from various parts of the Union, and scarcely ac-
quainted together." * Charles J. IngersoU, who at-
tended the sessions of the Court from Philadelphia,
about this period wrote in his diary : " It seems to me
that the dinner-giving system has increased very much
since I first knew this great watering place — will
you let me call it — where amusement is a business,
a need, to which almost everybody is given up from
5 o'clock till bedtime. All the Secretaries give din-
ners and balls frequently, I fancy weekly, and many
other persons, who, I should think, can ill afford it.
The Court and Bar dine today with the President.
In my opinion, a Judge should never dine out in term
time except Saturday and Sunday, if then. In Eng-
land, I am told, they hardly ever do, and I fancy the
pillars of Westminster Hall would marvel much if
they could see the Supreme Court of the United States
begin a day's session, aye, after robing and taking
their places, by receiving from the Marshal their cards
of invitation and taking up their pens to answer them
before the Kst of cases is called for hearing.'* * As the
^ J. Q, Adanu, entry of March 8, 1821 .
- Life qf Charles Jared IngereoU (1897), 12S» by William M. Meigs, Feb. 14. 188S.
Other entries at this time are interesting :
- Feb. 6, 182S. The Drawing room this Evening neither so crowded, nor, I think,
so pleasant as I have known such assemblies formeriy. Mr. Adams, Mr. Calhoon and Mr. Thompson were there, not Mr. Crawford, — all the Judges except Washington and Todd, the latter delayed at home in a fall, said to be serious — Mr. Clay in fine spirits. I understand that he talks unreservedly of his prospects of the Presidency, and says that he is confident of success. . . .
"F06. 20, At Secretary Thompson's ... we had the Chief Justice of the United States on one seat of honor and the Mexican Minister or Secretary of Legation. I did not ascertain which, on another, and Judges Johnson and Story. Fie on them for dining out so continually, tho how can they help under this raging star." George Ticknor writing, Jan. 16, 1826, said : "The regular inhabitants of the dty from the President downwards, lead a hard and troublesome life. It is their business to entertain strangers, and they do it, each one according to his means, but all in a very laborious way. . . . The President gives a dinner once a week to thirty or forty people — no ladies present — in a vast cold hall. ... I was, however, at a very pleasant dinner of only a dozen, that he gave to Lafayette, when the old gentlemanmadehimself very agreeable, but this was out of the common course. . . .
