The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-10-12

a PRECIOUS VOLUME,
10 Contains Letters from Every fresidsns
OF the United states.


| OF the United states.
Ihave reserved for final mention a
volume in my library that no doubt
exceeds all others in historical in
terest 1t is large folio containing
portraits and autograph letters of every
President Of the United States from
Washington to Harrison. Eight of
the letters are personal ones from the
various Presidents to myself.
The first letter is one of the most
interesting. 1t was written by Wash
ington to Colonel Clement Biddle, of
Philadelphia, under date OF Mount
Vernon, December 8, 1799-that is to
cay, only six days before Washington's
death. 1t was the last letter he wrote
There is not the slightest indication of
approaching dissolution in the firm
hand writing; the letters are carefully
formed, the words carefully chosen,
and though he spells cabin with two
bis, his shrewdness in business deal
ing is illustrated in the stately an
nouncement TO Colonel Biddle that he
has it in mind to send him u hundred
or two barrels of flour to dispose Of
for me in the Philadelphia market, AS
it commands better price there than
in Alexandria, and some barrels of
fish also-on commission" He also
instructs his cor ,spondent about the
purchase of various kinds of seeds.
John Adams letter is addressed to
Commodore Bainbridge and declines
an invitation to visit the latter, on the
ground that ''an octogenarian gentle
man and u septuagenariaD lady (his
wife) can not be too cautious of engag-
ing in bold, daring and hazardous en-
terprises without an object of public
good" The letters are all of private
and entertaining character. Pierce S
letter is the touching one to James T.
Fields to which have already referred
in connection with the death OF Haw
thorne; the Lincoln letter is the famous
one of April 8, 1862, containing instruc-
tions to General Mcclellan and con-
Guiding with the underscored words.
"But you must act" and General Grant
is represented by the noted letter he
wrote me, June 6, 1877, from London.
This is the letter. fourteen pages in
length, which l telegraphed TO the
London Times. 1t contains the lines:
'It has always been my desire to see
all jealousy between England and the
United States abated, and all sores
healed up. Together they are more
powerful for the spread of commerce
and civilization than all others COM
bined, and can do more to remove cause
of wars, by creating mutual interests
that would be so much disturbed by
war, than all other nations"
Autograph letters of Andrew John
son are very hard to OBJ ain-harder
than the letters of any eth II President.
Letters written by his secretary and
merely signed by himself are common
enough. have been enabled, however,
to secure quite a store of Johnson's
original manuscripts, including the ac-
count book he kept while Il tailor. This
is full of droll expressions. The letter
l have selected to represent him in the
volume of the Presidents is an interest
ing communication to his friend, Major
(afterward GeneraD Sam. Milligan. 1t
is all written, and notable for its odd
misspelling and its frank political gos-
sip. 1t breathes feverish anxiety for
the action of the Southern leaders, and
hopes "there is still intelligence enough
and virtue in the country sufficient TO
save it." GAS you say" he writes,
"they (meaning the reasonable men)
have given me thunder in some
places. &c. w. Childs, in Lippincott's
Magazine.