Whither are we drifting, in a social, republican point of view, when a Senator’s wife tosses her head and says: “Would you think it possible that the wife of a member has had the impertinence to ask me to come and spend an evening socially with her?” To a spectator, looking on this small society side-show, it seems all the more ridiculous, as the Senator-husband is so small that he is scarcely ever heard of either in the country or the Senate, whilst the member in dispute has a fame like the flag of our country. To a neat little volume, called “Philip’s Washington Described,” we are indebted for a copy of the “Rules” as laid down by General Washington, as well as the “Code,” which was meant to be a new edition of the “Rules,” revised and corrected. OLIVIA. GENERAL PHIL SHERIDAN. THE HANDSOME WARRIOR GRACES THE SPEAKER’S RECEPTION. WASHINGTON, _February 14, 1870_. Never since the inauguration of our Republic has social life in Washington assumed such brilliant hues as during the present winter. With the departure of the Democratic dynasty, and the disappearance of the Southern queens of society, it has been thought that the sunshine of the “Republican court” would go out forever. But the extravagant magnificence of to-day eclipses all former years; and if Mrs. Slidell or Mrs. Crittenden should revisit the haunts of their former triumphs they would find the social kingdom in stronger hands than their own. If the Southern woman ruled as queen, the haughty Northerner sways the sceptre of an empress. The Southern queen pointed to her slaves; the empress of to-day wears a coronet of diamonds, and only death can set her bondmen free. Reception, ball, dinner, sociable--which shall be described first? The Prince’s ball darted across the social sky like a meteor. It has come and gone, and Washington’s fashionable women still survive. The New York _Tribune_ says that one young lady refused to dance with the Prince because she invariably declined all round-dances. Then she refused to be his partner in a quadrille, because it would keep dear papa and mama later than they had decided to stay. All this sounds very nice in the newspapers, only it is a pretty fib and counterfeit and should never pass for the genuine.