The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1841-12-25
TIE PERSONAL CHARACTER AND HA-
BITS OF WASHINGTON.

The following are rccollections OF Washinglon
derived from repeated orEortunnes during the thlee
last ears OF his public lille. lie was six feet in
stature of strong, bony, muscular frame, without full
ness Of covering, we'll formed and straight. lie was
a nan Of most extraordinary physical strength la
lis house his action calm, deliberate and dign
fed without pretension TO gracetulness or pccular
manner, but merely natural, nd such as would
think it should be insuch man. When walking IN
the street his movements had not the soldcriy air
which might be eNpccltd. His habitua motions had
been formed long before he took COMMAND of The
American armies in the wars oEihe interior, and IN
the surveying of wilderness lands, employments in
which grace and elcsaLcc were not likely 10 be nc.
CURED,
Atthe age ofsixty-fSe, time had done Moth Q TO-
ward bending him out OF his natural orcciness. lis
Experiment was invariably grave 1t sobrety thai
stopped short of sadness His presence INSPIRED
veneration and a feeling Of awe, rarely experienced
in the presence ofany man. His mode of speaking
was slow and deliberate not though he was IN
search of fine words, but that he might utter those
only adapted to his purpose. IL was the usage OF all
ners,ins u, aool -e.iy atenl Mis- w esiIington
lovee every Friday evening. lie always pre-
sent The young ladies used to throng around him
in conversation There were some Of the we'll ienem
btred bellies Of that day who imagined themselves 10
he f,vorites with him. As these tie only OPP
potuncs they Lad of convcrsng with him they
were disposed 10, sethem. One would think that
gentleman and gallant soldier il he could laugh
dress his cdunt,noace in smiles, would do when
surrounded by young and admitting beauties. But this
never SO the countenance.o of Washington ne
yer sofcned or chan aed his habitual gravity.
One who had lived always in his family said that
his in public life and in The secluson of most
retired life, always the same Being asked whe-
Their Washington could laugh, this person said that
this was rare occurrence but that ono instance was
remembered, when he laughed most heartily at her
narration OF an incident IN mich she was party con
ccrnel and which he applaudcd her agency The
late General Cobb who was long member of his
family during the war, AID VINO enjoyed laugh as
nFtN 1ra rt,tIll gatIt . h. MY. nuf
Washington laugh, excepting when Colonel Seam
mcl-ift tins was the pcrson-came to dine al head
quarters. Scamucl had fund Of ludcrous ancc-
dotcs and manner of telling them which relaxed
even the gravity of the commander in-chef
General Cobb also said that the forms Of proceed
ings at headquarters were exact and precise orderly
and punctual At the appointed moment, Washing
ton appeared at the breakfast table He expected 10
find all the members of his family Cobb, Hamilton
and Humphreys were among them awaiting him =
He dressed for the day, and brought with him
the letters and dispatches ofthc preceding day, with
short memoranda OF the answers to be made also the
substance of orders to be issued When breakfast
over these papers were distributed among his aids
to be put into form
Soon after he mounted his horse to visit his troops
and expected TO find. his return before noon, all
the papers prepared for his inspection and signature
There was no familiarity in his presence ii was all
mous aud temperate. He had a decided preference
for certain sorts of food, probably from carly assoca-
tons Throughout the war; as II understood in
his military family, he gave part Of every day TO
private prayer and devotion
While he lived in Philadelphia, as President, he
rose at four nhc morning, and the general rule of his
house was that the fires should be covered aud the
lights eXtingllishcd, at certain hour whether this
was nine or ten, is not rccolicccd,
lie devoted one hour every other Tuesday, from |
three to four to public visits lie understood HIM /
self to be visited as the President Of The L. States,
and not on his own account lie was net q br seen