STEPHEN Bo WEEKS CLASS OF 1886: PKD. THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNl\/ERSrTY OF THE UMVERsmr OF mwm ommA TIE WEEKS COMJECTKIM OF CAMUMANA C6 UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL ■iPlllill 00032690749 This book must' not be token from the Library building. } J^^^nu^ k. ¥U/'our distinguished husband in the enjoyment of the utmost favor of his countrymen, and the 88 INAUGURATION BAIL. hicrhest station which their votes and their con- o fidence can bestow, when time shall have passed, and the troubles and the honors of this life shall have known their termination, may your union still continue undisturbed, and be blessed with that happiness which the Holy Book teaches, as the hope and the promise." A group of select friends dined with the President and his wife at the White House, and this eventful day was closed with the customary Inauguration Ball. This took place in Carusi's Hall, and was in- tended as an opportunity for the people to get a near view of the new chief magistrate. To prevent too great a crowd, the tickets were sold at ten dollars each. When the President and his party entered and took their places on a platform at the end of the hall, the dancing ceased, and the band played " Hail to the Chief," and there was a general recep- tion. Mrs. Polk remembered that she wore a ma- zarine blue velvet dress, with a deeply fringed cape. When the ceremony of introduction and handshak- ing was over, Mr. and Mrs. Polk with their friends left the hall. The new mistress of the White House showed her simplicity and moderation in her decision con- cerning the renovation customary with each new resident in the old mansion. The " New York REFUSIIVG PRESENTS. 89 Journal of Commerce " commended her sensible views as follows : — " A couple of upholsterers who went from this city to pro- cure so much of the job as falls within their department, came back with very reduced expectations. They were referred to the President's lady, who gave them a cour- teous interview of three quarters of an hour, but told them that only the public rooms would require repairs, for if the private apartments had been satisfactory to Mrs. Tyler, they would be so to herself" One day, soon after the beginning of the adminis- tration, some one sent a fine riding-horse to the White House stable. When the President heard of the gift, he told his secretary to have the horse sent to the livery-stable and to inform the owner where it was. He would accept presents of little worth, such as books, canes, etc , but m.ust decline any of larger value. This wise course effectually closed an opening to irregularities and corruption. Not long afterward, the citizens of New York wished to present to him a carriage and horses, but he de- clined the proffered kindness. These two instances convinced the public of his determination, and no one afterward ventured to offer a costly gift, for fear of giving offence. Sometimes a naval officer would say to Mrs. Polk that in a foreign country he had seen some rare or rich article which he wished very 90 HOX. JOHN C. CALHOUX. mucli to bring home to her, but had feared to do so. In later Hfe she said that she did not then reaHze as fully as afterward, the worth of such a rigid and self-denying uprightness, and would smil- ingly say to her husband, " Oh, I have lost so many pretty things by your refusing to take costly pres- ents ! " He would never consent to accept such favors for his wife any more than for himself Mr. Polk had been privately informed that the Hon. John C. Calhoun, the Secretary of State in Mr. Tyler's Cabinet, was desirous of remaining in that office until the annexation of Texas was con- summated, a measure which he ardently advocated. Mr. Polk was also solicitous concerning it, and Mr. Calhoun naturally expected to remain. But the pressure of the politicians was against his retention, and Mr. Polk tendered him the mission to Eng- land. This post was declined, and preparations were made for his return to South Carolina. He had for years cherished a cordial friendship for Mrs. Polk, and calling to bid her farewell, she expressed her regret that he had decided not to accept the mission. '* Madame," replied the distinguished South Carolinian, " you know me well enough to be aware that I am a domestic man in my nature and habits, and that such a place would not suit my taste." She admired his great powers, and his GOING TO CHURCH. 9 1 honest adherence to the poHtical principles he be- heved to be right, whatever might be the convic- tions of others. He was a worthy descendant of the resolute Huguenots, many of whom in their ex- patriation fled to South Carolina, and enriched tliat State by their noble character and valuable labors. The ladies of the diplomatic circle added much to the vivacity and enjoyment of social affairs. The wife of the Russian Minister possessed unusual attractions. Mrs. Polk had known Madame Bodisco when she was Miss Williams, and a pupil at the Georgetown school. It is said that the dignified ambassador then met the young school-girl who subsequently became his bride. Of those connected with the families of the sec- retaries, perhaps it was to Mrs. Marcy that the President's wife was most strongly attached. They often went to church together, Mrs. Marcy attend- ing the Presbyterian, with her friend, and Mrs. Polk returning the favor by going with Mrs. Marcy to the Baptist Church. During the fourteen years of her residence in Washington, while her husband was in Congress, Mrs. Polk was a regular attendant of the First Presbyterian Church on Four-and-a-half Street, not far from the capitol. When she returned, it was supposed that she would worship with the Rev. Mr. Lowrie's church, not far from the White 92 DANCING DISCONTINUED. House. But she continued to frequent the old sanc- tuary, though it was a mile away. " I loved the fami- liar place," she said ; ** and why should I not go there, when it was my intention to ride, and a mile more would make no difference?" The dazzling and deceptive allurements insepar- able from high position had no power to blind her to the truth. She regularly attended church, duly observed the Sabbath, and maintained Christian charities. ** The greater the prosperity," she said, " the deeper the sense of gratitude to the Almighty Power from whom all blessings flow. My heart never yielded to worldly honors or self-vanity." In her new home, one effect of her principles was the discontinuance of dancing. This stroke of author- ity made a sensation, and with a few exceptions was universally applauded. Some young ladies re- monstrated : *' Oh, Mrs. Polk, why will you not let us dance? These rooms are so magnificent." " Would you dance in so public a place as this?" she would ask; and when they said yes her reply was, " I would not. To dance in these rooms would be undignified, and it would be respectful neither to the house nor to the office. How in- decorous it would seem for dancing to be going on in one apartment, while in another we were conversincr with dic^nitaries of the republic or A/A'S. MADISON. 93 ministers of the gospel. This unseemly juxtaposi- tion would be likely to occur at any time, were such amusements permitted." The " Nashville Union " thus applauded her decision : — " The example of Mrs. Polk can hardly fail of exerting a salutary influence. Especially does it rebuke the con- duct of those ladies who professing godliness, nevertheless dishonor its profession by their eager participation in the follies and amusements of the world. However politicians may differ in regard to the merit of Mr. Polk's administration, there can be no difference as respects that of his lady, in her department of the Presidential mansion." Mrs. Polk saw Mrs. Madison frequently, and en- joyed taking her for a drive on pleasant summer afternoons. It was the custom to invite her to every Cabinet dinner, and to all entertainments given at the White House, the President himself escorting her to the table. She w^as always attired in black silk or velvet, with a kerchief of muslin and lace around her neck and shoulders, folded across the bosom. In after years Mrs. Polk wrote, " The White House was the abode of pleasure while I was there." At the weekly re- ceptions, she pleased every caller with her words of welcome. At the large dinners, complimentary to distinguished persons, members of the Cabinet, 94 MARKIXG NEWSPAPERS. civil, military, and naval officers, eminent citizens, diplomatists, and noted foreigners, the dignity and courtesy of the hostess impressed every one, and her praises were trumpeted by the newspapers. The President's duties left him little time for even a cursory scanning of the numerous news- papers. There were frequent allusions to his ad- ministration, and it was necessary for him to know the drift of public feeling and opinion. He would send the papers to his wife, requesting her to examine them and mark such articles as it was desirable for him to read. This task, requiring judgment and knowledge of public affairs, she gladly performed. Carefully folding the papers with the marked pieces outside, where a glance might detect them, she would place the pile be- side his chair, so that whenever a few moments of leisure came, he could find and read without loss of time. Knowing much of political affairs she found pleasure in the society of gentlemen ; and some one remarked that '' she was always in the parlor with Mr. Polk." In a letter to her from Judge Catron, dated at Nashville, June, 1845, ^^ says: — " We had the pleasure to hear by Mrs. Marshall's letter that you were very well, and the President not — overworked, of course. On this head I am LETTER FROM JUDGE CATROX. 95 uneasy, and advise lectures on your part, on all in- ordinate and especially irregular labors. The ma- chinery of government looks well at a distance, smooth, still, and statesmanlike. I think the Presi- dent has deeply impressed upon him the early copy set him in the old field school: ' Least said is soon- est mended.' It is worth more in practice than all ever written in Italy and France on slippery policy. All sides seem to vie in vaunting you, and if this keeps on through the four years, will stilt you up to so giddy a height that you may incur more danger in getting down than in climbing up." The following paper, written by Mr. Polk on his fiftieth birthday, Sunday, November 2, 1845, was found among his manuscripts, long afterward: "Attended the Methodist Church (called the Foundery Church) to-day, in company with my private secretary, J. Knox Walker. It was an in- clement day, there being rain from an early hour in the morning, and Mrs. Polk and the ladies of my household did not attend church to-day. Mrs. Polk being a member of the Presbyterian Church, I generally attend that church with her, though my opinions and predilections are in favor of the Methodist Church. This was my birthday, being fifty years old. The text was from the Acts of the Apostles, chap. 17, verse 31: 'Because He 96 ^^^S' POLK'S BIRTHDAY. hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained.' It was communion da}% and the sermon was solemn and forcible. It awakened the reflec- tion that I had lived fifty years, and that before fifty years more would expire I would be sleeping with the generations which have gone before me. I thought of the vanity of this world's honors, how- little they would profit me half a century hence, and that it was time for me to be * putting my house in order.' " A New York newspaper of the time says of him : " He would have a pew in church and regularly occupy it. No visitor would be admitted into his house on the Sabbath except family acquaintances. If a week's journey was to be undertaken he would start on Monday morning and reach the place on Saturday night. And all this though not a professor of religion. Mr. Polk had a deli- cacy and propriety of feeling, which showed how well and kindly he had yielded his heart and his habits to a most auspicious domestic influence ; how fully he acknowledged the legitimate influence of a pious wife, to whom he was bound by ties of the strongest affection, and who indeed was, in many senses, his guardian angel amid the perils and darkness of the way." LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE, THE PRESIDENT AND MRS. POLK. From a copy of one of (he first Daguerreotypes made at IVashiiigton, 1847 or 1848. o CHAPTER VII. I 846-1 849. NE afternoon in July, when the beams of the sun were flaming with scorching heat, Mrs. Polk was sitting at a window overlooking a part of the White House grounds where several men were at work. Her husband was absorbed in writing, and there was no one else present. *' Mr. Polk," she suddenly said, " the writers of the Declaration of Independence were mistaken when they affirmed that all men are created equal." •'Oh, Sarah," said he, ''that is one of your foolish fancies." **But, Mr. Polk," she returned, 'Met me illustrate what I mean. There are those men toiling in the heat of the sun, while you are writing, and I am sitting here fanning myself, in this house as airy and delightful as a palace, surrounded with every comfort. Those men did not choose such a lot in life, neither did we ask for ours; we were created for these places." lOO LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. Mr. Polk was amused at her criticism on the venerable and honored document, and rehearsed the incident as an example of " Sarah's acumen." Circumstances certainly seem sometimes to dis- prove the grand truth that all men are created with equal rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness ; but she believed, as we all do, that it is nevertheless the powerful principle underly- ing the beneficent liberty and marvellous growth of our country. It is the wonder-working Aladdin's lamp of the Occident, holding forth the radiant light of a new era, and its mighty genius is build- ing homes of peace and content for the poor and oppressed of every land. The following extract is from a letter of Judge Lewis of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who was Mrs. Polk's agent in the following incident: — "On the 4th of July, 1846, the President's man- sion was thrown open for the reception of visitors, and the rooms gradually filled with guests ' of high and low degree.' Amid the motley groups present, the President's lady was receiving with becoming courtesy the guests who advanced to pay their respects, when she perceived an old man, sup- ported by a long cane, and dressed in humble garb, totter into the room, and in a diffident man- ner take a station at a distance and gaze with LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. 1 01 unminglcd wonder upon the scene before him. Mrs. Polk despatched a gentleman with whom she was then conversing, to bring the old man to her, and talked with him for some time with the kindly sympathy for old age which is a beau- tiful feature of woman's character. He said that he was one hundred and five years old, had dined with Washington, and his memory reached thirty years beyond the stirring events of the American Revolution. His reminiscences of bygone times were received with attention by his auditress, and when other guests claimed her ear, she followed the old man with her eye, and directed that the venerable visitor should be treated with special respect. This incident, while it evinces that Mrs. Polk's heart was where it always is, in the right place, speaks volumes in favor of our republican institutions. The poor man enters the Palace of the People, stands in the presence of assembled senators and ambassadors, converses with the lofti- est lady in the republic, and receives every attention and respect." In those times, there were few of the flowers and vines whose natural grace now adorns the grounds of the White House. Some years later, funds were voted by Congress for the establishment and main- tenance of a greenhouse there. A conservatory 102 LIFE AT THE WHTTE HOUSE. was attached to the Patent Office, but the public did not have the privilege of plucking the flowers. Whenever the President's wife came, the gardener cut a profusion of blossoms, and arranging them into a handsome bouquet, presented it to her. Occasionally, visitors who observed this would ask a similar favor, to which his reply would be that he was not allowed to give the flowers away. When it was rejoined, " You gave some to that lady," he would disclose that lady's name. Some of them would be satisfied, but others were of- fended. ** I did not desire this distinction to be made between others and myself," she said, " and I requested the gardener not to cut any more flowers for me. His reply was, * Madame, if you will receive them, I will still give you flowers.' But I did not wish for the attention. I always had so much that I could not wish for more." A letter from Washington in November, 1846, says : — *' At no period in our history have we seen the hospitalities of the White House more handsomely dispensed, or displayed with greater republican simplicity. There is no extra formality exhibited when a Secretary or some other high officer of government presents himself. The quiet, unher- alded citizen receives a polite and cordial saluta- LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. 103 tion, as well as the rich man or the Minister of State. I was struck with Mrs. Polk's patriotic sentiments. A gallant lieutenant, just from the bloody but glorious conflict at Monterey was there also ; and as she carried back his thoughts to the distant field of his fame, he caught the inspiration, and dwelt briefly upon some of the thrilling inci- dents of those scenes. In the course of this ani- mated conversation, the young officer remarked that something — I do not now recollect what — was rather too democratic ; to which Mrs. Polk replied that whatever sustained the honor and advanced the interests of the country, whether regarded as democratic or not, she admired and applauded." On Christmas Day Mr. Polk's thoughts were with his old home in Columbia, and with the central figure of that home, his mother, to whom he wrote as follows : — "Dear Mother:— It has been many months since I have written to you, but you have been constantly in my affectionate remembrance. My whole time has been occupied in the performance of my public duties. This is Christmas Day, and is one of the most quiet days I have spent since I have been President. Congress does not sit, the public offices are all closed, and the population 104 LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. generally attend church. My official term has nearly half expired. My public responsibilities and cares are very great, and I shall rejoice when the period shall arrive when I can bid adieu to pub- lic life forever. I shall return to Tennessee at the close of my term, and spend the remainder of m}- life in quiet retirement." In the summer of 1847 the President, with several state officers and a few personal friends, made a tour in the northern and eastern States. A Buffalo news- paper had a long article about the reception in that city, and said, among many other good things: — " We are not in the least addicted to man- worship ; we look upon the man with no more regard because he holds an office, for this is only an evidence of his worth in the estimation of his fellow-citizens. But we do give honor to the faithful discharge of public trusts, that others may be led to emulate the example. The administration of Presi- dent Polk has been one of great events, and will form an era in our history. There has been a combination of those events which has scarcely occurred since the organization of the government." The reception in New York was a grand one. The people were out in vast numbers. One of the newspapers of the day, said : — " We confess that we admire the man. not less for the stern integrity and purity of his private life, the noble and LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. 105 sterling qualities of his personal character, than for the honorable and commanding station which he holds as the reward of his political integrity, his private virtues, and his personal worth." Mrs. Polk went as far as Baltimore, where she left the presidential party and travelled west under the care of Mr. Sumner, a young Tennessean, a clerk in one of the departments, whose vacation occurred just at that time. Some members of the party begged her to change her purpose. " Do you want the trouble of having me all through the trip," she asked, " when a separate committee and a sep- arate suite of apartments for my use are always necessary? " " I could not go with Mr. Polk at the receptions," she said to us in relating these experi- ences, " for he was always with the officials, and I could not stand with him to shake hands with the multitude who crowded to see him, the populace, the working-men, the high and low whom he must receive. In these days opinions and manners are quite different. The ladies go with the gentlemen into all places and all assemblies. In those days it was not thought suitable or dignified for them to be thus prominent and conspicuous." While visiting her mother, she received the following letter, dated July 4, 1847, Portland, Maine: — I06 LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. My dear Wife : — After I wrote to you at Lowell on the morning of the 2d inst., I proceeded to this place, where I was handsomely received, and proceeded the same evening to Augusta (the seat of government of the State), and arriving about one o'clock on the 3d, found the capitol and the whole city brilliantly illuminated. On the 3d (yes- terday) I had perhaps as gratifying a reception as I have received* on my tour. I was received by both branches of the legislature, in the hall of the House of Representatives, and was addressed by the Governor ; to which I of course responded, as I think in one of my happiest efforts. Afterwards I was introduced to as many of the immense crowd, and especially of the ladies, as could have access to me. Senator Evans met me at Augusta and behaved very handsomely. At five o'clock I visited his family in the town in which he lives (five miles from Augusta), and afterwards, on a platform erected on the wharf, just before going on board the steamboat to return to this city, Mr. Evans ad- dressed me in the presence of some two thousand persons, male and female, in a very handsome man- ner and in a very kind spirit, to which of course I responded; and my friends say I made the best speech of the tour. I can give you no more de- tails, but content myself by saying that my whole LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. lO/ visit has been of the most gratifying character. The receptions given me by the legislatures and execu- tives of New Hampshire and Maine, in their official character as such, were highly honorable to me, and were all that my friends could have desired. Nothing of a party or of an unpleasant character has occurred anywhere. I reached here about midnight, last night, and have spent a very quiet day, having been twice to church. Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Clif- ford, Judge Woodbury, Governor Hubbard, General Anderson, Governor Dana, and Governor Fairfield, of Maine, Governor Monten, of Louisiana, Commo- dore Stuart, besides many members of Congress with whom I have served, have been with me for several days. In a word, I am highly delighted with my visit. On to-morrow. I proceed on my return, dining at Portsmouth (Judge Woodbury's residence) ; expect to reach Boston at five o'clock, p. M., and proceed immediately to New York, where I will arrive the next morning, and expect to arrive at Washington on Wednesday morning. My health has been good, but my fatigue has been so great that I have been at some times almost worn down, and hence some of the newspapers have represented me to be in bad health. Mr. Burke tells me he has written to you to-day, and I send you several newspapers, which will fur- I08 LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. nish you with many incidents connected with my tour, which I have not time or opportunity to write. I have received no letter from you, except the one you wrote at Wheehng. I hope you reached the end of your journey safely, and I calculate that you are to-night with your mother and sister at Mur- freesborough. Your affectionate husband, James K. Polk. On the last page, Mr. Buchanan adds a postscript: " P. S. — I cannot omit this opportunity of pre- senting you my kindest regards. There was nothing wanting to make our party everything it ought to have been but your presence. We have got along as well as could have been expected in your absence. The President has everywhere been received with enthusiasm, and has played Republican in grand style. He has made a decided impression on New England. One of the prettiest exhibitions on both sides I have ever witnessed came off last even- ing between him and Mr. Evans, of Maine. The speeches of both were excellent ; but I think the President's impromptu reply surpassed the studied effort of the ex-Senator, who has behaved himself extremely well throughout." LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. 109 A glimpse of familiar scenes, and a re-union with dear friends, was the pleasure of Mrs. Polk's visit to Tennessee; but the trip was mainly taken on ac- count of some items of business. Determining to fix his residence in Nashville at the close of his ad- ministration, Mr. Polk had purchased the home of the late Judge Felix Grundy, in whose office he had studied law in his youth. Judge Grundy was, in his day, the most celebrated criminal lawyer in the South, and he had attained high honors also in the Senate of the United States. This purchase was effected by the sale of Mr. Polk's patrimonial estate in Columbia and Maury County, and was not much more than an exchange of residences. The new home was receiving additions and alterations, under the supervision of Mr. V. K. Stevenson, Mr. John B. Johnson, and other of Mr. Polk's friends, and his wife came to suggest whatever changes she might desire. In October a powder magazine west of Capitol Hill was struck by lightning and a terrific explosion appalled the city. The north and west walls of the Polk mansion were so shaken that it was necessary to rebuild them. On her return to Washington Mrs. Polk chose the interior fittings of the house. Knowing the exact dimensions of floors, walls, and windows, she went sometimes to Stewart's establishment in New York City to make purchases, no LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. and sometimes rolls of material were brought to the White House for her inspection. In this way, while gratifying her own taste, she prevented the unwise outlay of many hundreds of dollars, likely to be thoughtlessly expended by incautious ordering. Some time after her return to the capital Mrs. Polk had the unusual experience of a severe sick- ness. A correspondent of the " Baltimore Sun " writes from Washington : — " We have a peculiar sorrow in the dangerous illness of the honored lady of President Polk. All admire her char- acter, all revere her virtues, and all with one consent join in supplicating the Father of mercies to spare her long, very long, to her husband and the friends to whom she is so dear." Mrs. Maury, in her volume, " An Englishwoman in America," says: — *' One morning I found Mrs. Polk reading. ' I have many books presented to me by the writers,' said she, ' and I try to read them all : at present that is impossible, but this evening the author of this book dines with the Presi- dent, and I could not be so unkind as to appear wholly ignorant and unmindful of his gift." Select parties were frequently invited to dine at the White House. On one occasion, there were twenty-five or thirty literary persons, among whom was Mrs. L. H. Sigourney. Mrs. Polk remembered LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. Ill that she was then rather stout, and had the appear- ance of one who was thinking, with a straight- forward look in her face. Washington is so much farther south than her home in Connecticut, that she spoke of it as a Southern city. Mrs. Alexander Hamilton was also there, and according to the cus- tom of aged ladies of that day, she wore a white cap with a crimped ruffle around the face, and white muslin strings tied under the chin. An elderly lady, who had been present at this dinner-party, called on Mrs. Polk a day or two after- ward, and during the conversation said, '* May I take the liberty accorded to ladies of my age, and make a suggestion to you, Madame? " The dining-table at the White House was adorned with a long mirror laid down in the centre of the table, the edges of which were concealed under a border of vines with clustering leaves and blooms, and upon the mirror were placed pyramidal bouquets of flowers, — this arrangement, called the plateau, reflecting the light of the candelabra, and giving an attractive brilliancy to the scene. The table extended about a foot beyond the plateau, and this space was covered with a long napkin, which upon the removal of the dishes for dessert was rolled up by the servants, and formed a bulky bundle of linen. The lady's suG^gestion was that the long napkin should be cut 112 LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. into short pieces, for the convenience of the ser- vants. ** I seldom noticed these things," said Mrs. Polk, "and did not know when the napkin was rolled up and taken off, being engaged in conversa- tion ; and I was often so much interested in the stream of discourse that the steward thought I ate too little, and he would put away some dish he knew I liked, hoping I might enjoy it afterward." She said that the servants knew their duties, and she did not undertake the needless task of directing them. Once when Col. Thomas H. Benton had been invited to dinner, and 6 o'clock, the appointed hour, had passed, he said, ** Mrs. Polk, did you not invite us to come and dine at a certain hour? " '' Colonel Benton," was the reply, " have you not lived in Washington long enough to know that the cooks fix the hour for dinner ? " '* Madame," he replied, " you have the advantage of me." One day, when Daniel Webster was placed beside Mrs. Polk at dinner, Mr. Speight, a senator from North Carolina, was sitting at one end of the table. This was considered an inferior position, the favo- rite seats being at the middle of the table, where the President sat on one side and his wife opposite, the places on either side of them being filled by guests who commanded the highest respect. Mr. Speight had requested this obscure seat that he LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. I 13 might dine quietly, unhindered by company or conversation. Seeing him placed there, Mr. Web- ster created much amusement by exclaiming, " Is he not a respectable gentleman?" A pleasant speech made to the mistress of the White House was specially ingenious. In the course of an evening reception, when the rooms were filled with guests, there fell one of those sudden silences that sometimes occur in the midst of the buzz of talk; then a deep, distinct voice slowly said, " Madame, I have long wished to see the lady upon whom the Bible pronounces a woe ! " The remark was startling, and no one ventured to make a reply. Mrs. Polk looked with a puzzled air at the speaker, when he continued, "Does not the Bible say, ' Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you ' ? " The company was considerably relieved at this happy turn of so solemn a speech, and the lady bowed her thanks for the delicate compliment. Mr. Jenkins has preserved in his pages an inci- dent which occurred during a visit made by Henry Clay to Washington, not long before the presidential election in 1848, when he dined at the White House, with many other distinguished men on both sides in politics. " The party is said to have been a very pleasant 8 114 LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. affair; good feeling abounded, and wit and lively repartee gave zest to the occasion. 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 possesses 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 she did not fail to win. " ' Madame,' 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.* LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. II5 '"■ Thank you, thank you, Madame.' " * And I will assure you of one thing. If you do have occasion to occupy the White House on the 4th 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 occa- sion of it, did not permit the guests at the lower end of the table to hear the rest of Mr. Clay's reply. Whether he was * certain that ' he should be the tenant of the President's mansion, or whether he only said that he was 'certain that' whoever did occupy it would find it in good condition, like the result of the coming contest for the presidency, remained a mystery." Mr. Polk's health, never very strong, began to fail under the heavy weight of his cares and respon- sibilities. These had been greatly increased by the Mexican war. The Hon. Charles J. Ingersoll called to tell Mrs. Polk that her husband was wearing himself out with constant and excessive application; that if he did not take some recrea- tion, he would die soon after the close of his term ; that she must insist upon his driving out morning and evening; that she must order her carriage and make him go with her. " I did so," she Il6 LIFE AT THE WHITE HOUSE. said, " and the carriage waited and waited, until it was too late. It would have been obliged to wait all day, for somebody was always in the office, and Mr. Polk would not, or could not, come. I sel- dom succeeded in getting him to drive with me," she added sadly. In May, 1848, the Mexican war was brought to a triumphant close. In the summer the President visited one or two watering places in Pennsylvania and Virginia, and the annexed letters were written at this time by his wife, who was detained by the presence of guests in the White House: — '• Dear Husband : — I do hope when you re- ceive this note you will not say to yourself that your wife is as annoying as the office-seekers, per- secuting you wherever you go by compelling you to open and read a httle budget of nonsense of my own sad complaints that I am separated from you. Yesterday, not being very well, I kept my room and felt disconsolate ; everything bore the appearance of universal quietness. The doorbell rang only a few times. I beg that you will stay long enough at Bedford to renovate your health. Grieved as I may be at your absence (don't think I am jesting), I do not wish you to leave there before Monday week ; a shorter time cannot benefit you. How often do you intend to write me?" ^^^ft .-^ The annexed fac-shnile of a letter of Mrs. Polk was 7vritten to her husband in August, 1848. // ivas enclosed in a small envelope, and then re-enclosed in a larger one. On the end of the latter is the president's endorsement of the date of its receipt. 2 ^'^ cr^ /X--^^_ >fc— >-c y