4642. LEVEES, Presidential.—
Edmund
Randolph tells James Madison and myself a
curious fact which he had from Lear. When
the President went to New York, he resisted
for three weeks the efforts to introduce levees.
At length he yielded, and left it to Humphreys
and some others to settle the forms. Accordingly
an antechamber and presence room were
provided, and when those who were to pay their
court were assembled, the President set out,
preceded by Humphreys. After passing through
the antechamber, the door of the inner room
was thrown open, and Humphreys entered first,
calling out with a loud voice, “the President
of the United States”. The President was so
much disconcerted with it, that he did not recover
from it the whole time of the levee, and
when the company was gone, he said to Humphreys,
“Well, you have taken me in once, but
by God you shall never take me in a second
time”.—The Anas. Washington ed. ix, 132.
Ford ed., i, 216.
(1793)
