din-
ing-room. All these rooms are finished handsomely, but less
richly than the Oval Room; the walls are covered with green,
yellow, white and blue papers, sprinkled with gold stars and
with gilt borders. The stairs, for family use, are in a cross
entry at this end, with store-rooms, china closets, etc., between
the two dining-rooms. On the east end of the house is a large
banqueting-room, extending the whole depth of the building,
with windows to the north and south, and a large glass door
to the east, leading to the terrace roof of the offices. . . .

" The principal stairs on the entrance hall are spacious and
covered with Brussels carpeting. On ascending these, the visitor
to the President is led into a spacious ante-room, to wait for
introduction in regular succession with others, and may have
considerable time to look from the south windows upon the
beautiful prospect before him ; when in course to be introduced,
he ascends a few steps and finds himself in the east corner
chamber, the President's cabinet room, where everything an-
nounces the august simplicity of our government. The room
is about forty feet wide, and finished like those below. The
centre is occupied by a large table, completely covered with
books, papers, parchments, etc., and seems like a general re-
pository of everything that may be wanted for reference; while
the President is seated at a smaller table near the fireplace,
covered with the papers which are the subject of his immediate
attention; and which, by their number, admonish the visitor

249

THE WHITE HOUSE

to occupy no more of his time, for objects of business or civility,
than necessity requires. The other chambers are appropriated to
family purposes.

" . . . It hardly equals the seats of many of the nobility
and wealthy commoners of England, and bears no comparison
with the residences of the petty princes of Germany, or the
grand dukes of Italy: it exhibits no rich marbles, fine statues,
nor costly paintings. It is what the mansion of this Republic
should be, large enough for public and family purposes, and
should be finished and maintained in a style to gratify every
wish for convenience and pleasure. The state of the grounds
will not meet this description; they have an unfinished and
neglected appearance; we hope they will not long remain so
rude and uncultivated."

In the course of his speech, Mr. Ogle gives us
much valuable information regarding the condition
of the rooms under the Adams, Jackson, and Van
Buren Administrations. Thus he quotes from what
he calls the Court Journal (December, 1829), the
following description of the famous East Room:

"The (East Room) paper is of a fine lemon color, with a
rich cloth border; four new mantels have been placed in the
room, of black marble, with Italian black and gold fronts;
each fireplace has a handsome grate fixed ; there were, however,
in the house before new bronzed and steel fenders, and sets of
brass fire irons, and chimney hooks have been added; each
mantel is furnished with a mirror, the plates of which measure
100 by 58 inches, framed in a very beautiful style; and a pair
of rich ten-light lamps bronzed and gilt, with a row of drops
around the fountain, and a pair of French China vases, richly
gilt and painted, with glass shades and flowers. There are three

250

MARTIN VAN BUREN

very splendid gilt chandeliers, each for eighteen candles, the
style of which is entirely new; the color of the glass and cut-
ting perhaps exceed anything of the kind ever seen. A small
bronzed and gilt work, corresponding with the mantel lamps,
the niches and recesses of which are supplied with eight French
bronzed and gilt bracket lights, each for the candles. The car-
pet, which contains near 500 yards, is of fine Brussels, of fawn,
blue, and yellow, with a red border. Under each chandelier is
placed a round table of beautiful workmanship, with Italian
black and gold slabs; on the centre table is placed a beautiful
thin light lamp, supported by female figures; on the end tables
are gilt astral lamps. Each pier is filled with a beautiful pier
table, richly bronzed and gilt, corresponding with the round
tables, each table having a lamp and pair of French China
vases, with flowers and shades agreeing with those on the man-
tels. The curtains are of blue and yellow moreen, with a gilded
eagle represented as holding up the drapery, which extends
over the piers. On the cornice is a line of gilded stars, and over
the semi-circle of the door, besides gilded and ornamented rays,
are 24 gilded stars, emblematic of the States, and corresponding
with those on the cornice. The stars have a very fine effect.
The sofas and chairs are covered with blue damask satin. All
the furniture corresponds in color and style."

It seemed to be impossible to please either party
with regard to finishing the '* East Room." Mr. Adams
(or " Mr. Clay's President," as opposition papers
contemptuously designated him) was abused by one
party for his extravagance, and by the other for his
niggardliness. Thus, on Aug. i, 1829, what Mr. Ogle
called the " Court Journal " noted: " It Is well known
that through Mr. Adams's aristocratic pride this ele-

251

THE WHITE HOUSE

gant room was left unfurnished." Three months later,
a correspondent of a New York paper announces:

" The coalition papers tell us that the East Room is going
to be furnished, . . . we are happy to hear it. The manner
in which Mr. Clay's President kept the East Room was dis-
respectful to the office of President of the United States. In-
stead of it looking neat, and clean, and tidy, and being decently
furnished, as the mansion of the President of a great Republic
ought to be, it was full of cobwebs, a few old chairs, lumbering
benches, broken glass, and exactly like one of the apartments
in Windsor Castle, Holyrood Palace, or the Tower of London,
those appendages to kings and monarchs. The head of a Re-
public ought to give an example of the thriftiness and virtuous
habits of the people who put him there. Every plain Republican,
when visiting Washington, will now* find a chair to sit down
upon in the ' East Room.' They won't be kept standing upon
their legs as they do before kings and emperors, and as prac-
ticed by Mr. Clay's President, till they are so tired as scarcely
to know whether they have any legs to stand upon. Unless Gen.
Jackson put good, sound, substantial furniture into the ' East
Room ' the reform is not complete in that quarter."

Ten years later, Mr. Elliott's description of the
house shows that no changes had been made, but in
December, 1839, we read "the East Room has been
greatly improved by being newly painted and papered
with a rich, chaste, beautiful paper." Henry Snow-
don, July I, 1839, had been paid $16.00 for taking
off the old lemon-colored paper; and S. P. Franklin's
bill (Aug. 20, 1839) amounted to $300.00 for 60
pieces of paper and $30.00 for hanging the same
in the East Room. It was a silver paper with golden

252

v'U-^tetjVi^,

MARTIN VAN BUREN

borders. This was another of Mr. Van Buren's ex-
travagances, of which Mr. Ogle complained. He con-
tinues :

" Having paid our respects to the * East Room ' let us take
a view of what is, the present day, called the ' Blue Elliptical
Saloon,' though in former times it was known as the ' Green
Circular Parlor.' This apartment is nearly oval in form, and
is forty feet long by thirty wide. In its beautiful shape, rich
French furniture, showy drapery, costly gilded ornaments, and
general arrangements the * Blue Elliptical Saloon ' has fre-
quently been pronounced the choicest room in the palace."
(Mr. Ogle then proceeds to enumerate the original furnish-
ings.) (See pp. 114-115.)

"Mr. Van Buren expended $1,805.55 within ten months
after he had gone into possession in making improvements in
this room. The bill and receipt of Messrs. Patton & Co., New
York, dated Dec. 12, 1837, amounts in all to $4,316.18.

" The articles for this room were:

3 window curtains $1,307.50

Satin medalh'on 176.37

Silk cord 24.65

Plain satin 38.12

Galloon 74-50

Silk tassels 42.00

Gimp 54.65

Repairing and covering 14 chairs 24.00

do. 2 sofas 24.00

do. 4 tabourets 8.00

do. 2 screens 4.00

do. 2 footstools 6.25

do. 4 sets pillows 16.OO

do. music stool i .50

253

THE WHITE HOUSE

" Curtains for the seven windows of the East Room,
$3,875.35. The curtains that were there at the retirement of
General Jackson were merely crimson damask double silks that
had been bought from Mr. Perdeauville for the modest sum of
$450.

" On each side of the Blue Room and communicating there-
with by very large smoothly varnished doors is a parallelogram
drawing-room of 30 by 22 ft. These are called the ' green ' and
' yellow ' drawing-rooms. . . . These three parlors were for-
merly used for the reception of company on a stated day
(Wednesday) in every week, when the palace doors were
thrown wide open for all the citizens of the Republic who were
disposed to enter and pay their respects to the Chief Magistrate
of the nation. But the good old usages and liberal practices of
Jefferson, Madison and Monroe are no longer of authority at
the palace; economy is now the order of the day. Hence, in-
stead of those old and well appointed weekly visits and greet-
ings, when all the People were at liberty to partake of the
good cheer of the President's house, there has been substituted
one cold, stiff, formal and ceremonious assembly on the first
day of every year. At this annual levee, notwithstanding its
pomp and pageantry, no expense M^hatever is incurred by the
President personally. No fruits, cake, wine, coffee, hard cider,
or other refreshments of any kind are tendered to his guests.
Indeed, it would militate against all the rules of court etiquette
now established at the palace to permit vulgar eating and drink-
ing on this Grand Gala Day. The only entertainment there
served up consists in profound bows, stately promenades, formal
civilities, ardent expressions of admiration for the pageant pass-
ing before your eyes with anxious inquiries about the weather.
This admirable course levies no unwilling contributions on the
private funds of the President. The Marine Band, however, is
always ordered from the Navy Yard, and stationed in the spa-
cious front hall, from whence they swell the rich saloons of

254

MARTIN VAN BUREN

the palace with ' Hail to the Chief,' * Wha'll be King but
Charlie,' and a hundred other airs, which ravish with delight
the ears of warriors who have never smelt powder."

All this splendor was as nothing, however, in com-
parison with the iniquitous display of the President's
dinner-table. We have already seen that Mr. Van
Buren was a bon vivant of the first water; and ex-
celled In giving elegant little dinners. At these, his
Congressional critic had been present on more than
one occasion; and, therefore, spoke with authority,
when he denounced the table-service, as follows :

" How delightful it must be to a real genuine Loco Foco
to eat his pate de foie gras, dinde desosse and salade a la volaille
from a silver plate with a golden knife and fork. And how
exquisite to sip with a golden spoon his soupe a la Reine from a
silver tureen.

" I will in the next place call the attention of the committee
to the bill for the splendid French china for dinner service, and
the elegant dessert set of blue and gold with eagle ; all made to
order in France, and imported by Louis Veron & Co., cele-
brated dealers in fancy China, &c., Philadelphia.

" The Set of French China for dinner service has 440 pieces,
consisting of olive boats, octagon salad bowls, pickle shells, long
fish dishes, &c., &c., and cost $1,000.

" The Dessert Set, blue and gold with eagle, composed of
412 pieces, including six stands for bonbons, with three stages;
eight tambours with three stages; twelve sweetmeat compotiers
on feet; eight compotiers on feet; six large fruit baskets on feet;
four ice-cream vases and covers, with inside bowls; 60 Greek-
form cups and saucers, &c., &c., cost $1,000. . . .

" The next piece of democratic * furniture ' on the Presi-

THE WHITE HOUSE

dent's table to which I would call your very particular attention
is the ' Surtout,' or bronze gilded Plateau, a large ornamented
or pictured tray, which stands on the centre of the table. The
Plateau, with the richly-gilded baskets, tripods and Etruscan
vases which accompany it, cost in Paris 6,000 francs, and is the
only piece of table * furniture ' which has not been purchased
since the Democratic days of retrenchment and reform. Some
four or five months after Mr. Van Buren took possession of
the palace, he paid $75 of the People's cash to Mr. Zachariah
Nicholas for dressing up the Plateau, and it now looks quite
new. (See pp. 117, 237.)

" Having disposed of the pictured tray, I will direct your
attention for a few minutes to the magnificent set of Table
Glass contained in three several bills. The first bill is for Cham-
pagne Glasses, Clarets, Goblets, Cordials, Water Bottles, &c.,
bought from Messrs. Veron & Co. for $924. The second bill
is for richest cut Tumblers, cut Centre Bowls and Stands, cut
Floating Island Dishes, cut Pitchers, &c., purchased from Bake-
well & Co. for $1,451,75. The third bill, for $220.75,
was rendered by James P. Drummond (June 8th, 1837) for
decanters, claret wines, cut pillar stem, green finger cups, cut
wine coolers and water bottles. These three bills for table glass
make the clever sum of $2,596.50. What will honest Loco Focos
say to Mr, Van Buren for spending the People's cash in foreign
Fanny Kemble green finger cups, in which to wash his pretty
tapering, soft, white lily fingers, after dining on fricandeau de
veau and omelette souiflP. How will the friends of temperance
relish the foreign * cut wine coolers ' and the ' barrel shape flute
decanters with cone stoppers ' ? "

Mr. Ogle next waxes wroth over $100 that was
paid to John Thomas of Baltimore (Nov. 13, 1837)
for a set of artificial flowers for the President's table.

256

MARTIN VAN BUREN

" The remaining bill, which makes up the sum of $11,191.32,
before mentioned, consists of various articles of cutlery, bought
from Messrs. Louis Veron & Co. for $568 ; among which are
table knives plated on steel, silver ferule and transparent ivory
handles, $300. Dessert set to match, guard carvers, &c., &c. . . .

" The Court Banqueting room also possesses a great variety
of very rich and valuable furniture, such as mirrors, mahogany
sideboards, mahogany chairs, gilt cornices, window curtains,
bronze bowl lamps, antique patterns, gilded, carved and gar-
nished with stars and swan necks (see p. 117), mantel orna-
ments, Brussels carpets, butler's stools, &c., &c. Indeed, there
is scarcely anything wanting to make the Court Banqueting
room resemble in its style and magnificence the banqueting halls
of the Oriental monarchs. . . .

*' I will next call your attention to a schedule which I have
prepared from ' official vouchers.'

"Articles bought from Messrs. Lewis Veron & Co.:

4 Mantel glasses, rich gilt frames, French plates,

100 by 58 inches $2,000.00

4 Pier Looking-glasses in rich gilt frames (108

by 54) 2,400.00

2 Mirrors for Green Room 700.00

9 Mirrors for Dining Room 700.00

Reframing 2 looking-glasses 100.00

3 Chandeliers for the East Room 3,300.00

3 i8-light cut-glass Chandeliers 1,800.00

3 sets heavy bronzed Chairs and Rockers for do. . 75-00

4 pairs 2-lIght mantel Lamps with drops 356.00

8 5-light bracket lights bronzed and gilt 300.00

4 Pier-table lamps 180.00

2 3-light lamps for East Room 150.00

1 2-light lamp for the Upper Hall 57-50

2 3-light do. Lower do 150.00

257

THE WHITE HOUSE

4 Astral Lamps on pier tables loo.oo

I 4-liglit Hall Lamp lOO.oo

I pair Bracket Lights 60.00

1 3-liglit Centre Lamp, supported by Female Figure 65.00

2 Astral lamps for round tables 65.00

2 pairs plated Candlesticks and branch;::, 85.00

2 do. Chamber 18.00

6 do. do 57-00

9 do. Table 76.50

18 extra cut Lamp Glasses 26.00

4 French bracket lights for East Room 300.00

I pair mantel lamps for Audience Room 20.00

3 hall chandeliers 150.OO

1 octagon hall lamp 14.00

$13,405.00

Mr. Ogle next lashes himself into fury over a
bill (May 30, 1831) for " a chintz covered sofa, $60;
and two plated candlesticks, $20"; and continues:
" What do you opine of the following specimens? "

2 sets of green tea-trays, real gold leaves, 5 in each set $70.00
Ornamental rays over the door 25,00

7 dozen gilt stars 17-50

4 pier tables with Indian slabs 700.00

1 round table, blue and gold slab large 135.00

2 do. do. 100.00

4 bronzed and steel fenders, new style 120.00

24 armchairs and 4 sofas, stuffed and covered, mahogany

work, entirely refinished and cotton covers 600.00

The orator also froths at the mouth over the bills
for kitchen stuff, and the expenditure of $2,460.29,

258

MARTIN VAN BUREN

from March 17, 1837, to Jan. 19, 1838, for hucka-
back towels, Irish linens, Ticklenberg, damask diapers,
table-cloths, Irish sheeting. Mars quilts, flushing,
green gauze, slip thread, spools, tapes, and dry
goods.

A great deal of Mr. Ogle's fulmlnations were
doubtless intended for campaign purposes exclusively;
and at this distance of time it is difficult for us to
arrive at the exact facts. One would think that mem-
bers of Congress, who met only one mile from the
White House, were acquainted with its condition and
were in no need of information; and yet they listened
to Mr. Ogle's arraignment and to his opponents'
statements in rebuttal with the attitude of mind of
a person who was ignorant of the facts.

In reply to Mr. Ogle, Levi Lincoln, of Massachu-
setts, a member of the House Committee that had
the matter in charge, said that he had reported a bill
giving Mr. Van Buren $700 for increasing the fur-
niture. The condition of some of the rooms was
deplorable. In the receiving-room, there was not
even a mirror of any kind, not even a table, except
an old pine one in one corner, and an old worn-out
sofa. The whole lot would not realize $5, and yet
this was the ante-room into which foreign Ministers
and visitors of every description were introduced to
see the President. Therefore, the Committee designed
to supply it with good, substantial furniture of home
manufacture, including a plain mirror at which ladies

259

THE WHITE HOUSE

might adjust their bonnets before being introduced to
the President.

" When the committee visited the White House
before Andrew Jackson vacated it, one room was
found to be occupied by the President's private sec-
retary, with his wife and family. In this there
were three old chairs, a stained wash-stand, and a
shabby, old-fashioned mahogany turn-up table that
President Monroe's waggoner had absolutely refused
to remove," Mr. Lincoln added: "If any gentleman
doubts it, let him inspect the chamber itself ! "

Notwithstanding all the money that had been spent
upon it, the White House was neither a comfortable
nor sanitary abode, according to the reports of sev-
eral witnesses. It was probably responsible for the
deaths of two Presidents — General Harrison and
General Zachary Taylor. Mr. Van Buren spent some
of the money voted by Congress on internal improve-
ments, as well as on mere decoration. Mrs. Fremont
says:

" Mr. Van Buren had the glass screen put quite across that
windy entrance hall, and great wood fires made a struggle
against the chill of the house, but it was so badly underdrained
that in all long rains the floors of kitchens and cellars were
actually under water."

She adds:

" No summer residence was then provided for the President.
They stayed on through heat and cold. Mr. Fillmore, after the

26q

MARTIN VAN BUREN

death of President Taylor, was the first to avoid the house
where the marshes between it and the river made malaria in-
evitable; he rented and lived in a pretty place on Georgetown
heights, known as ' the English cottage.'

" There was of course the routine of formal dinners and the
many informal ones to more intimate friends. Mr. Van Buren
especially gave charming little dinners, always in the more
homelike family dining-room. The regular receptions, both day
and evenings, were for ceremonious visits; but on any evening
the family of the President was to be found at home — with
their needlework and books and intimate friends — in short, liv-
ing as other people do. I only write here of those up to '55."

An English traveller, James Silk Buckingham,
founder of The Athenaiim, Member of Parliament,
and an enthusiastic advocate of the temperance cause,
affords us the following description of the President's
first drawing-room :

" On Thursday, the 8th of March (1838) we had an oppor-
tunity of attending the first drawing-room held by the Presi-
dent since his accession to office. . . .

" We went about nine o'clock with the family of Colonel
Gardiner, who is attached to the public service here, and found
the company already assembled in great numbers. The official
residence of the President is a large and substantial mansion,
on the scale of many of the country-seats of our English gentry,
but greatly inferior in size and splendor to the country resi-
dences of most of our nobility; and the furniture, though suffi-
ciently commodious and appropriate, is far from being elegant
or costly. The whole air of the mansion and its accompaniments
is that of unostentatious comfort, without parade or display,
and therefore well adapted to the simplicity and economy which
is characteristic of the republican institutions of the country.

261

THE WHITE HOUSE

" The President received his visitors standing, in the centre
of a small oval room, the entrance to which was directly from
the hall on the ground-floor. The introductions were made by
the City Marshal, who announced the names of the parties;
and each, after shaking hands with the President, and ex-
changing a few words of courtesy, passed into the adjoining
rooms to make way for others. The President, Mr. Van Buren,
is about sixty years of age, is a little below the middle stature,
and of very bland and courteous manners; he was dressed in
a plain suit of black; the marshal was habited also in a plain
suit: and there were neither guards without the gate, or sen-
tries within; nor a single servant or attendant in livery any-
where visible. Among the company we saw the English Minis-
ter, Mr. Fox, a nephew of Lord Holland, and the French
Minister, Monsieur Pontoi, both of whom were also in plain
clothes; and the only uniforms, in the whole party, were those
of three or four officers of the American Navy, officially at-
tached to the Navy-yard at Washington; and half a dozen
officers of the American Army, on active service. The dresses
of the ladies were some of them elegant, but generally charac-
terized by simplicity and jewels were scarcely at all worn. The
party, therefore, though consisting of not less than 2,000 per-
sons, was much less brilliant than a drawing-room in England,
or than a fashionable soiree in Paris; but it was far more
orderly and agreeable than any party of an equal number that
I ever remember to have attended in Europe.

"There being no rank (for the President himself is but a
simple citizen, filling a certain office for a certain term), there
was no question of precedence, and no thought, as far as I
could discover, of comparison as to superiority. Every one pres-
ent acted as though he felt himself to be on a footing of equality
with every other person; and if claims of preference were ever
thought of at all, they were tested only by the standard of
personal services, or personal merits. Amidst the whole party,

262

MARTIN VAN BUREN

therefore, whether in the small receiving-room, and around the
person of the President, or in the larger room of promenade,
where 500 persons at least were walking in groups, or in the
small adjoining rooms, to which parties retired for seats and
conversation, nothing approaching to superciliousness or rude-
ness Avas seen. The humbler classes — for of these there were
many, since the only qualification for admission to the morning
levee, or the evening drawing-room, is that of being a citizen
of the United States — behaved with the greatest propriety; and
though the pressure was at one time excessive, when it was
thought that there were nearly 3,000 persons in the different
apartments, yet we never heard a rude word, or saw a rude
look, but everything indicated respect, forbearance and perfect
contentment; and when the parties retired, which w^as between
eleven and twelve o'clock, there was not half so much bustle
in getting up the carriages, which were very numerous, as is
exhibited at a comparatively small party in England ; nor was
any angry word, as far as we could discover, exchanged be-
tween the drivers and servants in attendance.

" This drawing-room, from which we retired about midnight,
as we were among the last that remained, impressed us alto-
gether with a very favorable opinion of the social character of
the American people."

He also writes:

" The President walked into the church unattended by a
single servant, took his place in a pew in which others were
sitting besides himself, and retired in the same manner as he
came, without being noticed in any other degree than any other
member of the congregation, and walking home alone, until
joined by one or two personal friends, like any other private
gentleman. In taking exercise, he usually rides out on horse-
back, and is generally unattended, or if accompanied by a
servant, never by more than one."

263

THE WHITE HOUSE

About the same time, another English traveller,
Captain Marryat, says:

"Mr. Van Buren is a very gentleman-like, intelligent man;
very proud of talking over his visit to England and the English
with whom he was acquainted. It is remarkable, that although
at the head of the Democratic party, Mr. Van Buren has taken
a step striking at the very roots of their boasted equality, and
one on which General Jackson did not venture — /. e. he has
prevented the mobocracy from intruding themselves at his
levees. The police are now stationed at the door, to prevent
the intrusion of any improper person. A few years ago, a fellow
would drive his cart, or hackney coach, up to the door, walk
into the saloon in all his dirt, and force his way to the Presi-
dent, that he might shake him by the one hand, whilst he flour-
ished his whip with the other. The revolting scenes which took
place Avhen refreshments were handed round, the injury done
to the furniture, and the disgust of the ladies, may be well
imagined. Mr. Van Buren deserves great credit for this step,
for it was a bold one ; but I must not praise him too much, or
he may lose his next election."

During President Van Buren's first season, there
was no mistress of the White House; but In Novem-
ber, 1838, his son and private secretary, Abraham,
brought there a bride who graced all future enter-
tainments. This was Angelica Singleton, the daugh-
ter of Richard Singleton, a wealthy planter of Sumter
County, South Carolina. The young lady had been
educated in Philadelphia and spent a winter In the
home of her relative, William C. Preston, Senator
from South Carolina. Another relative, Dolly Madi-

264

■2il"1

m

"^~\

CAPTAIN M\KI

MARTIN VAN BUREN

son, introduced her to the President and she soon
became a great favorite at the White House. She was
married at her father's home, and made her first
appearance as hostess of the White House on Jan.
I, 1839.

The Boston Post says of this reception :

" The Executive Mansion was a place of much more than
usual attraction in consequence of the first appearance there of
the bride of the President's son and private secretary, Mrs.
Abram Van Buren. She is represented as being a lady of rare
accomplishments, very modest yet perfectly easy and graceful
in her manners, and free and vivacious in her conversation.
She was universally admired and is said to have borne the
fatigue of a three hours' levee with a patience and pleasantry
which must be inexhaustible to last one through so severe a
trial. A constant current set in from the President's house to
the modest mansion of the much respected lady of ex-President
Madison. Ex-President Adams and his lady were also cordially
greeted at their residence by a number of friends."

In the spring of 1839, Mr. and Mrs. Van Buren
paid a visit to Europe. Mrs. Van Buren's uncle, An-
drew Stevenson, was Minister to Great Britain, and
entertained the Van Burens. Mrs. Van Buren was pre-
sented at Court and was much admired in English
society. She was also presented at the French Court.
The Van Burens returned to Washington in the
autumn, Colonel Van Buren to resume his duties as
secretary to his father, and his wife to preside over
the White House. The portrait of Mrs. Van Buren,

265

THE WHITE HOUSE

which is now in the lower corridor of the White House,
was painted by Henry Inman in 1842. She is in Court
costume, wearing a dress of white silk, with a scarf
thrown loosely around her arms and feathers in her
hair. Her necklace is of pearl and a jewelled band
ornaments her head with a pendant on her forehead.
Mr. Van Buren always held a New Year's reception
in accordance with the custom of his predecessors; but
was not particular about keeping the Fourth of July
in Washington. For example, in 1839 he arrived in
Jersey City on July 3, and paid a visit to New York,
receiving an address of welcome at Castle Garden.
After reviewing the troops, we are told that he rode
up Broadway on a fine black charger with a royal air,
managing his steed like a cavalier. He alighted at the
City Hall, where further ceremonies had been arranged
in his honor. He stayed in New York till July 9.

It was customary for some of Mr. Van Buren's
country friends to send him a monster cheese every
year. This on one occasion he caused to be distributed
to his callers at a public reception. The crumbs were
trodden into the carpet of the East Room and ruined
the upholstery of the splendid furniture, so the prac-
tice was discontinued.

In 1839 the President had a monster cheese sold
for charity. The advertisement in the National Intelli-
gencer reads:

" A cheese weighing 700 pounds is now at the store of Mr.
William Orme, near the corner of nth street and Pennsyl-

266

MARTIN VAN BUREN

vania Avenue, where it will remain entire for one daj', and
will afterwards be sold in quantities to suit purchasers. It is
from the dairy of Colonel Meachem of Orange County, New
York, by whom it was presented two years ago to the President
of the United States, and has been preserved with great care.
Having been made expressly for the President and by a gentle-
man whose cheeses are in high repute, it may be supposed to
be of the very best quality."

Mr. Van Buren left the White House with as much
apparent unconcern as he entered it. The Albany
Jrgus, March 13, 1841, tells us:

" On Monday, March ist, a large number of the Democracy
called upon iVIr. Van Buren, and were received by him in the
celebrated East Room, where he bid them farewell. He walked
down the Avenue to-day (March 4th), as unconcerned as the
most humble spectator in the crowd."

In 1840 N. P. Willis describes the White House
as follows;

" The residence of the Chief Magistrate of the United States
resembles the country seat of an English nobleman, in its archi-
tecture and size; but it is to be regretted that the parallel
ceases when we come to the grounds. By itself it is a com-
modious and creditable building, serving its purpose without
too much state for a republican country, yet likely, as long as
the country exists without primogeniture and rank, to be suffi-
ciently superior to all other dwelling houses to mark it as the
residence of the nation's chief.

" The President's house stands near the centre of an area of
some 20 acres, occupying a very advantageous elevation, open
to the view of the Potomac and about 44 feet above high water,

267

THE WHITE HOUSE

.'ind possessing from its balcony one of the loveliest prospects
in our country — the junction of the two branches of the Poto-
mac which border the District and the swelling and varied
shores beyond of the States of Maryland and Virginia. The
birildinp; is 170 feet front and 86 deep and is built of white
freestone, with Ionic pilasters, comprehending two lofty stories,
witli a stone balustrade. The north front is ornamented with
a portico sustained by four Ionic columns, with three columns
of projection, the outer intercolumniation affording a shelter
for carriages to drive under. The garden front on the river
is varied by what is called a rusticated basement story, in the
Ionic style, and by a semicircular projecting colonnade of six
columns, with two spacious and airy flights of steps leading to a
balustrade on the level of the principal story.

" The interior of the President's house is well disposed and
possesses one superb reception room and two oval drawing-
rooms (one in each story) of very beautiful proportions. The
other rooms are not remarkable, and there is an inequality in
the furniture of the whole house (owing to the unwillingness
and piecemeal manner with which Congress votes any moneys
for its decoration) which destroys its effect as a comfortable
dwelling. The oval rooms are carpeted with Gobelin tapestry,
worked with the national emblems, and are altogether in a
more consistent style than the other parts of the house. It is
to be hoped that Congress will not always consider the furniture
of the President's house as the scapegoat of all sum.ptuary and
aristocratic sins, and that we shall soon be able to introduce
strangers not only to a comfortable and well-appointed, but
to a properly served and nicely kept, Presidential Mansion."

268

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
HARRISON AND TYLER

1841-1845

Excitement of the Whigs; the Inauguration and Balls; the New
President at Home; Illness and Death of General Harrison; the
Impressive Funeral; Tyler Removes to the White House; John
Quincy Adams Visits and Dines with the President; Charles
Dickens's Description of a Visit to the White House and a Levee;
Visit of the Prince de Joinville; President Tyler's Advice to His
Family; Mrs. Robert Tyler; Entertainments at the White House;
Elizabeth Tyler's Wedding; Death of Mrs. I'yler; New Year's
Reception, 1844; the Accident on the Princeton; the President's
Wedding and Fourth of July Receptions at the White House;
the Second Mrs. Tyler as Mistress of the White House; New
Year's Day, 1845; Farewell to the White House; the Tylers'
Exit.

WHEN General William Henry Harrison,
whose campaign had been attended by an
unprecedented enthusiasm, arrived in Washington a
few days before his Inauguration, the city was In a
whirl of excitement. A New York correspondent writes
on March i :

" General Harrison arrived in this cit)^ last evening from

Richmond. He stays until his Inauguration at the residence of

the Mayor of the city.^ Tiie city is crowded with strangers to

overflowing — all the iiotels and boarding-houses have been filled

* W. W. Seaton.

269

THE WHITE HOUSE

for days past. Half a dozen in one room and three in a bed
are common arrangements."

A Baltimore reporter was one of a hundred that
slept on a pallet in the dining-room of Gadsby's Hotel.

We also learn that the " General looked exceedingly
hale and hearty " and " walked uncovered along Penn-
sylvania Avenue, bowing to the ladies who thronged
the windows and balconies."

The Whigs had not been in power for sixteen
years; and there was general rejoicing; and "Penn-
sylvania Avenue was as full as Broadway on a gala
night." The President-elect, however, urbane and cor-
dial to all, had the courage to give out the following
mandate:

" He has had so much fatigue to go through in shaking hands
during the last five or six months, and more especially since his
departure from home that his arm has become painfully af-
fected by it and he is obliged to decline that mode of saluting
his visitors."

Washington never saw such a procession as formed
and called for the new President at Mr, Seaton's, to
escort him to the Capitol.

The General — the observed of all observers — was
mounted upon a white steed, without extra trappings,
and himself clad In the simple attire of a country citi-
zen. He was everywhere cheered as he passed, and
thousands of white handkerchiefs were waved as he
passed by the ladies at the windows.

270

WILLIAM H. HARRISON

HARRISON AND TYLER

He read his inaugural address from the eastern
portico of the Capitol. Before delivering the final
paragraph, he paused and took the oath of office from
the Chief Justice. Then, amid resounding cheers, he
descended from the portico, remounted his charger,
and the procession renewed its march through the
Northern gate in the same order as It had entered
the enclosure, around the Northern circle of the Capi-
tol yard to Pennsylvania Avenue, and then up the
Avenue to Fifteenth Street, to the Pennsylvania Avenue
In front of the public offices and the President's house,
and then through the Western gate in front of the
President's to his house, into which It passed by sec-
tions through the front door, where they were received
by the President, and passed out, without halting, at
the South door and were dismissed.

" The crowd at the President's house was immense, and the
marvel is that serious accidents did not occur.

" In the procession was one huge car, drawing a log cabin
filled with people, and bearing upon the logs outside the names
of the whig states and the majorities cast by each. There was
also another car of great size, containing a cotton-mill and a
loom in actual operation. As fast as the cloth was woven, slips
were cut off and thrown to the people."

The log cabin was, of course, in allusion to the
" Log Cabin Campaign."

Witnesses speak of the President's excellent health
and of his strong and popular Cabinet. Rockets were
blazing throughout the evening, fire-balloons were sent

271

THE WHITE HOUSE

up and two balls were given. The Intelligencer re-
porter says:

" The Inauguration balls were all well attended and went
off with great eclat. The first I attended was the Democratic
Tippecanoe Ball, which was got up in superb style by the man-
agers. If it was not the most fashionable as respects the com-
pany, nor so thronged as it ought to have been, there lacked
nothing to make it delightful in the highest degree. So thought
General Harrison, and the members of the Cabinet, and for-
eign functionaries who went early and stayed late.

" The ball at the New Assembly Room was a magnificent
affair. The two great saloons were filled to overflowing; and
among the company were the most beautiful and distinguished
of the land.

" To-day, President Harrison received the ladies. There was
a large and splendid assemblage."

An interesting little touch regarding the President
is given by a friend who writes:

" General Harrison at first did his own marketing, but only
for a few days, for the worry of office and the importunities
of office-seekers seriously interfered with his domestic activities,
and drove him to depend solely on his steward.

" The Lady of the White House was the President's daugh-
ter-in-law, an attractive young widow."

Harrison was accompanied to Washington by his
widowed daughter-in-law, Mrs. Jane F. Harrison,
and her two sons. She was a woman of refinement
and a very popular hostess during her brief residence
in the White House.

272

HARRISON AND TYLER

The next excitement was the sudden illness of the
President, who caught a heavy cold that soon gave
cause for alarm. Daniel Webster had no hope from
the first. Mr. Tyler, the Vice-President, was visiting
his home in Virginia. On April 4, just a month after
his Inauguration, the President died. The body lay
in state for two days in the East Room; and the
funeral, which took place on April 7, occasioned even
a greater concourse than the Inauguration. Every
steam-boat, train, coach, and carriage poured crowds
into the city, where bells were constantly tolled and
minute guns fired. The religious services were con-
ducted in the East Room by the Rev. Dr. Hawley,
who, after reading the service, delivered a eulogy. An
eye-witness writes:

" On one side of the coffin sat President Tyler and the mem-
bers of the Cabinet. Next to them sat ex-President Adams,
and below him four members of the last Administration, viz.,
Messrs. Forsyth, Poinsett, Paulding and Gilpin. The foreign
Ministers with their respective suites were also present in full
costume. On the other side of the coffin, the members of the
late President's family and household, including his favorite
aides-de-camp, when in service, Colonels Chambers and Todd,
were ranged. The Senators and Representatives in Congress yet
remaining in the capital, and many ladies were likewise present.
Two of the late President's swords were placed upon the pall
which was decorated with flowers. At the foot of the coffin,
upon a table, were the Bible and prayer-book of the deceased.

" The pall-bearers, numbering twenty-six — one for each State
in the Union — wore white scarfs and black crape. Various

THE WHITE HOUSE

military companies and members of the Maryland legislature
took part in the procession, which left the President's house at
half-past tuclvc. This, the largest procession yet seen in Wash-
ington, extended more than two miles, and is said to have con-
tained 10,000 persons.

" It was more imposing and better arranged than that of
the Inauguration. The military escort, under the orders of
iMajor-Gencral Macomb, was composed of United States Corps,
of the militia officers and volunteer corps of the District, of
Baltimore, Annapolis, Virginia, etc. The houses and stores on
Pennsylvania Avenue, and also the public buildings were hung
with black, and all business was suspended during the day.

" The corpse was placed on a magnificent funeral car drawn
by eight white horses, attended by grooms dressed in white.
The car was covered entirely with black velvet. The coffin was
placed on it, covered also with a pall of black velvet, embroid-
ered with gold. Immediately behind the corpse came the family
of the deceased in carriages, and after them President Tyler
in a carriage with Mr. Webster. The other heads of Depart-
ments and public officers then followed, and after them the
foreign Ministers and suites in full diplomatic dress in their
carriages of state. Ex-President Adams and Mr. Forsyth walked
arm-in-arm."

The body was placed in the public vault.

For the first time in the history of this country, the
Vice-President suddenly found himself President. He
removed to the White House on April 14th. The office
of Vice-President had been so little desired that it
went practically by default; and on the death of
President Harrison the politicians were In dismay. The
Cabinet were frankly hostile to Tyler; and he aroused

274

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HARRISON AND TYLER

bitter criticism by insisting that he was President in-
stead of acting President. The position he assumed,
however, formed a precedent which was fully sustained
by his successors under similar circumstances. The op-
position he met with throughout his Administration
is well described by the popular saying that " he was
a President without a party." He had every reason to
feel this, and good-humoredly acknowledged it. Thus,
at the very end of his term, he gave on Feb. 19, 1845,
a party at the White House which was attended by
more than two thousand guests; and when one of
them congratulated him on the brilliant gathering, he
replied: " Yes, they cannot say now that I am a Presi-
dent without a party." This jest went the round of
the papers.

The bitter feeling on the subject is clearly evidenced
in the diary of Ex-President John Quincy Adams:

" I paid a visit this morning (16 April, 1841) to Mr. Tyler,
who styles himself President of the United States, and not
Vice-President acting as President, which would be the cor-
rect style. But it is a construction in direct violation both of
the grammar and context of the Constitution, which confers
upon the Vice-President, on the decease of the President, not
the office, but the powers and duties of the said office, . . . He
moved into the house two dajs ago and received me in the old
South-east Chamber. He received me very kindly and apolo-
gized for not having visited me without waiting for this call.
To this I had no claim or pretension. My visit was very short,
as there were several persons in attendance, and among them
Mr. Southard, now President of the Senate."

27s

THE WHITE HOUSE

On April 24, President Tyler received the Diplo-
matic Corps, who in the absence of the British Min-
ister, Mr. Fox (who was ill), were led by Mr. Bo-
disco. The latter delivered the customary address to
the President, who replied.

Little gaiety, of course, marked the close of the
season ; but on July 4, President Tyler gave a dinner,
which is thus described by John Quincy Adams:

" I came home and at five o'clock went and dined with
President Tyler and a company chiefly of members of the
House of Representatives. William C. Rives of Virginia and
Reuel WiUiams of Maine were the only members of the Sen-
ate present. Major-General Winfield Scott with his Aide-de-
Camp, Captain Robert Anderson. Scott has just received the
appointment of Major-General in the place of the deceased
General Macomb. . . . Lawrence of the Treasury Depart-
ment, commonly called Beau Lawrence, was present and the
President and his private secretary, John Tyler, Jr.

** There was turtle soup from a turtle weighing three
hundred pounds, a present from Key West. The President
drank wine with every person at table in squads. He gave
two toasts and called on me for one. I gave : * The applica-
tion to our political institutions of that principle of the law
of nature, by which all nature's difference keeps all nature's
peace.'

"After dinner I called to see Mr. Badger; but he was out
on the square of the President's house, viewing the fireworks,
as I did."

For a pen-picture of the White House, its visitors,
and occupants during the first year of Mr. Tyler's Ad-

276

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HARRISON AND TYLER

ministration, we cannot do better than quote Charles
Dickens :

" The President's mansion is more h'ke an English club-
house, both within and without, than any other kind of estab-
lishment with which I can compare it. The ornamental ground
about it has been laid out in garden walks; they are pretty,
and agreeable to the eye; though they have that uncomfortable
air of having been made yesterday, which is far from favourable
to the display of such beauties.

" My first visit to this house was on the morning after my
arrival, when I was carried thither by an official gentleman,
who was so kind as to charge himself with my presentation to
the President.

" We entered a large hall, and having twice or thrice rung
a bell which nobody answered, walked without further cere-
mony through the rooms on the ground floor, as divers other
gentlemen (mostly with their hats on, and their hands in their
pockets), were doing very leisurely. Some of these had ladies
with them, to whom they were showing the premises; others
were lounging on the chairs and sofas; others, in a perfect state
of exhaustion from listlessness, were yawning drearily. The
greater portion of this assemblage were rather asserting their
supremacy than doing anything else, as they had no particular
business there, that anybody knew of. A few were closely e5'e-
ing the moveables, as if to make quite sure that the President
(who was far from popular) had not made away with any of
the furniture, or sold the fixtures for his private benefit.

" After glancing at these loungers; who were scattered over
a pretty drawing-room, opening upon a terrace which com-
manded a beautiful prospect of the river and the adjacent
country; and who were sauntering too about a larger state-
room called the Eastern Drawing-room ; we went up stairs
into another cliamber, where were certain visitors, waiting for

277

THE WHITE HOUSE

audiences. At sight of my conductor, a black in plain clothes
and 3ellovv slippers who was gliding noiselessly about, and
whispering messages in the ears of the more impatient, made a
sign of recognition, and glided off to announce him.

" We had previously looked into another chamber fitted all
round with a great bare wooden desk or counter, whereon lay
files of newspapers, to w^hich sundry gentlemen were referring.
But there were no such means of beguiling the time in this
apartment, which was as unpromising and tiresome as any wait-
ing-room in one of our public establishments, or any physician's
dining-room during his hours of consultation at home.

" There were some fifteen or twenty persons in the room.
One, a tall, wiry, muscular old man, from the west; sunburnt
and swarthy; with a brown white hat on his knees, and a giant
umbrella resting between his legs; who sat bolt upright in his
chair, frowning steadily at the carpet, and twitching the hard
lines about his mouth, as if he had made up his mind 'to fix '
the President on what he had to say, and wouldn't bate him a
grain. Another, a Kentucky farmer, six-feet-six in height, with
his hat on, and his hands under his coat-tails, who leaned against
the wall and kicked the floor with his heel, as though he had
Time's head under his shoe, and were literally ' killing ' him.
A third, an oval-faced, bilious-looking man, with sleek black
hair cropped close, and whiskers and beard shaved down to
blue dots, who sucked the head of a thick stick, and from time
to time took it out of his mouth, to see how it was getting on.
A fourth did nothing but whistle. A fifth did nothing but spit.
And indeed all these gentlemen were so very persevering and
energetic in this latter particular, and bestowed their favours
so abundantly upon the carpet, that I take it for granted the
Presidential housemaids have high wages, or, to speak more
genteelly, an ample amount of ' compensation ' : which is the
American word for salary, in the case of all public servants.

" We had not waited in this room many minutes, before the

278

HARRISON AND TYLER

black messenger returned, and conducted us into another of
smaller dimensions, where, at a business-like table covered with
papers, sat the President himself. He looked somewhat worn
and anxious, and well he might; being at war with everybody
— but the expression of his face was mild and pleasant, and
his manner was remarkably unaffected, gentlemanly, and agree-
able. I thought that in his whole carnage and demeanour, he
became his station singularly well.

" Being advised that the sensible etiquette of the republican
court, admitted of a traveller, like myself, declining, without
any impropriety, an invitation to dinner, which did not reach
me until I had concluded my arrangements for leaving Wash-
ington some days before that to which it referred, I only re-
turned to this house once. It was on the occasion of one of
those general assemblies which are held on certain nights, be-
tween the hours of nine and twelve o'clock, and are called,
rather oddly, Levees.

" I went, with my wife, at about ten. There was a pretty
dense crowd of carriages and people in the court-yard, and so
far as I could make out, there were no very clear regulations
for the taking up or setting down of company. There were
certainly no policemen to soothe startled horses, either by saw-
ing at their bridles or flourishing truncheons in their eyes; and
I am ready to make oath that no inoffensive persons were
knocked violently on the head, or poked acutely in their backs
or stomachs; or brought to a standstill by any such gentle
means, and then taken into custody for not moving on. But
there was no confusion or disorder. Our carriage reached the
porch in its turn, without any blustering, swearing, shouting,
backing, or other disturbance: and we dismounted with as much
ease and comfort as though we had been escorted by the whole
Metropolitan Force from A to Z inclusive.

"The suite of rooms on the ground-floor were lighted up;
and a military band was playing in the hall. In the smaller

279

THE WHITE HOUSE

drawing-room, the centre of a circle of company, were the
President and liis daughter-in-law, who acted as the lady of
the mansion : and a very interesting, graceful, and accomplished
lady too. One gentleman who stood among this group ap-
peared to take upon himself the functions of a master of the
ceremonies. I saw no other officers or attendants, and none
were needed.

" The great drawing-room, which I have already mentioned,
and the other chambers on the ground-floor, were crowded to
excess. The company was not, in our sense of the term, select,
for it comprehended persons of very many grades and classes;
nor was there any great display of costly attire: indeed, some
of the costumes may have been, for aught I know, grotesque
enough. But the decorum and propriety of behaviour which
prevailed were unbroken by any rude or disagreeable incident;
and every man, even among the miscellaneous crowd in the
hall who were admitted without any orders or tickets to look
on, appeared to feel that he was a part of the Institution, and
was responsible for its preserving a becoming character, and
appearing to the best advantage.

" That these visitors, too, whatever their station, were not
without some refinement of taste and appreciation of intel-
lectual gifts, and gratitude to those men who, by the peaceful
exercise of great abilities, shed new charms and associations
upon the homes of their countrymen, and elevate their char-
acter in other lands, was most earnestly testified by their re-
ception of Washington Irving, my dear friend, who had recently
been appointed Minister at the court of Spain, and who was
among them that night, in his new character, for the first and
last time before going abroad. I sincerely believe that in all
the madness of American politics, few public men would have
been so earnestly, devotedly, and affectionately caressed, as this
most charming writer: and I have seldom respected a public
assembly more, than I did this eager throng, when I saw them

280

HARRISON AND TYLER

turning with one mind from noisy orators and officers of state,
and flocking with a generous and honest impulse round the
man of quiet pursuits: proud in his promotion as reflecting
back upon their country: and grateful to him with their whole
hearts for the store of graceful fancies he had poured out
among them. Long may he dispense such treasures with un-
sparing hand; and long may they remember him as worthily! "

The Madisoiiian (March 17, 1842) gives the fol-
lowing report of the evening reception attended by
Mr. Dickens:

" The levee held by the President on Thursday evening
last was a brilliant affair, and gave satisfactory evidence of
the esteem in which that high functionary is held in social
circles.

" Among the visitors of peculiar note were the distinguished
authors of the Sketch-Book and of the Pickwick Papers, in
addition to whom almost all the Ministers of foreign Powers
to our Government were in attendance in full court dress.
The rooms were filled to overflowing with the talent and
beauty of the metropolis, whilst Senators and members of
Congress, without distinction of party, served to give interest
and to add animation to the scene. It seems to us that these
levees, as at present conducted, are peculiarly adapted to the
genius of our Republican institutions, inasmuch as all who
please may attend."

A distinguished visitor at the White House also
during the first year of President Tyler's Adminis-
tration was the Prince de Jolnvllle, the third son of
Louis Philippe, who had been entrusted with a mission

281

'J'liK WHITE HOUSE

of bringing to France from St. Helena, the remains
of Napoleon Bonaparte. He was a gallant youth of
twenty-three, and was naturally greatly lionized.
Mrs. Fremont says:

" The President gave for him not only the official dinner
of ceremony, but a ball also. It was said there was Cabinet
remonstrance against dancing in the White House as a ' want
of dignity,' but Mr. Tyler rightly thought a dance would best
please a young navy man and a Frenchman, and we had there-
fore a charming and unusually brilliant ball. All our army and
navy officers were in uniform as the Prince and his suite wore
theirs, and, for the son of a king, the Diplomatic Corps were
in full court dress. Mrs. Tyler was an invalid, and saw only
her old friends; but Mrs. Robert Tyler, the wife of the eldest
son, was every way fitted to be the lady of the White House.
From both her parents, especially her witty and beautiful
mother, she had society qualifications and tact, while the Presi-
dent's youngest daughter was beautiful as well as gentle and
pleasant.

" Mr. Webster as Secretary of State, was, next to the Presi-
dent, the chief person. For fine appearance, for complete fitness
for that representative position, both Mrs. Webster and him-
self have never been surpassed.

" The Prince was tall and fine looking, and Miss Tyler
and himself opened the ball, while those of us who knew
French well were assigned to his officers.

" We had remained in the Oval reception room until the
company was assembled, and then, the President leading, the
whole foreign party were taken through all the drawing rooms,
ending by our taking places for the Quadrille d'honneur in the
East Room; that ceremony over, dancing became general, and
Me were free to choose our partners."

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DANIKI. WKUSIHR

HARRISON AND TYLER

President Tyler's first wife was an invalid, who
suffered from paralysis; and died during the second
year of her husband's Administration. She was a very
beautiful and attractive woman; and was devotedly
cared for in the last three years of her life by her
eldest daughter, Letitia (Mrs. Semple). She saw none
but her intimate friends; and the honors of the White
House were performed for a time by her daughter-
in-law, Mrs. Robert Tyler. Mr. Tyler had a very
high idea of the social duties of his position, and on
his succession to the Presidency is reported to have
admonished his family as follows:

" Now mj' children, during the next few years we are to
occupy the home of the President of the United States. I hope
you will conduct yourselves with even more than your usual
propriety and decorum. Remember you will be much in the
public eye. You are to know no favorites. Your visitors will
be citizens of the United States, and as such are all to be
received with equal courtesy. You will not receive any gifts
whatsoever, and allow no one to approach you on the subject
of office or favors. These words you will kindly remember, and
let It not be incumbent upon me to speak them again."

Mrs. Robert Tyler was the daughter of Thomas
A. Cooper and Miss Mary Fairlie of Philadelphia,
a belle, and famous for her wit. Washington Irving
called her " the fascinating Fairlie," and perpetuated
her in his Salmagundi as " Sophy Sparkle." Mrs. Tyler
inherited the talents of her parents. We cannot gain

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THE WHITE HOUSE

a clearer view of her nature than that afforded by one
of her own letters written at this period to her sister:

"What wonderful changes take place, my dearest M !

Here am I, nee Pricilla Cooper (nez retrousse you will per-
haps think), actually living in, and, what is more, presiding

at the White House! I look at myself, like the little old

woman, and exclaim, ' Can this be I ? ' I have not had one
moment to myself since my arrival, and the most extraordinary
thing is that I feel as if I had been used to living here always,
and receive the cabinet Ministers, the Diplomatic Corps, the
heads of the Army and Navy, etc., etc., with a facility which
astonishes me. * Some achieve greatness, some are born to it.'
I am plainly born to it. I really do possess a degree of modest
assurance that surprises me more than it does any one else.
I am complimented on every side; my hidden virtues are com-
ing out. I am considered * charmante ' by the Frenchmen,
* lovely ' by the Americans, and ' really quite nice, you know,'
by the English. ... I have had some lovely dresses made,
which fit me to perfection — one a pearl-colored silk that will
set you crazy. ... I occupy poor General Harrison's room.
. . . The nice comfortable bedroom with its handsome fur-
niture and curtains, its luxurious arm-chairs, and all its be-
longings, I enjoy, I believe, more than anything in the estab-
lishment. The pleasantest part of my life is when I can shut
myself up here with my precious baby. . . . The greatest
trouble I anticipate is paying visits. There was a doubt at
first whether I must visit in person or send cards ; but I asked
Mrs. Madison's advice upon the subject, and she says, return
all my visits by all means. Mrs. Bache says so too. So three
days in the week I am to spend three hours a day driving
from one street to another in this city of magnificent distances.
... I see so many great men and so constantly that I cannot

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HARRISON AND TYLER

appreciate the blessing! The fact is, when you meet them in
every day life, you forget they are great men at all, and just
find them the most charming companions in the world, talking
the most delightful nonsense, especially the almost awful-look-
ing Mr. Webster, who entertains me with the most charming
gossip."

Mrs. Robert Tyler represented the wife of the
President on state occasions till the death of her
mother-in-law in 1842; then the fourth daughter,
Letltia, Mrs. Semple, became the so-called mistress of
the White House.

While Congress was in session, two dinner-parties
were given every week, one of twenty male guests,
and one of forty ladies and gentlemen of official and
Diplomatic circles. Informal " drawing-rooms " were
held every evening, the doors being closed at 10 p.m.
Up till the date of the first Mrs. Tyler's death, there
was an occasional private ball, to which admission was
gained by special invitation only. These balls were not
especially gay, and always terminated at 1 1 p.m. On
the authority of Major Tyler, who was private sec-
retary to his father and Major Domo of the White
House, we learn that the custom was introduced of
having the Marine Band play on fine evenings In the
White House grounds, to which the general public
was admitted. In addition also to the public recep-
tions on New Year's Day and the Fourth of July, a
public levee was held once a month.

Mrs. Tyler died in the White House on Sept. 10,

285

THE WHITE HOUSE

1842, not long after her youngest daughter, Eliza-
beth, was married to Mr. Waller of Virginia. Mrs.
Tyler was present on the occasion of this marriage,
which took place in the White House, and it was her
first appearance at any large gathering there. Mrs.
Robert Tyler speaks of her attractive appearance in
a quiet gown of faultless taste, her " face shaded by
the soft lace of her cap," and her gracious and self-
possessed manners that charmed every one. The bride,
we are told, was radiant in " her wedding dress and
long blonde lace veil." The wedding was a grand af-
fair and the guests included the Cabinet officers and
their families, foreign Ministers, relatives, and per-
sonal friends of the family, not the least important of
whom was Mrs. Madison.

The funeral services of Mrs. Tyler were held at
the White House at four in the afternoon, Monday,
Sept. 12, 1842. The remains were taken to Virginia
the next day and interred in the family burying-
ground. After her death, as was natural, there were
no festivities at the White House during the next
year, only the necessary formal receptions being held.

The New Year's Day reception took place as usual
in 1843, ^"d was fully attended. According to the
National Intelligencer-. "The Diplomatic Corps and
a large concourse of citizens, resident and transient,
civil and military, paid their respects to the President
and his family, and were received with his character-
istic cordiality."

286

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w

f

MRS. JOHN rVLHk; OKK.INAL IN IHK UIIIII. MOUSE

HARRISON AND TYLER

On June 9, 1843, the President started on a north-
ern tour by way of New York, for the celebration
of the completion of the Bunker Hill Monument, on
June 19, arriving in Washington on June 23.

Since the election of President Harrison the White
House had already been the scene of two funerals, a
wedding, and the entertainment of a scion of royalty.
However, the measure of alternate mourning and
gaiety was by no means yet full.

At the beginning of 1844, the most captious critic
could not maintain that the period of what might be
termed official mourning had not passed. If the Presi-
dent still grieved for his deceased partner, he had
to do so in secret and fulfil his official duties towards
society. The New Year's Day reception of 1844 is
thus described by N. P. Willis:

" New Year's Day has passed, and never was a brighter
and gayer anniversary seen in the metropolis. The sun shone
out in unusual splendour, and the day was mild and refreshing
as a morn in early spring. The whole population was in the
streets, and Pennsylvania Avenue, with its throng of gay and
animated faces, would have reminded you of a time of car-
nival. The boarding-house messes turned out their complement
of members of Congress; the fancy shops were filled with
lively, merry hearts; and the masses, in their holiday suits, were
on their way to the President's house, to see and be seen in
the great levee.

" We went to the President's, early, before twelve o'clock ;
and, even at this hour, the long line of carriages in front,
dotted here and there with the liveries and cockades of the

287

THE WHITE HOUSE

corteges of the foreign Ministers, foretold that a goodly com-
pany had already arrived. We made our entrance through the
crowd at the front door, unresisted by guards or bayonets, and
passed on to the receiving rooms, without any ceremony, and
shook the hand of the President of the United States. The
President was surrounded by his cabinet; and, giving to each
guest, as he approached, a very bland salutation, he handed
them over to the ladies of his family on his left. The receiving-
room is the centre Oval Room; and passing from thence into
another adjoining apartment, follow-ing in the train of the
crowd, you find yourself in the far-famed East Room, where
the sovereigns of the land make their circuit. The dimensions,
garniture and hangings of this room have been often described.
It was crowded on this occasion, and every class of society was
fully represented. The room presented a bright and gratifying
scene; all seemed to feel at home, and each face bore an aban-
don of care. The number of ladies was unusually large, and
some were very beautiful, in full morning-dress, wath hats and
feathers and glittering gowms, standing in one position. While
the company made the evolution of the room, you saw all that
passed. The officers of the army and navy in full dress, made
a fine appearance. Among the latter were seen Major-Generals
Scott, Gaines, Gibson, Towson, Jessup — all the heroes of the
last war. Many Senators and members of the House were pres-
ent ; and this being the first levee of many of the new members,
they were particularly attracted by the brilliant court costumes
of some of the foreign Ministers. The dress of the Mexican
Minister, General Almonte, seemed to carry the day, in the
rich profusion of gold embroidery. The dress of the French
Minister, of blue and gold, was rich and unpretending. The
Spanish Minister and suite, in light blue and silver, looked
well. The Brazilian, in green and gold, the white Austrian and
Swedish uniforms, were very handsome. The Portuguese Min-
ister and suite, the Belgian, Russian. Danish and Sardinian

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charges were also present. Mr. Fox, the British Minister, was
absent, from indisposition.

" We looked around in vain for Mr. Bodisco, who was wont
to appear in such state on presentation days, in his silver coat,
and whose kind manners made him so many friends. He has
gone to Russia on leave of absence, but will soon return again.
. . . We are still in the East Room ; the crowd is still pouring
in without cessation, old and young, men, women and children,
belles and maidens, brides and matrons, from the broadcloth
coat to the homespun, from the silk brocade to the calico gown.
For two hours there seemed to be no diminution in the crowd ;
the President's hand must have been in a sad way about two
o'clock.

" The Marine Band was playing in the hall, and the music
and the hilarity of the people made It altogether a very gay
and brilliant afifair. As there is but one front door, the ladies
were handed out of the windows in departing. The greatest
decorum was preserved throughout; and even in front of the
house, in the confusion of the crowd and carriages, no guard
was visible or necessary. . . . The company on leaving the
President's, immediately repaired to pay their respects to Mrs.
Madison, who lives in the square opposite."

Two months later, a terrible accident cast a gloom
over the White House and the nation. The Princeton,
under Captain R. F. Stockton, on a trial trip down
the Potomac, had a brilliant assemblage on board, the
guests Including the President and his Cabinet, a large
party of ladies and many notabilities. In exhibiting the
power of the ordnance, one of the big guns burst,
scattering death and destruction around. Between thirty
and forty people were killed and Injured. The Presl-

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dent fortunately was below, entertaining the ladles,
all of whom escaped injury; but among the killed were
Mr. Upshur, Secretary of State; Mr. Gilmer, Secretary
of the Navy; Commander Kennon, U. S. N.; Mr.
Maxcy, ex-Minister at The Hague; and Mr. Gardi-
ner, ex-Senator from New York. The bodies of these
gentlemen were conveyed to the White House, where
they lay in state in the East Room, and whence they
were carried to their last resting-place with imposing
ceremonies in a procession including all the officers
of the Government on March 2.

Mr. Gardiner's two orphaned daughters were well
known in Washington society, having spent two sea-
sons there. The dreadful circumstances of their loss
naturally attracted the sympathy of the President, who
did everything possible to assuage their grief. This in-
timate acquaintanceship resulted in a marriage with
Julia, the elder, three months later. The wedding
took place In New York, on June 26. The President
returned with his wife to Washington a few days
later.

The romantic character of the circumstances attend-
ing this wedding naturally attracted great attention
and a considerable amount of friendly and unfriendly
comment. Of the second Mrs. Tyler, Mrs. Fremont
says that Miss Gardiner was very handsome and long
retained her health and youthful appearance. She was
undoubtedly a woman of elegance, refinement, educa-
tion, and strong character. The ill-natured gossip of

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the day is reflected In the diary of J. Q. Adams, who
on July 4, 1844, writes:

" Morning and evening visitors, chiefly military officers,
had been in grand costume to pay their devoirs to the President.
The wedding visit last Saturday and that of Independence Day
came so close together that the attendance this day was thin.
Captain Tyler and his bride are the laughing-stock of this city.
It seems as if he was racing for a prize banner to the nuptials
of the mock-heroic — the sublime and the ridiculous. He has
assumed the war power as a prerogative, the veto power as a
caprice, the appointing and dismissing power as a fund for
bribery; and now, under circumstances of revolting indecency,
is performing with a young girl from New York, the old
fable of January and May."

The wedding-visit above referred to Is reported In
The Madisonian of July 2, as follows:

" President Tyler returned with his fair bride to the capital
on the evening of last Thursday.

" On Saturday the Bride received company. Though there
was no announcement in the papers, it was generally known
that on that day the White House would be open to those who
wished to pay their compliments to the Chief Magistrate and
his Bride, and during the hours of reception the rooms were
thronged.

" The heads of Departments, the foreign IMInisters in their
court dresses, and the officers of the Army and Navy in uni-
form, in company with the ladies of their acquaintance, made
a brilliant show, and the Mayor and his lady, and most of the
elite of the capital, whether in public or private stations, offered
their congratulations, and bade the lady of the Mansion wel-
come.

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" The Bride, when Miss Gardiner, had, with her fair sister,
wlu) is now her guest, spent part of two winters with us, and
dch'ghted all who had the pleasure of her acquaintance by the
attractions of her person and mind — gifted as she has been
with every advantage of education and foreign travel — and by
the charms of her graceful manners, which shone, as every one
felt, in their appropriate sphere on Saturday.

" A most magnificent Bride's cake and sparkling champaign
awaited the welcoming guests, and the distinctions of party and
of opinion were all forgotten, and kind feelings and generous
impulses seemed to gladden the hearts of all.

" In the afternoon, the President's garden, in which the band
from the Navy Yard play every Saturday afternoon, was more
thronged than we ever remember to have seen it. On the por-
tico of the White House the President and his Bride again
received the welcome of their friends, and not until the shades
of evening were gathering around and the music had ceased
did the throng disperse, so great was the desire to see and wel-
come the beautiful and accomplished Lady who is hereafter
to preside in the Executive Mansion."

The new Mrs. Tyler assumed a good deal of state
in her entertainments and receptions at the White
House, which was naturally made the most of by her
husband's opponents. Many paragraphs appear In the
newspapers of the day ridiculing her ostentation. A
typical one reads:

" We understand by private letter from a Washington belle,
that the lovely lady Presidentess is attended on reception-days
by twelve maids of honor, six on either side, dressed all alike;
and that her serene loveliness ' receives ' upon a raised plat-

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HARRISON AND TYLER

form with a headdress formed of bugles and resembling a

crown.

Mrs. Fremont says:

" There was a little laughing at her for driving four horses
(finer horses than those of the Russian Minister), and because
she receired seated — her large armchair on a slightly raised
platform in front of the windows opening to the circular
piazza looking on the river. Also three feathers in her hair,
and a long-trained purple dress were much commented upon
by the elders who had seen other Presidents' wives take their
state more easily."

It is also said that Mrs. Tyler was the first to In-
troduce the European custom of announcing the names
of the guests at the door on entering. She may have
revived this custom, but Jean Sioussat had made the
presentations in Mrs. Madison's day (see page 59),
and President Van Buren had guests announced (see
page 262) .

A good idea of Mrs. Tyler's appearance may be
gathered from the portrait of her now in the White
Elouse.

This was painted by Fanelll and represents her in
a low-necked gown of white tulle with white satin
girdle and shoulder knots. She wears a pearl neck-
lace and carries a feather fan.

Mrs. Tyler seems to have enjoyed everything that
occurred during her short reign as mistress of the

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THE WHITE HOUSE

White House, as is shown by her sprightly letters to
her mother. On Nov. 27, she writes:

" The Democrats are going to have a grand time to-night.
All the Democrats in town are going to illuminate their dwell-
ings. We shall merely light the lamps at the gates. The drums
are beating in every direction as I write. They are going to
surround and salute our mansion this afternoon and evening.
Did you see the account of the Charleston (S. C.) procession?
where the portrait of John Tyler was introduced, with the
motto beneath, — ' Well done, thou good and faithful servant ! '
and then his vetoes, No. i, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4. I enjoyed the
dinner at Mr. Mason's yesterday very much. It was the most
thoroughly social one I have yet attended. Mr. Pakenham ^ was
there, — the only one not of the Cabinet. We talked across and
all around the table, and it was very wntty and merry. Mr.
Calhoun sat on one side of me, Mr. Nelson the other. They
were both so exceedingly agreeable I cannot tell which was the
most so, but I like Mr. Calhoun the best. I believe he never
was so sociable before. He actually repeated verses to me. We
had altogether a pleasant flirtation."

On Nov. 29, 1844, she also writes:

" The procession the other evening was quite a fine affair,
though of course In no way comparative to the one In New
York. John Tyler was cheered with burst upon burst. We had
lights In the East Room, In the dining-room, the hall and the
circle out of doors. The other day Dr. and Mrs. Niles, to
whom we had letters in Paris, called upon me. She is the
mother of * Eugene Sue,' the celebrated author. They are rather
Oil odd couple, I think."

^ Bridsh minister.
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She also describes one of her receptions as follows :

" President's House, December 6, 1844. Last evening I had
a most brilliant reception. The British Minister Pakenham
was there with his Secretar}^ and devoted to me. At least fifty
members of Congress paid their respects to me, and all at one
time. I did not enter the room until they had assembled. It
really presented an array, and it was imposing to see them all
brought forward and introduced one by one."

The New Year's reception took place as usual on
Jan. I, 1845, and a newspaper account of the affair
shows that the interest in the coming tenants of the
White House is already strong.

" Mr. Polk, the brother of the President-elect, was
at the President's house yesterday. He appeared to be
quite a centre of attraction in the East Room; and ap-
peared to be the observed of all observers, particularly
on the part of the fair, whose Eveishness seemed to
be more excited in relation to his whereabouts than
that of the President and other members of his family
who received company in the Elliptic Room."

The first levee was held on Jan. 7.

" At the last drawing-room the Polka was danced
in the Tyler presence by a gentleman and his wife
from New York — the first introduction to the East
Room of the connubial coupling (for waltz or polka)
exacted at present by the ameliorated morals now gain-
ing ground in New York."

A few drawing-rooms and a ball on Feb. 19, at

295

THE WHITE HOUSE

which more than 2,000 persons were present, brought
the White House season to a close. This ball is graphi-
cally described in a contemporary letter as follows:

" The closing Drawing Room at the Executive Mansion
took place about two weeks since, and every one was surprised
at the elegance of so general an assemblage. Compared with
the Grand Ball of last night (Mrs. Tyler's final entertain-
ment), It was a farthing rush-h'ght to the noon-day sun. Wash-
ington had never seen the like before, and it may be long ere
it sees the like again. This affair had been the prevailing topic
of the social metropolis for ten days. During all this time the
greatest anxiety was manifested to obtain invitations, and it
was understood that the number given out to select guests
eventually reached upwards of tw'o thousand. . . .

" The eventful night came, and the heart of many a demoi-
selle and many a preux chevalier leaped with delight as the
appointed hour approached. At about nine o'clock the roll of
carriages could be heard in every street and along every road;
for not only Washington, but the neighboring cities and sur-
rounding country, contributed chosen guests to Mrs. Tyler's
Farewell Ball. From the Court of the Executive Mansion
down the long avenue to the President's square and far away
in the distance stretched the unbroken line of vehicles; and it
was not until after a long and tedious delay, in slow advances,
that I at length found my way into the ante-room, where a
hundred others were divesting themselves of their outer gar-
ments and devoting a moment to the toilet.

" The high and spacious halls, usually cold and sombre, wore
a warm and cheerful aspect, and no longer returned an empty
echo. From the ante-room to the reception-room, poured a
constant stream of beauty and elegance; the scene reminded
one of the Concerts a la Musard, for at the same time the
inimitable strains of the Marine Band in full force filled the

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apartments. Entering the Blue Room, the names of the guests
were announced, and they then passed on, exchanging con-
gratulations with the President, his bride and the ladies of his
household, who stood in line at the side of the room. I'll have
nothing to do with his politics, but John Tyler always dis-
charges the duties of such occasions with high bred propriety,
and never was the dignity and urbanity of his manners more
conspicuous. As to his beautiful bride, whom I saw from time
to time in ' foreign parts,' I can scarcely trust my pen to write.
Burke apostrophized the Queen of France, whom he saw ' just
above the horizon'; but I have seen this lady above many
horizons; have seen the wigged and gowned barristers of the
Queen's Bench desert the Court and follow her and her lovely
sister in silent apostrophe; have seen the audience of the Grand
Opera at Naples rise in subdued admiration as they entered

the box of ; have seen, in the Zoological Gardens of

Paris, crowds follow them and impede their progress. To-night
she looked the Juno, and with her step-daughter, sister and
cousins, constituted a galaxy of beauty, and I am told equal
talent, which no Court of Europe could equal. She was dressed
in embroidered satin, partly covered with looped lace and wore
a Shepherd's bonnet, with ostrich feathers and diamond orna-
ments.

" I stepped aside and noted the in-comers. Among them were
all the members of the Cabinet and their families, the Judges
of the Supreme Court, Senators, Representatives and many dis-
tinguished strangers. The foreign Ministers appeared in court
costume de rigeur, in accordance with the order of Mrs. Tyler.
Here was the quiet Packenham ; and here were Pageot, Bodisco,
Calderon, etc., whose ladies, particularly Mrs. Bodisco, at-
tracted much attention.

"But let us follow the current: from the Blue, the Wash-
ington, the Green Rooms, let us pass to the East Room. Tlie
carpets had been taken up and the floor was polished and

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THE WHITE HOUSE

chalked. In the recess of the great window was placed the
orchestra draped with blue damask and covered with the Amer-
ican flag. In this splendid hall a thousand candles shed from
the immense chandeliers and brackets a flood of light; and the
spacious mirrors redoubled in reflection the surpassing beauty
of the spectacle. Shortly after the door was opened, the East
Room could scarcely have contained less than a thousand per-
sons, but the crowd gradually dispersed through the other
apartments and left room for three large quadrilles.

" Mrs. Tyler opened the ball with the Secretary of War
and afterwards danced with the Postmaster General and the
Spanish Minister. I should like to name the many beautiful
ladies conspicuous on this occasion. In every part of the room
were officers of the army and navy, in full uniform, adding
to the brilliancy of the scene. The gigantic figure of the gen-
eral-in-chief who may yet, if his friends stand by him, preside
over the destinies of the nation, was very observable; and the
brave old commander of Ironsides memory, could by no means,
though of less portly stature, escape remark. Here also were
General Lamar, Dallas, Buchanan, Walker, and I know not
how many more eminent men.

" The supper was got up with great magnificence, but in
the general rush was soon demolished. Wine flowed like water,
but everything seemed to be enjoyed in moderation : evident
enjoyment and dignified demeanor were united. The ladies
were generally attired with elegance and taste — too expensively
attired! More diamonds sparkled than I have seen on any occa-
sion in this country. It is said that this entertainment cost the
President near two thousand doltars\ When will Washington
see the like again? The family of Mr. Polk was present, but
he and his lady were detained by the illness of the latter.
Vale:-

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The Tylers took no part in the Inauguration of their
successors, with the exception of giving a dinner-party
to Mr. and Mrs. Polk on March the first. They left
the President's house at five o'clock on March the third
and drove to Fuller's Hotel. Two contemporary ac-
counts very graphically describe the exit of the Tylers.
The first is by Mrs. Tyler herself. She writes to her
mother :

'* The last word has been spoken — the last link is broken
that bound me to Washington, and I should like you to have
witnessed the emotions and heard the warm expressions that
marked our departure. Let me see — where shall I begin? I
will go back to Saturday, though I shall have to be very brief
in all I say. Saturday then, the President approved the Texas
treaty, and I have now suspended from my neck the immortal
golden pen, given expressly for the occasion. The same day
we had a brilliant dinner party for Mr. and Mrs. Polk. I
wore my black-blonde over white satin, and in the evening
received a large number of persons. On Sunday, the President
held a cabinet council from compulsion ; on Monday a Texas
messenger was dispatched; on Sunday evening Mrs. Semple
arrived ; on Monday, in the morning, we concluded our pack-
ing, Mrs. Wllkins and Mrs. Mason came up to my bedroom,
and sat a little — while I made my toilette — offering their
services in any way. At five In the afternoon, a crowd of friends,
ladies and gentlemen, assembled in the Blue Room, to shake
hands with us and escort us from the White House. As the
President and myself entered they divided into two lines, and
when we had passed to the head of the room, surrounded and
saluted us. Gen. Van Ness requested them to stand back, and
himself stept forward, and delivered ' on behalf, and at the

299

THE WHITE HOUSE

request of many lady and gentlemen citizens of Washington,*
a farewell address, I saw before he concluded, a response of
some kind would be almost necessary from the President, and
I felt a good deal concerned, for I knew he had prepared none,
and had not expected to make any; but I might have spared
myself all and every fear, for as soon as the General finished,
he raised iiis hand, his form expanded, and such a burst of
beautiful and poetic eloquence as proceeded from him could
only be called inspiration. His voice was more musical than
ever; it rose and fell, and trembled, and rose again. The effect
was irresistible, and the deep admiration and respect it elicited
was told truly in the sobs and exclamations of all around. As
they shook us by the hand when we entered our carriage, they
could not utter farewell.

" The Empire Club, en costume, was present, and cheered
again and again. They followed in the procession which was
formed to the hotel, and cheered as we alighted. Among the
ladies present whom you know, besides the cabinet ladies, were
Mrs. Roosevelt, Mrs. Beeckman — but I have not time to think
and enumerate. At the hotel our visitors did not fall off. We
did not attend either the Inauguration ball; and the next morn-
ing we determined to depart from Washington, adopting
' French leave ' ; but when we reached the wharf at nine o'clock
in the morning, the boat had gone, and we had to return, al-
most, to our regret. All that day, which was yesterday, our
parlor was thronged."

Another account reads:

" Hearing President Tyler had appointed this afternoon to
receive his friends at the White House for the last time, I
went there. I found he had engaged a suite of rooms for his
family at Fuller's Hotel, to which he expected to repair about
five or five-thirty o'clock. When I reached the White House,

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the doors were wide open, and the receiving room already
densely crowded with people, among whom were a great many
beautiful and fashionable ladies. Mrs. Tyler was looking
charmingly beautiful. She was dressed in a neat and beautiful
suit of black with light black bonnet and veil. I never saw
any woman look more cheerful and happy. She seemed to act
as though she had been imprisoned within the walls of the
White House, and was now about to escape to the beautiful
country fields of her own native Long Island. Among those
near the President, I noticed a large number of the most
respectable families all belonging to the District. Captain
Tyler, during his four years' residence here, has, by his social
and hospitable habits, endeared a large circle of private friends
to him. They now assembled to express their regret at having
the ties of neighborly friendship broken. As time progressed,
the scene became very affecting. Several who approached him,
on taking him by the hand, were seen to shed tears. Mr. Tyler
stood cool and collected, receiving all who approached him with
great cordiality and politeness."

301

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

JAMES K. POLK

I 845- I 849

Inauguration and Balls; the Shabby White House; Mrs. Polk; Heniy
Clay at a Dinner-F'arty; Typical Drawing-Rooms; Thanks-
giving Day; New Year's Reception; Levees; the National Fair
of 1846; Reception at the White House; Portrait of Mrs. Polkj
New Year's Day, 1848.

THE Inauguration of President Polk was almost
entirely ruined as a spectacle by a deluge of
rain ; but the usual festivities in the evening were main-
tained. N. P. Willis writes:

" Have j^ou heard the droll history that has created a deal
of talk here, all about the Ball, or Balls, and the Diplomatic
Corps and — but stop! I will tell it you over again. Now you
must know that there was a $10.00 ball and a $5.00 one. The
highest price was meant to secure a more recherche company,
and which would have been the natural result — but for a gross
oversight of the aristocratic committee in neglecting to invite
the Diplomatic Corpsl This breach of good manners towards
this distinguished body was in a degree repaired by the com-
mittee of the ' rank and file ' of the Democracy ; and the Diplo-
mats acknowledged it by going to the $5.00 out and out Demo-
cratic Ball and cutting the other altogether.

" This led to the most curious and comical results. Many

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JAMES K. roi.K

JAMES K. POLK

of the most fashionable people followed their example, indig-
nant at the indecorous slights the Corps had received, and there
surely never was seen since the time of the Ark such a strange
mixture, jumbling and melange of ranks, classes and condi-
tions, as were grouped together at the Theatre last night in
Washington. The strangest illustration of it was the droll fact
of a foreign Minister's lady dancing in the same quadrille with
her gardener. Doesn't that ' bang banagher '? . . .

" For the greater part of the time, however, a vtry exclusive
quadrille was danced in the upper part of the area throw n open
for that purpose. . . .

" Of ladies, the largest representation was from New York,
and the most conspicuously graceful and beautiful of them all
was the lovely Mrs. S. W. Nothing could be more recherche
and elegant than her toilette. It would have made the fortune
and renown of a Parisian modiste to have been its author. IVIiss
H. — Mrs. Governor V. — and the bright-eyed Miss I. — sister
of Madame Calderon, were all and each greatly admired. The
wives of the foreign Ministers were all present; and as usual
Madame Bodisco attracted great attention by her singular
beauty. Her costume, for such it was, was showy and rich,
and by many was considered too theatrical ; but it is not known,
perhaps (as I learn from fair authorit}'), that it is the dress
prescribed by the Court of Russia for all formal State occa-
sions. Madame Pageot looked exceedingly well, and Madame
Calderon de la Barca was followed by troupes of admirers."

The economy of Mr. Tyler's housekeeping, which,
so far as furnishing Is concerned, was not altered
during the half year's regime of his second wife, had
left the White House In a deplorable condition. His
friends in the press defended the condition of the
house on the score of Inadequate allowance, while his

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enemies jeered at his parsimony. Thus, we have the
two following contrasted paragraphs; one before, and
one immediately after, the Inauguration:

" The IVIiite House to Let. We heard from good authority
yesterday that Mrs. Polk is making arrangements for a private
residence in Washington. The six thousand dollars appropri-
ated by Congress for the repair and re-furnishing of the Public
Shabby House will barely repair and carpet it ; and Mrs. Polk
prefers something habitably furnished, even if smaller and at
her own expense."

" Many persons believe that the President's salary, $25,000
per annum, is very abundant; but when the great mass of
visitors is recollected — when the frequent levees, dinners, en-
tertainments, etc., are considered — it soon dwindles away, and
there is absolutely nothing left for the Presidential chair but
empty honor. President Tyler's expenses in sixteen months were
over $38,000, and he left yesterday for his farm on James
River, Virginia, with barely enough out of his last year's salary
to pay expenses. General Jackson came here with $10,000 of
his own money, and after eight years' service in the Executive
Office, left for the Hermitage with less than his travelling
expenses. These are the facts which I aver to be true ; and they
are very painful facts."

The new mistress of the White House was a great
contrast to the lady she superseded. A native of Ten-
nessee, she had been married to Mr. Polk at the age
of nineteen. She was of a religious and charitable turn
of mind, having been educated at a Moravian Institute.
Naturally, therefore, she frowned upon cards, dancing
and all such vanities. Mrs. Fremont says that she was

304

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JAMES K. POLK

very proud, dignified and handsome. She neither needed
assistance, nor would she have been pleased to have
had it offered in performing her duties as a hostess.
She held herself erect, was attentive and gracious to
her guests and played her part well. As a housekeeper,
she was admirably fitted to bring order out of the
chaos that existed. During her tenure there were no
children in the Mansion and no foreign guests of spe-
cial distinction. Towards the end of this Administra-
tion, John S. Jenkins describes her in the following
terms :

" Mrs. Polk was well fitted to adorn any station. To the
charms of a fine person, she united intellectual accomplishments
of a high order. Sweetness of disposition, gracefulness and ease
of manner and beauty of mind were highly blended in her
character. A kind mistress, a faithful friend and a devoted
wife, — these are her titles to esteem. . . . Affable, but dig-
nified; intelligent, but unaffected; frank and sincere; yet never
losing sight of the respect due to her position, she won the re-
gard of all who approached her. Her unfailing courtesy and
her winning deportment were remarked by every one who saw
her presiding at the White House."

He also tells the following story:

" Shortly before his departure from tlie Capital, Mr. Clay
attended a dinner party, with many other distinguished gentle-
men of both political parties at the President's house. The party
is said to have been a very pleasant affair — the viands were
choice, the wine was old and sparkling — good feeling abounded,
and wit and lively repartee gave zest to the occasion, while

THE WHITE HOUSE

Mrs. Polk, the winning and accomplished hostess, added the
finishing grace of her excellent housewifery in the superior
management of the feast. Mr. Clay was, of course, honored
with a seat near the President's lady, where it became him to
put in requisition those insinuating talents which he possessed
in so eminent a degree, and which are irresistible even to his
enemies. Mrs. Polk, with her usual frank and affable manner,
was extremely courteous to her distinguished guest, whose good
opinion, as of all who share the hospitalities of the White
House, she did not fail to win.

" ' Madam,' said Mr. Clay, in that bland manner peculiar
to himself, ' I must say that in my travels, wherever I have
been, in all companies and among all parties, I have heard but
one opinion of you. All agree in commending, in the highest
terms, your excellent administration of the domestic affairs of
the White House. But,' continued he, directing her attention
to her husband, ' as for that young gentleman there, I cannot
say as much. There is,' said he, ' some little difference of opinion
in regard to the policy of his course.'

Indeed,' said Mrs. Polk, ' I am glad to hear that my
administration is popular. And in return for your compliment,
I will say that if the country should elect a Whig next fall,
I know of no one whose elevation would please me more than
that of Henry Clay.

Thank you, thank you, Madam.'

And I will assure you of one thing. If you do have occa-
sion to occupy the White House on the fourth of March next,
it shall be surrendered to you in perfect order from garret to
cellar.'

" ' I'm certain that '

" But the laugh that followed this pleasant repartee, which
lost nothing from the manner nor the occasion of it, did not
permit the guests of the lower end of the table to hear the
rest of Mr. Clay's reply. Whether he was certain that he

306

Ill NKV CI AY

JAMES K. POLK

should be the tenant of the President's mansion, or whether
he only said he was certain that whoever did occupy it would
find it in good condition, like the result of the coming contest
for the Presidency, remains a mystery."

A paragrapher, in July, 1845, says:

" Mrs. Polk dresses in a style rich but chaste, and becoming
her character, her position and her person. Captain Polk is so
spare that if his clothes were made to fit, he would be but the
merest tangible fraction of a President. He has them, therefore,
especially his coat, generally two or three sizes large, which
imparts something of a loose and easy dignity to his Excellency
you know. We think a visit to the salt water, Piney Point,
Old Point, or any other point accessible or convenient for sea-
bathing, soft crabs and oysters would fatten him up a little
and be a great help to him. . . . We want him to live out his
term."

The Polks lived at the White House through the
summer, and gave the usual dinners and receptions,
the nature of which may be gathered from three typi-
cal paragraphs during the first year:

" The President received his friends at the White House as
usual." (July 20.)

" At the ' drawing-room ' of the President and Presidentess
last evening there was a very goodly company present. Secre-
tary Walker was there, and alongside of General Scott, who
was also there, he cut a remarkably small figure. . . . Secre-
tary Bancroft presented Mrs. Polk witli an enormous bouquet
of flowers when he came in." (Aug. 15.)

" The President held last evening one of his ' drawing-

THE WHITE HOUSE

rooms' (the name given to the mere opening of the doors of
the White House to the public). Crowd thin, — conversation
stiff, frifzid, hard, affected, and altogether so-soish." (Sept. 6.)

The l*rcsidcnt and his wife went once to Mount
Vernon and twice to the outskirts of Georgetown:
these are the only trips, if such they may be called,
that they took during the summer.

In the autumn there was an innovation: it seems
that hitherto Washington had been unaccustomed to
Thanksgiving Day:

" The President had some friends to dinner. . . . This new
idea of a Thanksgiving in Washington was well observed and
gave such general satisfaction as to lead to the deduction that
it will be an annual custom hereafter."

The first New Year's Day reception (1846) was
fairly well attended:

" The foreign courts were well represented in the imposing
splendor of official costumes and uniforms shining with gold.
The Audience room was nearly filled. Many ladies, beautifully
attired, stood near the wife of the President; but among them
all I should have selected her as fitly representing, in person
and manner, the dignity and grace of the American female
character. Modest, yet commanding in appearance, I felt she
was worthy of all the admiration which has been lavished on
her. She was richly and becomingly dressed, and easy and
affable in deportment; looking, indeed, worthy of the high sta-
tion wiiich Providence assigned her."

The first levee for 1846 was held on Jan. 21 :
308

CK0R(;K BANCROFT

JAMES K. POLK

" This evening the President for the first time received his
friends at the White House, and if a large and highly respect-
able assemblage could gratify him, he had no cause of com-
plaint. . . .

" The President and his lady received the numerous visitors
in the most courteous manner, and after the company had gen-
erally assembled, he took the arm of Mrs. Madison and went
into the East Room followed by the Vice-President and iVIrs.
Polk, The Cabinet Ministers followed, and then, intermixed,
were Navy and Military officers, foreign Ministers, Senators,
members of Congress, etc.

" It is not possible for me to give you any thing like a cor-
rect estimate of those who were present, but the line of car-
riages when I came out extended a great distance outside the
gates of the President's residence.

" It was one of the most interesting incidents of the evening
to see Mrs. Madison promenade the East Room, with the ap-
pearance of almost j'outhful agility.

" Among the hundreds that I saw were Dr. White and his
lady from Oregon. They were the lions of the evening. The
Doctor informed me that he was soon to depart for Oregon
by way of Mexico, that being the nearest way for him to reach
the mouth of the Columbia."

The Marine Band supplied music, but there was no
dancing.

A gentleman who attended this levee, or another
one during the year, writes a full account of his expe-
riences and observations:

" Will the reader be kind enough to imagine himself alone
with a single male companion who has volunteered to introduce
him, about nine o'clock on some dark, cheerless, moonless.

THE WHITE HOUSE

lampless night, set down at the portico of the White House,
\\ hither he has been conveyed in a rheumatic cab after having
made a prolonged tour through rural streets sparsely inhabited
by unlighted houses belonging to the city. (It is a remarkable
fact that most of the houses in Washington have a predilection
for a country life and reside out of town.) He will find a few
lamps — which appear to have spent all their lives in damp
vaults — lit up in the court-yard of the President's mansion.
He will dimly perceive a long array of cabs and carriages of
various descriptions, — and a dejected herd of white cabmen
with musk-rat caps drawn down over their eyes and their hands
and whips thrust into their coat pockets. If his eyes are good,
he will see a few colored people of every variety of shade, from
the aged specimen of intense blackness to the less polished
snuff-color of the adolescent of mongrel hue. But he will not
see that he is entirely surrounded by a silent army of their
brethren in the background, because in the darkness a negro
is of course invisible.

" After having observed, or passed unobserved, these human
phenomena, he will enter through a large handsome door into
a spacious unfurnished hall — a perfect wilderness of an apart-
ment— in which he will perceive a seriously-inclined policeman
in a private citizen's dress, with the letter A upon his coat
collar, by way of branding him with dignity — a dozen young
peripatetics of the * Young Democracy ' species walking leisurely
about — one or two aristocratic coachmen in livery lounging
round the stores, and two small mahogany colored samples of
human personal property keeping guard over a pile of coats,
cloaks and hats.

" The sudden transition from the darkness outside to the
brilliant glare within is not without its efifect in impressing
one with a magnificent idea of the ceremony through which he
is about to pass; and these grand anticipations are considerably
heightened by the spirit-stirring music, proceeding from an

310

JAMES K. POLK

entire band of the U. S. Marines, who are endeavoring to split
the roof with clamorous harmony. I am supposing that the
reader, whom I am introducing into these court mysteries, is
an unsophisticated gentleman from New York or some other
" country parts " of the nation, who may have dreamed of the
splendors of the ordeal, or formed ideas of its grandeur from
printed accounts of similar scenes. It is therefore in some trepi-
dation that — after having surrendered his cloak and hat to the
safe keeping of one of the animated images aforesaid — he enters
the reception room.

" This feeling is by no m^ans lessened by his introduction
into a room glittering with chandeliers and mirrors all on fire.
Ranged in an irregular group all at one end stands a bevy of
beautiful women wdiose milliners have sent them forth in fit
trim to challenge the rainbow for the exquisiteness and variety
of colors in which they are decked, while on their heads and
bosoms glittering brilliants recline like nestling glow-worms
darting forth rays of light in dazzling emulation. A loud hum
of conversation and a continual peal of laughter add somewhat
to the confusion of your mind, and it is some minutes before
you are sufficiently collected to note all around. Then on the
right side of the room you will perceive fifty or sixty gentlemen
standing up in silence, and looking on the busy group around
the ladies; these gentlemen have no particular business there
— they look upon the whole affair as a national show got up
for their express gratification — admission gratis. In the centre
of the room stands the President, willing to shake as many
people by the hand as may be presented to him while his strength
lasts ; and a fine gentlemanly man he is. Democrat or no
Democrat.

" At his right hand you will proliably discover Mr. Marcy,
the Secretary of War. There is also Mr. Dallas, performing
acts of civility with the air of a perfect courtier to every one.
Behind the President stands Mrs. Polk, whom I will uphold

THE WHITE HOUSE

on anj' and every occasion of your attending the levee to be one
of the finest women in the room. You will probably find her
supportcil by an elderly lady in a black turban, who you will
know at once is Mrs. Madison; behind them will be twenty
or thirty young ladies standing at ease, laughing and flirting
with young M. C.'s among whom not the least conspicuous
for gallantry and gentlemanly deportment will be Judge Doug-
las of Illinois.

" Presently your friend will present you to a gentleman
standing near the President, who will introduce you. Mr.
Polk will shake your hand, * be happy to know you ' and all
that kind of thing, and although his opponent to the death in
politics, you leave him with a favorable impression after all.
Having gone through this important ceremony, you fall back
among the crowd of lookers-on, and watch the entrance of
visitors. There is considerable amusement attending this, and
much information to be obtained in the art of shaking hands
politely.

" It is not necessary to be informed to which party a mem-
ber of either house belongs when you see his presentation.
Some with a kind of stately humility touch the Presidential
fingers and smile in languid respect. These belong to the
discomforted and heart-broken Whigs, who have no great love
for James K. Polk but much regard for the President of the
United States. Others grasp the Executive dexter hand with
a Democratic heartiness and an air of merry complacency
which proclaim them belonging to that fortunate class, the
' ins ' ; and a few wring the magisterial right hand in an im-
ploring manner — look earnestly in the President's face and
stay to converse with him for a few minutes, to let the assem-
bled crowd learn that they are on terms of intimacy with so
great a man. These belong to that predestined class who go
for ' the whole or none,' and are in doubt that his Excellency
is veering from the track marked out for him.

312

MUS. I), r. MADISdN

JAMES K. POLK

" A few also will attract attention by their obsequiousness
of manner, their ready smiles and the reverential love with
which they caress the President's hand — as if it was a piece
of holy porcelain, not to be profaned by familiar usage. These
are the patriots who have left their hearths and homes to seek
the turmoils of office — who are willing to submit to the mar-
tyrdom of a slothful competence for the good of their native
land.

" While noting all these things and dreaming that you may
one day become that great ' fixed fact,' a President, you have
been elbowed by the crowd to a doorway, where the solemn
policeman whom we noticed at first (what business has the
unhappy creature there?) seizes you by the elbow and says in
a slow, effective manner: ' Gentlemen who have been presented,
will please walk forward to the East Room, — don't stop up
the passage,' and as you will be by this time somewhat stunned
by the fierce gnashing of trumpets outside and the loud hubbub
in the room, it is no bad change.

" To the East Room you repair, then, and find a spacious
apartment splendidly furnished and brilliantly illuminated.
There is comparative stillness here; the conversation is more
moderate, but the ferocious trumpets and clarionets are out-
side the folding-doors, and the least provocation in the world
will arouse their anger. The great amusement of the even-
ing now commences; all before has been merely preparatory.
This popular court pastime consists in solemnly promenading
round the room in pairs. . . .

" Senators, Ministers, Congressmen, mechanics, clerks, and
would-be clerks are there, leading ladies belonging to every
stage in society, from the fashionable belle of the higher cir-
cles to the more fashionable seamstress. Solemnly and without
pause, they perform their slow gyrations, while a group of
young men in the centre survey their motions, quizzing their
dresses and general appearance. The whole affair seems to

THE WHITE HOUSE

have been got up for the amusement of this knot of specta-
tors, some of whom are preparing mental notes descriptive
of the satin of Miss A., the beaming eyes of Miss B., the gal-
lantry of Gen. C. and the stateliness of Col. D., for the papers
throughout the Union.

" The dresses of the ladies form a subject for abstruse
study. Half an hour's contemplation is sufficient to distract
any man of common mind. . . .

" Some men parade in gravity, some are merry and others
are foppish; there is a good sprinkling of military and naval
uniforms, and there are a few horny-faced strangers who are
— Ah ye narcotic gods! — chewing tobacco. Soon the company
increases; a few ladies, exhausted by their peripatetic labors,
seat themselves on sofas; groups of gentlemen congregate
around them to talk nonsense and look killing. Count Bodisco
holds a private levee at one end of the room, and all the
world is introduced. The French, British and other Ambassa-
dors cluster together, glittering in uniforms and the crosses
of foreign orders and frightful moustaches and beards. Mr.
Polk is forgotten — the gold lace and brilliant swords usurp
all attention. Such introducing, such scraping, such curtsey-
ing, such jabbering of foreign compliments and violent efforts
of some of our people to do the polite in uncouth tongues —
such a wild clamor of conversation rages — the band, too, has
become insane and the room is oppressively warm, when the
President enters leading a ladj^ — probably Mrs. Madison, and
followed by Mrs. Polk and all the great people of Washington.

" The noise increases, the complimenting and bowing go on
worse than ever; the band has taken matters in its own hands
and the instruments have become ungovernable; the promenad-
ing ceases. The President has a word for every one, and all
mingle together in irregular groups chatting and laughing and
coquetting, until unable any longer to bear such tumult you
rush distractedly from the room, and give the young ' nigger '

JAMES K. POLK

who has charge of your hat and cloak a shilling for his trouble,
which generosity he gratefully repays by presenting you with
an ancient chapeau in the last stage of existence."

On entering upon her duties, Mrs. Polk had an-
nounced her intention of attending no public balls, or
places of public general amusement, during her resi-
dence In Washington. This custom, however, did not
prevent her from attending the great National Fair,
held in the spring of 1846, which attracted to Wash-
ington crowds even greater than those of Inaugu-
ral times. The Fair opened on May 23, and in the
afternoon the President and Mrs. Polk, as well as
members of the Cabinet, visited the building. Mrs.
Madison was also among the visitors, " a circumstance
which did not diminish the crowd."

In this month, also, the Baltimore volunteers, con-
sisting of six companies and six hundred men, sum-
moned to Washington by the order of the President,
paraded and visited the White House.

A glimpse of a reception at the White House on
Christmas Eve, 1847, '^ afforded by a Washington
correspondent:

" Last evening I had an opportunity of seeing the members
of the royal family, together with some choice specimens of
the Democracy in the ' circle room ' of the White House. It
was reception night and the latch-string in the shape of a hand-
some negro was ' outside the door.' On entering I found a
comfortable room full, with a little man, whom I would
have taken in any otlicr place for a Methodist parson, stand-

THE WHITE HOUSE

\n\l bi-forc tlic fire, bowing and shaking hands in the most
precise and indiscriminate manner. He is affable and ordinary
enough in conversation to prevent one from feeling that he is
in direct communication with the concentrated Majesty of
the whole United States and Territories. Mr. Polk is not a
man to inspire awe.

" The better half of the President was seated on the sofa',
engaged with some half a dozen ladies in lively conversation;
and though ill and clumsy at millinery, yet I will try to de-
scribe what she ' had on.' A maroon-colored velvet dress, with
short sleeves, and modestly high in the neck, trimmed with
very deep lace; and a handsome pink head dress was all that
struck the eye of the general observer. . . . Mrs. Polk is a
handsome, shrewd and sensible woman — better looking and
better dressed than any of her numerous ' female acquaint-
ances ' on the present occasion.

" Among the ' guests of distinction ' were the Hon. Cave
Johnson, P. M. G., who bears a strong resemblance about the
head to Mr. Greeley, of the Tribune; Mr. Vinton, of Ohio;
Commodore de Kay, Mr. Rockwell, of Connecticut, a Wall
Street financier, who can draw a larger draft on London than
any other man in the country; two or three pairs of epau-
lettes; a couple of pretty deaf and dumb girls, who talked
with their fingers; and scores of others who only talked with
their eyes ; while a whole regiment of the ' raw material ' of
the Democracy, in frock coats, stood as straight as grenadiers
around the outer circle of the room, gazing in silent astonish-
ment at the President and the chandeliers. . . .

" I left these spacious public apartments, In which all of
us own, perhaps a niche — but not without promising the sable
Prime Minister at the door, a share In the ' good time that's
coming,' and being quite as much amused by his honest reply,
as at all that passed within. He ' wished Ole Massa Rough-
and-Ready would come soon.' "

'?l6

JAMES K. POLK

The dress worn by Mrs. Polk on this occasion and
described by the above visitor at the White House
may have been the same that appears in her portrait
presented to the White House by the ladies of Ten-
nessee, and now hanging in the lower corridor. Here
Mrs. Polk is represented in a red velvet gown with
short black lace sleeves. She wears a necklace and
bracelets.

A week later Mr. Polk held his New Year's recep-
tion, which was more brilliant than usual : ' -,

" The New Year came in gloomily in clouds and tears ;
but they were soon brushed away, and a little after eleven
o'clock the whole District of Columbia and the Hotels came
pouring along the Avenue in the direction of the White House.
The four horse equipages of our ' Foreign Relations ' were
the only notable feature in the undistinguishable throng. The
ladies also turned out en masse to wish Mrs. Polk a happy
New Year; and it is probably safe to say that all the beauty
and fashion of the city, as well as all the dignity and democ-
racy honored the Chief Magistrate with the compliments of
the season. There were no refreshments, of course, and nothing
to animate the crowd but the beauty of the women and a
splendid band of music composed of clarionets, fifes, brass In-
struments and bass drums. Mr. Polk was dressed in a seedy
suit of solemn black, while the ' Presldentess,' as she Is calle<l
here, was radiant with smiles and diamonds. The officers of
the Army and Navy appeared in full uniform ; and none of the
Mexican lions attracted more attention than the handsome
and dashing General Shields. He is quite a young man, appar-
ently not over thirty, with black hair and moustaches and a
flashing black eye. He can talk as well as fight, and makes

THE WHITE HOUSE

a first-rate dinner speech. He still carries his left arm in a
sling and the ladies have provided him with ribbons enough
to keep it tied up for half a century."

Another lion of the occasion was Midshipman
Rogers, famous for his hair-breadth escapes from
prison, and his deeds of bravery. He was described
as " quite a dandy in citizen's dress."

In February, the President received a delegation of'
Chippewa chiefs; and a few days before the Inaugu-
ration, the Polks gave a dinner-party to General Tay-
lor, and held a levee the same evening to enable their
friends to bid them farewell.

END OF VOLUME I.

318

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