CEREMONIALS AT THE METROPOLIS.
The New Year's reception at the White House, at the opening of
1866, was marked by the absence of volunteer officers in uniform,
who had, since the breaking out of the war, always been present in
large numbers. The East Room was not thrown open, but the suite
of drawing-rooms, which had been re-decorated and newly furnished,
were much admired. The traditional colors of scarlet, blue, and
green had been preserved, but the walls had been painted with gilt
moldings, and the furniture was far more elegant than was that
which it had replaced. There was also a profusion of rare flowers
from the conservatory.
The President received in the Blue Drawing-room, and it was a
subject of general remark that age and official perplexities were
evidently leaving their traces on his features, but he had lost
none of his determined, defiant looks. During the more ceremonious
part of the reception his two daughters stood near him. Mrs. Stover
wore a rich black silk dress, with a basque of the same material,
both being embroidered with violet-colored wreaths and trimmed with
bugles. Mrs. Patterson wore a similar dress and basque, embroidered
in white. Both ladies wore lace collars and had natural flowers
in their hair.
The privileged guests began to arrive at eleven o'clock, the
Diplomatic Corps taking precedence. They wore the official costumes
of their respective courts, with the exception of Mr. De Romero,
the Mexican Envoy, who was attired in a plain black suit. Sir
Frederick Bruce and Mr. De Berthemy, the bachelor representatives
of Great Britain and of France, were naturally objects of attraction
to the ladies. M. Tassara, the Spanish Minister, and Baron Von
Geroldt, the Prussian Minister, were accompanied by their wives,
as was young M. De Bodisco, who represented Russia as Charge
d'Affaires. The South Americans were famously bedizened with
embroideries, and nearly all of the Ministers, Secretaries, and
attaches wore the broad ribbons of some order of merit across their
right shoulders, or crosses upon their breasts. Some of them
sported at least a dozen of these honorary decorations.
The Cabinet officers with their ladies next entered, and after them
came the commanding figure of Chief Justice Chase, followed by the
Justices of the Supreme Court and the local Judges. Members of
Congress came next in order, but there were not many present.
Assistant Secretaries, heads of bureaus, and chief clerks followed;
and then, the band striking up the "Red, White, and Blue," Admiral
Radford entered with a large party of naval officers, among them
Admirals Davis and Stribling, with Colonel Ziellen and the other
officers of marines stationed in Washington, all in full uniform.
"Hail to the Chief" announced General Grant, who was attended by
Adjutant-General Thomas, Quartermaster-General Meigs, Paymaster-
General Brice, Surgeon-General Barnes, and some fifty or sixty
officers of lower grade, all in full uniform, and many of them who
only performed bureau duty were arrayed in epaulettes and embroidery
of the most stunning description. This comprised the official
presentations, and many of those above named were accompanied by
ladies, elegantly attired in full morning costumes, some of which,
worn by the ladies of the Diplomatic Corps, were very elegant.
At twelve o'clock the officials took their leave, and the people
were admitted. For two hours did a living tide of humanity surge
through the rooms, each man, woman, and child being presented and
shaking hands with the President as they passed him. There was
almost every conceivable variety of dress, and every part of the
country, with many foreign lands, was represented. A more promiscuous
company had never yet attended a White House reception, than that
which gathered on this occasion. But one colored man sought an
introduction to the "Moses" of his race, and he was civilly treated
by the President and those in attendance.
The reception at the house of General Grant was crowded. Among
the other visitors was Hon. Sam Hooper, the merchant Representative
from Boston, who handed the General a letter signed by himself and
forty-nine other "solid men of Boston," presenting a library of
well-selected books, which had cost five thousand dollars.
George Bancroft's eulogy on Abraham Lincoln attracted crowds to
the hall of the House of Representatives. The occasion was indeed
a memorable one, equaled only by the exercises in the old hall on
the last day of 1834, when that "Old Man Eloquent" of Massachusetts,
John Quincy Adams, occupied nearly three hours in the delivery of
his grand oration on Lafayette, which covered the history of the
preceding half century. Henry Clay, who was on that occasion
Chairman of the Joint Committee of Arrangements on the part of the
Senate, had ten years before, as Speaker of the House, welcomed
Lafayette as the nation's guest. Mr. Adams, in eloquently alluding
to this impressive scene, said that few of those who received
Lafayette were alive to shed the tear of sorrow upon his departure
from this earthly scene. Neither was there a member of Congress
who joined in the memorial exercises to Lafayette to pay a farewell
to Lincoln. There were a few present who heard the orator eulogize
Jackson, and a few more who were present at the impressive funeral
services of John Quincy Adams, who had fallen at his post in that
glorious old hall, in which his voice, like that of John the Baptist,
had proclaimed
"The coming of the glory of the Lord."
An incessant rain did not detract in the least from an immense
attendance at the Capitol, although no one was admitted without a
ticket. Notwithstanding the precautions taken, over three hundred
tickets were issued beyond the utmost capacity of the House galleries,
which were literally packed long before the ceremonies commenced.
The audience, seemingly, was as select as it was large, and the
attendance of many ladies gave to the occasion as brilliant and
fascinating an interest as did the distinguished guests on the
floor of the House. The hall was appropriately draped in mourning
over the Speaker's chair and at other points.
Prominent on the front seats of the ladies' gallery were Mrs.
General Grant, Mrs. Patterson and Mrs. Stover (the President's
daughters), Mrs. Daniel Webster, Mrs. Admiral Dahlgren, and others
equally famed in society. The floor of the House was divided into
sections for the reception of the distinguished guests. All of
the dignitaries were duly announced by the Sergeant-at-Arms as they
appeared in a body at the main door of the hall. The House rose
in compliment as they entered, and remained standing until the
guests were duly seated. The Diplomatic Corps, with the exception
of the French Minister and the Mexican Minister, were present in
full force. Sir Frederick Bruce, the Spanish Minister, and the
Russian Minister, occupied the front row of seats of the section
assigned to the Diplomatic Corps. Lieutenant-General Grant sat in
company with Admiral Shubrick, in front of the large delegation
from the army and navy. There was a buzz in the hall and a quiet
laugh as General Butler entered and unconsciously took a seat
immediately behind General Grant; neither greeted the other. In
the rear of General Butler General John A. Logan was sandwiched
with General Holt and John Minor Botts.
At noon Sergeant-at-Arms Ordway entered bearing the official mace,
and he was followed by Mr. Speaker Colfax. A rap from the Speaker's
gavel brought the assembly to order, and a solemn and very appropriate
prayer was offered by Mr. Chaplain Boynton. The journal of the
last day's session was then read, followed by a letter from Secretary
Seward apologizing for his absence.
The hum of conversation again echoed around the galleries, with
the craning of fair necks and the peering of bright, curious eyes
as the ladies sought to see who were there and what was worn. At
ten minutes after twelve the doorkeeper announced the Senate of
the United States. Mr. Speaker Colfax repeated the announcement
with the familiar raps of the gavel, which on this occasion brought
all on the floor to their feet. Sergeant-at-Arms Brown led the
way, then came Mr. Foster, President _pro tempore_, with Chief
Clerk McDonald, and then came the Senators, two and two, who took
seats on either side of the main aisle.
The inner half-circle of chairs was as yet unoccupied. President
Foster, receiving the gavel from Speaker Colfax, said: "Please be
seated," and a rap was again obeyed. A few moments elapsed, during
which the occupants of the galleries had time to scan the countenances
of the eloquent guardians of the Union and champions of freedom,
whose voices had been and might again be heard as a battle-cry in
the dark days of our eventful history.
The President of the United States was announced, and the audience
rose to receive the Chief Magistrate. He was attired in simple
black, and as he passed between the Senators down to the front seat
reserved for him, escorted by Senator Foote, he reminded one of
Webster and of Douglas, so immovable was the expression of his
massive, resolute, determined features. The President took his
seat directly opposite the Speaker, and the seats at his right hand
were occupied by Secretaries McCulloch, Stanton, Welles, Harlan,
Postmaster-General Dennison, and Attorney-General Speed. Secretary
Seward's health was so precarious that it did not permit him to be
present.
Mr. Bancroft entered with the President and was escorted to the
clerk's table, on which a reading-desk had been placed for his use.
Before taking his seat he shook hands with President Foster and
Mr. Speaker Colfax, who sat side by side at the Speaker's table,
directly behind the orator.
The Supreme Court was next announced, and all rose to pay homage
to the majesties of the law. They wore their silk robes and took
the front row of seats on the President's left hand in the following
order: Chief Justice Chase, Justices Wayne, Nelson, Clifford,
Swayne, Miller, Davis, and Fields. Justice Grier's recent family
bereavement kept him away.
Just after the Supreme Court was seated the President and Justice
Clifford rose, advanced toward each other, and cordially shook
hands. This made it twenty minutes past twelve, and, as all were
present, Major French, the Commissioner of Public Buildings, gave
a signal, and the Marine Band performed, with impressive effect,
the _Miserere_, from the opera "Il Trovatore." The Chaplain of
the House, Rev. Dr. Boynton, made a most orthodox and righteous
introductory prayer, after with Hon. Lafayette S. Foster, in a
brief but eloquent address, introduced the orator of the day.
Mr. Bancroft was received, on rising, with hearty applause, and he
commenced the delivery of his address in a clear, loud, and distinct
tone of voice, heard in every part of the hall. He held his printed
address in his left hand, and his sincerity and ability compensated
for the absence of oratorical grace. His was the simplicity of
faith rather than the simplicity of art, and by easy and rapid
transitions it occasionally rose to bold and manly enthusiasm.
The oration occupied two hours and thirty minutes, and at certain
points was most rapturously applauded. The allusions by the orator
to Great Britain's harboring rebel vessels during the war, and to
the insignificance of Palmerston in comparison to Lincoln, did not
seem to be well received by the British Minister, and his uneasiness
was very manifest when the House thundered with repeated applause
at the mention of the names of John Bright and Richard Cobden. On
the other hand, the Russian Minister blushed at the continued
applause and the thousands of eyes bent on him as Bancroft alluded
to the unwavering sympathy of Russia with the United States during
the late war. Baron Stoeckel congratulated the orator after the
ceremonies were over.
When Mr. Bancroft had concluded, and the President and the Senate,
with other invited guests, had retired, Mr. Washburne offered a
joint resolution of thanks to Mr. Bancroft, copied almost _verbatim_
from that passed when John Quincy Adams delivered the oration on
Lafayette. When the address was printed Mr. Bancroft insisted on
having the title-page state that it had been delivered before "the
Congress of America," instead of "the Congress of the United States
of America."
[Facsimile]
Winfd S. Hancock
WINFIELD SCOTT HANCOCK, born near Norristown, Pa., February 14th,
1824; graduated at West Point in 1844; served on the frontier, in
the Mexican and Florida Wars, and in California; Brigadier-General
of Volunteers, September 23d, 1861; Major-General of Volunteers,
November 20th, 1862; commander of Second Corps, May, 1863; wounded
at Gettysburg, July 3d, 1863; returned to his command and fought
to the end of the war; Major-General of the regular army, July,
1866; commanded various military divisions; candidate for Presidency
of the United States, 1880; died at Governor's Island, New York,
February 9th, 1886.