Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-24

John Quincy Adams -" The great proprietors
Of Virginia resemble the Polish Paiatines.
they have the same proud spirit OF indepen-
dence. and yet exact the greatest subordination
from the people on their estates, and exercise
the greatest hospitality"
TAYLoE ON VARIOUS THINGS.
Mr.. Tsyloe thought Louis Napoleon the Au-
gustus of the age-wise, patriotic. and so forth
In fact, there is no concealment, throughout
these pages, of hearty love for lords, ami
good deal Of straining to tie up American rela-
tionships with them.
A considerable part Of the book is called
"Randolphiana," and relates a great many
anecdotes, some of which are thrd-rate and
PROBABLY apocryphal. Rs ndolph would APP
pear 10 have been just such an exaggeration of
many OF the points of Virginia planter as to
be human csriesture of that class He at.
tended st: Johns Church, Georgetown about
lSl5-16, when he had a deyout streak, and sat
IN the pew OF Frank Key. TaYloe SAYS that he
rom Mary, Queen Of SCOTS. Here is an origi-
nal letter OF Randolph, dated 1923:
To-day offer a resolution respecting the
police OF this place Washington in regard to
slaves and free negroes. They have been here
every night not secretly, but openly and osten-
tatiously, in front of this house (Dawson's on
Capitol hilD. At least they did so every night.
TOOK them, such was their array, &C., for the
Marine band, but at last was undeceived. |
sent servant to order them to dispense. 1t was
bad night. l was sick, and could not go my.
on' unuei pam vi pcins sdiutcu Dy VOlley OF
bright Bristol shot. always dispense
unlawful, anti-religiOus gatherings of negroes,
bond or free, manu- fOrti, as would shoot down
the first mutineer in an army or the first das-
tard that fed from his quarters in a sea-fght.n
better instance could not be given of Ran
dolph's mental and moral confusion com pairing
the brutal dispersion of few household SER
wants, amusing themselves, with gallant bear
ing IN battle. MIR. Tayloe remarks as follows
on the passage:
Wen for Mr.. Randolph. What would he
n of I,reI
multitude of lazy, licentious and profit gate
negroes, needs no philosopher 20 divine"
In 1901 Mr.. Tayloe contributed a series of pa
pers TO the SPIRIT Of the Times, called American
Gentlemen OF the Olden Time, especially in
Maryland and Virginia." which are reprinted
in Mr. Watson's book. They are chiefly taken
planters, amongst them Samuel Galloway of
West river, and the Lloyd house at Annapolis,
whose former proprietor. Edward Lloyd, raised
nearly 1000 bushels of wheat annually.
MR. TAYLoE's REMINrsCENoEs OF THE PEEsI-
DENTS
is closely partisan one. He may be said to
disparage John Adams, Monroe, jackson, Van
Buren,, Tyler, Polk, Pierce, Buchanan and Lin
coin, and to admire mainly Fillmore, TAYLOR.
Harrison, and, in a modified way, j. Q. Adams
He was wing apparently because his father
had been a federalst, but his conclusions near
the close of life, as to political development,
were not very different from the ultra demo,
cratic planters. With few Illustrations, we
may dismiss the subject. w
He says OF Tyler:
"By virtue OF his office, but for no other viz
tue or qualification, Vice President Tyler sue
ceeded to the Presidency. Delicacy on the part
OF Leigh and other Virginians in the Harrisburg
convention, prevented their opposition to his
nomination. They knew his political tergiyer-
sations, and distrusted him. False once to the
democracy, he was also false to the wings He
was intoxicated by vanity, success, and power.
In needy circumstances, with large family,
and poor prospect before him, Tyler sought
office, If only for its emoluments. He was NOT
sordid or dishonest in pecuniary affairs, but a
man OF generous impulses. With great conf
dence in himself, and great loquacity, he want.
ca refinement. In electioneering for himself
his boldness was unblushing. 4 When
President he was civil TO me, but from self-re-
spect ceased to visit him, as | did Mr. Bu.
chanan in the last winter of his term from a
feeling that both were doing all the injury in
their power TO the country, by their course and
example,"
OF Mr. Polk Mr.. Tayloe says:
he was man OF mediocrity in every re-
spect, OF ignoble appearance and manners, but
civil knew but little of him personality"
MIR. Tayloe's remarks about Buchanan's re-
ception OF the Prince of Wales can scarcely be
read without smile, when we consider that
young fellow in his love of the London sIums
and the difficulty of making almost ANYTHING
sober reasonable to him abroad or at home liz
) ems that Bqchanan, having no appropriation
TO entertain the Prince, sent him in a revenue
cutter to Acquia, and thence by rail- to Vir-
gisia.
=, ror tie sake OF Virginia, and the honor of
the country" says Mr. TaylOe, 81 took the lib
erty OF laying different programme before the
PRESIDENT. F." . As the Duke of Clarence
afterward William ", in that way did honor
TO the crown visitors of Napoleon when they
visited England, we should, TO the best of our
of Wales"
Ard MIR. Tayloe thus dismisses President Bu-
chanan:
at was unfortunate that the honor of en-
tertaining the Prince devolved on him. II he
had desired to disgust the Prince and his suite
he could not have succeeded more entirely
than he did by throwing open his doors at the
literally public reception and admitting the
"a polloi, even the hackmen, whips in hand!
who were seen in close contact with the Prince
and his party"
Yet surely one of the main points of genteel
was represented in the hackmen:
the turf which we established.
VI Mr.. Lincoln, his rich neighbor says:
al leave him for the record of that history
which he has said was being prepared for him.
if not otherwise, ignOr0."
1t must have been defect in Llncoln's his
tory to have been socially ignoro;" but per-
haps he couldn't helpit.
OF John Adams, Tayloe says:
che is said to have been Influenced by his
vanity, his passions, and his prejudices. 1t
would seem he was not Indifferent to his sons
interest, as for il he abandoned the PRINCIPLES
of his own administration, and embraced those
OF Jefferson when his son adopted them. The
elder Adams was wont to saw: Il and General
Washington and Il made General WashinptOn'I
Mr.. Adams was chagIined that Washington
should have been the first President"
AS MIR. Tavloe was born in 1896, and could
have been only eight years old when Adams
eft the White House, we may take, with great
allowance, this confident and derogatory esti-
mate upon man, whose blood was blue at the
source instead of at the tap.
NIT Tayioe thought patronizingly of General
jackson, because he collected some rent for his
Ont. Tayloe's) housekeeper from a derelict
clerk, and also, it appears, because sat the
earnest entreaty of some ladies and of Mr. Van
Buren,, who escorted them. to be presented 10
the President" he went to the White House
and jackson Immediately dropped the other
company and began to talk horse to Mr.. Tayloe,
The latter says, however, of Andrew jackson
that he was influenced by his passions and by
hattery; that his political views were personal,
his Information limited, his bodness derIyatiye
and his manners not Chesterfieldian.
OF President Buchanan, MT TaylOe saws:
without intending 1t, he was our political
Judas. He was ambitious for another term of
the Presidency, End with that object in view
was willing that divisions should exist IN his
party, in the hope of its reunion for his
benefit"
OF President Pierce Mr.. Tayloe saws:
A" he was elected over General Scott to be the
tool OF the nullihers, and the greatest credit he
seems to deserve is his fidelity to his party He
was ALWAYS well dressed and militia and cour