Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-03-16
THE MESSAGES OF PRESIDENTS.
Interesting Documents In the Executive Once
of the United states senate.

Of the United states senate.
In the executive Office of the Senate there
are preserved all the executive messages OF
presidents of the United States from the
foundation of the government Though not
often referred to, some of these documents
are becoming worn. and recently General
McCook, secretary OF the Senate caused
selections to be made from the files,
with a view to preserving some Of the
interesting autographs in cabinet by them
selves. General Washington's first contribu-
ton to the collection embodies nominations
for Judges, marshals and attorneys for the
district of New York and New Jersey and
at the end of the same document are the
nominations of Thomas Jefferson, Edmund
Randolph and SamnellOsgood for secretary OF
state, attorney general and postmaster general
respectively. The signature Is written IN a
fair, legible hand, which would pass to-day
for that of business man not entirely care
less of appearances yet having confidence
enough in his own work TO let the details OF
penmanship take care OF themselves
Mr.. Jefferson penned his signature with the
easy grace of Spenceran graduate, but his
economy of space was such that his docu-
ments as a whole fall below the present
standard of clerical excellence. He wrote
most of his messages with his own hand.
One specimen embodies no less than ninety
denominations, and cover almost to the las,
inch of space three and one-half pages Of let
ter paper. Mr. Jefferson usually sent his
was long before the days of envelopes and
mucillage aud the documents bear the post
marks and red waters of the ancient style
One of John Adams autograph messages II
as follows
UNITED STATES, July 2, 1893
GENTLEMEN OF THE SENATE:
j nominate George Washington, OF Noun
Vernon, to be lieutenantgeneral and com
mander-in-chief of all the armies raised ant
to be raised in the United States
JOHN ADAMS.
Mr.. Madison wrote an irregular hant
devoid of marked pecuiarties. His nomina
ton of John Quincy Adams to be ininlste
plenipotentiary to the court OF ST. Peters
burg, which was one of several nomination
made in single message, bears the clerica
marks of the Senate's disapproval. "IneS
pedient to send minister" wrote the execu
tive clerk upon the margin. Mr.. Madiso
then wrote a second message giving hi
reasons for making the nomination an
urging its confirmation, but the session eA
pired without action.
Martin Van Buren's hand was unstead
when he penned his first message, as II h
had not fully recovered from the excitemer
and labors of his Inauguration, but he wrot
better the next day. James X. Polk's col
tribution to the collection is an autograp
message penned in what would be taken ft
feminine hand, yet with few of the grace
of penmanship franklin Pierce wrote
sprawling, boyish signature. Andrew JohI
son started fairly upon the line then fell
little below it, but recovered himself at II
end. The collection contains the first an
the last messages of General Garfield, an
the message of President Arthur Dominatir
General Grant to his place upon the retire
list of the army.