The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-04-04
WRITING OF THE PRESIDENTS
An Interesting Collection of Autographs
in the Files of the Senate.

An Interesting Collection of Autographs
III the Files of the 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 Gov
eminent. Though not often referred to-
some OF these documents are becomirg
worn. aud recently Gen. McCook, the
Secretary of the Senate, caused selec-
tiols to be made from the files, with a
view to preserving some of tie interest
ing autographs in Il cabinet 10y them
selves. 1t appears from this collection
that none of the Presidents, with the
exception OF Washington and Jefferson,
would be marked above 80 for penman-
ship By Civil Service Commission.
Washiugton's first contribution to the
collection emb0dies nominations for
Judges, Marshals and Attorneys for the
districts of New York and New Jersey:
and at the end of the same documents
are the nominations of Thomas jefferson,
Edmund Randolph, and Samuel Oss Good
for Secretary OF State, Attorney Cen
eral, and PoStmaster-General respec-
lively. The signature is written in Il
fair leyible hand, which wonld pass to-
day for chat of a man not entirely care
less of appearances, yet having conf
dence enough in his own work TO let the
details of penmanship take care of them
selves.
Mr.. Jefferson penned his signature
with easy grace, but his economy of
space was such that his documents as a
whole fall below the present standard of
clerical excellence. He wrote most of
his messages with his own hand.
In all of John Adams's signatures the
small letters are more than half an inch
long. In his message of July 2, 1898,
nominating Washington to be Lieuten-
ant General, an unsuccessful attempt APP
pears to have been made to write the
whole document on the same ample
scale.
| Mr.. Madison wrote an irregular hand,
devoid of marked peculiarities.
Mr.. Monroe used coarse pen and
wrote hesitatingly.
Andrew .Jackson's first message dated
March 6, 1929, is an autograph docu-
nent throughout, and more than any
other one OF the series its style seems
| al, r
are angular and unsymmetrlcal, but they
are legiUle, and there is an air of self as
Sertion about the document which cul-
inmates i'll the emphatic underscoring of
the signature.
Martin Van Buren's hand was un-
steady when he penned his first message
but he wrote better the next day.
James X. Folks contribution to the
collection is an autograph message PEN
ned iii What would be taken for a feme-
nine hand, yet with few of the graces Of
penmanship. His autograph is rather
prett ntions. with Il row of dots and sew
eral cramped tiourishcs beneath it.
IL rl!srn : and ~ Ter : signatures have
no dlStlngu SIZED characteristics.
Taylor aud L'nc"a each write firmly
and e@:bly. bat with extreme simplicity
ard without ANY super ii ioas marks.
Miilird Fl!mnre's si@nrture is yer,
similar t" theirs i'll ch !rdcter, but rather
SIN ,tLer.
J.".rs Bucllan:n's hind trembleA
wheA lie signed his first message, and he
made IA failure of the elaborate scroll.
work attachment to his first initial
Franklin Pierce wrote SPRAYING
schonl1oy signature. Andrew johnson
sttrte" fairly upon the line. then fell Il
little Glow it, hut recovered himself at
the end.