Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-07-03

sincere conviction of the truth of those
political tenets which he constantly and
openly avowed and promulgated. / do
also aver, with a thorough knowledge of
the facts, that for his elevation Thorn
as Jefferson was solely in debt to the
sense entertained of his public services,
and of his well known political opinions
and that he was, altogether, the sponta-
neous choice of the people-not promot-
ed by any intrigue, mol. even nominated
by any assembly or convention, but
without any precOncerted action, and yet
without competitor, selected unanimous
ly in every quarter as their candidate by
the majority which elected him..
No lady in the land could surpass this
fine autograph. Martin Van Buren's
tribute to Jefferson is written in rather
large hand. and in a flowing style He
says" With the single exception of
General Washington no man ever lived
whose claims upon the gratitude of
mankind for public service were greater
than those of Thomas Jefferson" How
beautifully the lamented William VIII
kins, of Pittsburg, whose venerable wild
ow is now living in elegant retirement
in Philadelphia, spoke on the same theme
the same year: '.Why is it, he asks in
a most satisfactory handwriting, ''that
time, so fatal to ordinary regulations,
only serves to brighten the fame of him
we delight TO honor? The cause is not
to be found in any or all of the great ac-
tons of his life, however illustrious; it
is due to that of which all these were
but the outward manifestations of the
earnest and deep-seated confidence OF the
people. He loved and trusted his species
he has taught us this great secret of
! his confidence"
And here before me are two letters,
one from each Of the rival candidates
/ for governor of Pennsyania thirty years
/ agO-Henry +. Muhlenberg and Francis
/ r. Shunk-bOth accurate and intelligi-
| BILE. and that Of Skunk unusually bold
and large. Thomas Richie wrote a
hand not quite so difficult to make out
/ as that of Mr.. Greeley, but in the same
style His editorials were dashed off in
/ great haste, sometimes on long slips,
sometimes on small ones, and he CON-
/ posed with extraordinary facility. Gen,
Cass, who wrote much and always like
a scholar. had an editorial hand, while
/ Andrew Stevenson of Virginia. father of
/ the present Senator from Kentucky,
/ could have set copies for a country
/ school, and vet in the ardOr of compo-
/ sition he would make himself very diff
/ cult to decipher Senator Summers
/ writing is Enthusiastically large and
/ distinct; short sentences, carefully point.
! ed, good ink and excellent stationery
( somewhat after the parliamentary fash
ion. He is a prodigious worker, and,
fear, even in his prOstration, cannot
/ keep his hand from pen and pencil. Caleb
/ Cushing writes very rapidly, and it re-
quires one familiar with his manuscript
to interpret it, OF all men, however,
none was harder to understand than
/ Thaddeus Stevens. / have some notes
Of his which would puzzle an expert.
John LOthrop Motley, the historian, is
is singularly precise. Thackeray seemed
rejoice in small feminine characters,
aid took great delight, in his letters to
his friends, in decorating the border
with all kinds of curious caricatures.
Robert T. Conrad, the poet, was most
delicate and dtIettGnte writer. Some Of
/ his poems were not less models Of liter
ary beauty than of mechanical taste.
/ William B. Reed, so well known in pol
itics and in literature, writes hand very
much like the venerable HenryC. Carey
fair to look upon but sometimes rath-
cr hard to decipher
Stephen A. Douglass dashed off his
letters without much regard to appear
ance. He seemed to be always under
high pressure, and what he wrote was
written with intense feeling, John c.
Fremont signs his name boldly, a little
after the Dickens style. William H.
Seward was excessively particular In the
preparation of his speeches, and COM
| posed with deliberation. | heard an old
/ stenographer say that after he had taken
/ down Mr.. Seward literally, in one of his
! greatest efforts, and presented him the
/ full report, the stateman recast the whole
| discourse, and sent it to the printers In
| his own round hand, Senator Morton
writes in bold, round characters. Thur
! low Weed is significantly editorial-anY-
/ body who sees it can tell that he has
/ reeled off mRltitudinous leaders. Nc
Michael, of the North Anericdn, writes
nervOusly, in straight lines, frequently
hard to solve. He would be a fortune
to any newspaper if he would allow a
short hand reporter to take down the
words as they fell from his lips. We
have no better debater nor conversation
alist. Boxer, the poet, prides himself
upon his cool and dainty chirography.
! Rufus ChOate was a dreadful affiictiOn
to the printers when they got hold of his
| legal papers, and the man who resemr
bled him most in his time, George w.
Barton of Pennsylvania, was almost as
prolific in his oratory as in his hhandwrit-
ing, and it was far easier to enjoy his
magnificent rhetoric than his written
sentences. Fillmore's style was method
ical and slow: Pierce's quick, bold and
legible; Lincoln's small, careful and
rather labored; Grants unpretending
and easily read.