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Chapter 27:
after
Grant became
President he did not for some weeks occupy the
Executive Mansion as a residence, but of course the official business was transacted there.
His first official reception was one for the
Diplomatic Corps.
It was not very formal.
I had called on the various chiefs of legation at his request and notified them that the
President and
Mrs. Grant would receive the members of the corps and their families on a certain afternoon.
It was desirable that the new
President should make their acquaintance, and this was the democratic substitute for what in
Europe would have been a ‘court.’
I went in the
President's open carriage, which was a conspicuous, light-colored vehicle, and when I visited the Haytien representative my arrival created a commotion.
I suspect that preceding administrations had hardly accorded the same recognition to the fellows of the freedmen, and the dusky democrat had perhaps not long been used to considering himself an ambassador.
At any rate, when I entered and made known my errand, the diplomatist rose and dusted my chair.
Soulouque himself began life as a servant.
Washburne, the
Secretary of State for a week, had already given up his place to
Fish, who had not lived in
Washington for many years and was therefore unacquainted with the foreign representatives.
As I knew them all, I was selected to introduce them to
Mr. Fish, who then made the presentations to the
President.
They came, many of them,
