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THE WHITE HOUSE.
The White House at Washington, the
official residence of the American Presi-
dents, was, it is interesting to recall,
built by an Irishman on the pattern of
the Duke of Leinster's house in Dublin.
The beauty of its surroundings, the im-
portance of its occupants, the quaint
simplicity of the receptions and other
ceremonies of which it is the scene, and
the historic associations that assail the
visitor who passes the Doric pillars of
the portico, make one forget that it was
not designed by a master of his craft,
or furnished and decorated by the weal-
thiest nation on earth with a proper in-
difference to expense. Indeed, Mr.
Roosevelt struck the right note when he
deprecated any thought of providing a
more sumptuous abode for the first citizen
of the Republic. The place ought to be
kept, he declared, as nearly as possible,
in the condition it was in when the ear-
liest of his predecessors lived in it. "The
stately simplicity," he said, "of its archi-
tecture is an expression of the character
of the period in which it was built, and
is in accord with the purposes it was de-
signed to serve." It is not, indeed, the
identical building erected in 1792. A little
more than a century ago that was burned
down, it is sad to remember, by an Eng
lish General, under strict orders from
Home; and to-day most Englishmen
would agree with their own historian in
saying that this was one of the most re-
grettable acts recorded in our annals.
General Ross, who entered Washington
the day after he had defeated a force of
between seven and eight thousand Ameri-
can levies at Bladensburg, set fire to the
Capitol, to the Whilte House, and to one
or two private residences, and then with-
drew to attack Baltimore, where he fell
in a skirmish. There is no need, how-
ever, to revive memories of an incident
which has by this time lost its bitterness
for both sides. An attempt was made to
justify .the conflagration at Washington
on the ground that private property of
Canadians had been destroyed. General
Ross's measures, too, were not contrary
to the laws of war. But the conflict of
1814 is less worth recollecting than the
peace which ended it, and has never since
been broken. The White House was re-
built in 1818, and was very cleverly re-
stored some ten years ago; so that, save
for slight variations, It bears the clos-
est resemblance to the abode of the early
Presidents. Englishmen who go to
Washington are always struck by the ab-
sence of the pomp and pageantry which
are the feature of Courts in Europe. It
is many degrees easier, even for a for-
reigner, to obtain the honour of an inter-
view with the President of the United
States than to find his way to the pre-
sence of Royalty in the least consequen-
tial kingdomn on the Continent. On levee
days the President stands in the Blue
room to exchange genial greetings and a
cordial shake of the hand with all and
sundry who present themselves. With
but an influential introduction the most
ollustrious stranger might fail to get
an audience with a magnate of finance
at New York; but at Washington he may
drop into the White House and talk to
the President with no more ceremony
than would be observed in calling on his
own most intimate friend. Charles Dic-
kens, in his "American Notes," says the
place reminded him of a London club-
house; but it is certainly more acces-
sible to outsiders. It does, indeed, re-
flect very fairly all that is most admir-
able in the national character. Wash-
ington, which Mr. Bryce tells us culti-
vates the graces and pleasures of life
with eminent success, nowhere displays
so pleasing a combination of unpreten-
tious gravity with a homely preference
for the realities rather than the artificial
trimmings of world-wide power.
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