Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-24
..TnoMAs THE DoUBrE.s.n

AIRY "a. 1883-DOUBLE S
.THoMAs THE DoUBTEK."
George Alfred Townsend's Lecture
upon the American Prestdcnss.
"Gath's" lecture at Willard Hall upon the
above subject drew good audience, made up
largely of prominent public men and Journalists.
Mr.. Townsend who was greeted with hearty
applause on mounting the platform, commenced
by'saying that the title of his lecture, Thomas
the Doubter," was adopted in no spirit of irrev-
| erence. He had chosen the name Of that dis
| ciple who longed to touch his Lord, that he
| might believe, and when q boy the speakers
mind urged him to go forth and touch those
lordiy men, our Presidents and become familiar
with their homes and characters. 81 have been
able during newspaper career OF twenty years
| to visit the homes OF nearly all the Presidents
! Only fifteen miles below Washington. where
| the Potomac spreads It's broad sheet, stands
the home Of Washington, q modest two-story
house, now ninety-nine years old" ''Gath'
| gave graphic sketch of the early life Of Wash.
ington. In his opinion no more precocious sol.
der or diplomatic ever lived. Like all great
| the Indians in the wild forests when only six
| teen years old, and was pioneer at the MonOn-
| gaheia in the early wars with the RED man. AT
twenty-seven Washington married a widow with
S75, 600 Of her own. He was an affectionate and
devoted husband at all times, and the lecturer
| quoted several letters which passed between the
| first President and his wife.
washington had less cOnfdencein France than
| any foreign country, although Lafayette was his
dearest alien friend. Washington always ex.
! pressed the hope there would be no politicians
| in America, and, If 80. their differences, he
trusted, might be easily reconciled
The Adamses, father and son. the second and
| sixth Presidents, were next sketched, and the
story of their rise from humble origin graphi-
! cally told. The elder Adams had the rare for
| tune to get good wife in Abigail Smith. the
daughter of a Clergyman. and Of all the wives OF
/ Presidents Abigail Adams was the only wise
| one. the only one whose letters were literature
The career of President John Adams from the
tice until his real life began in the Colonial Con-
gress, was described by the lecturer. He be-
| came the great lawyer and pleader of that body
| of patriots, and as the struggle advanced he be-
| came the lion of independence. He possessed
| no wit or remarkable rhetoric, but WAS a
home like the hammer on the anvil
| For four years he was power in Congress,
| and virtually the Minister of War. He was the
| founder OF the American navy. He had the
clearest head and the firmest hand in Congress.
! 1t was he who said OF Thomas Paine that he was
better at pulling down than building up He
| saw that France was not a proper school
master for the New World. The experience OF
MIR. Adams ut the English court during period
of eight years, his subsequent presidency of the
republic his omniyerous and persistent reading,
! and his plain repubicanism, were brought into
| vivid review by the lecturer In characterzine
| three Of the great men of the time Mr.. Townsend
said that John Adams represented independ-
enee, Jefferson, liberty, and Hamilton, empire.
! Thomas Jefferson. the third President, and
MADISON Monroe 3is-
| cipaes, were treated in rather uncomplimentary
style. Jefferson was described as man OF
suspicious and feminine nature, without those
manly qualities which distinguished his two
predecessors at the White House. He lost his
| Judgment IN his sympathy with France, and
| thought that Washington was conspfring
against his country. In the town of Char
louisville. Virginia, at the country-seat called
| Monticello, great, old-fashioned house, Jeffer-
son. the founder Of American party politics,
came into the world and was reared. He was the
first Of our Presidents born rich. His tomb
is an old Druid stone, in the woods, bat
tered by time and the elements. During the
revolution Jefferson was governor of Virginia,
and it was the least efficient Of any in the colo
MES. He was never SO clear as to what he be-
lieved as to what he dsliked. He was not a
good speaker. but welded subtle and acri-
mOniOus pen. In his resolutions written In
1873 is to be found the first use of the word
nulify," which was the weapon of Calhoun
some thirty years later. Jefferson was pas
siOnate lover of liberty but he weakened the
state by bis unreasonable and extreme views.
James Madison. born rich. federalist. was
we'll educated, was good student. never had a
child, was pure as lamb, and his hair grew
white like good old ewe When the British
burned his capital his Quaker wife proved the
better soldier, for she cut Washington's picture
out OF its frame so she might fly in company
with man! Madison was the subject of JEFF
ferson. and did his bidding at'all times
While Madison was the most scholarly man
who ever graced the presidential chair Monroe
was the most barren in those attachments. After
death his remains reposed in d vault in New
YORK city for seventeen years. and were then
conveyed to Richmond. Va and buried there
Jefferson could not bear to see the son of his
OLD rival (Adams) become President. and Craw-
ford, who was put up to beat him. was strong
and good man. The Younger Adams possessed
many OF the fine qualities Of his father, and, as
diplomatist, has never had a superior at the
head OF the government. After leaving the
presidency he returned to Congress, and made
himself felt more powerfully than as the Chief
Executive of the nation.
The west came into power with Andrew Jack
son, who secured a wife after the manner of the
Sabines. He killed his man in duel, had been
negro and horse trader, vet he never was in
sincere, and was one of three men who made
the name of our government terrible to it's enc
mics. He removed .O0O men from office in one
year, and inaugurated the practice $50 the
victors belong the spoils."
Van Buren, was the first representative of
modern business interests in American politics
and the first President to recognize literary
men. He sent Irving to Spain and put Pauld-
ing in his Cabinet. He was refined and eie-
giant gentleman, without affectation His worst
fault as President was that he bestowed the
public offices as rewards to his political fol-
lowers
The lecturer had but little to say of Harrison
or Tyler, and said he had visited the widow of
President Polk. of Nashville. Her husband is
buried in the front yard of the family residence,
and a monument recounts in q tar from modest
manner his wonderful worth. During the ad-
ministratiOn Of Taylor. the wing, William II.
Seward was the power behind the Executive
Willard Fillmore was Buffalo lawyer, very
anxious to be reelected, as every Vice Presi-
dent who has become President has desired to
be.
Gath" here dropped into verse to give his
views OF Buchanan. The closing line, which re-
Elected the idea Of the speaker, was, "He was
the most successful failure Of his time"
Of Lincoln and Garfield, he said their lives
and characters were plain and open as the day.
In conclusion, the lecturer, In some happy
lines. gave q description OF tho lives of great
men who have failed in their aspirations for the
presidency, and have gone In solemn procession