Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-28
A BIT OF HISTORY.
Journal of William Maclay
of Pennsylvania.
The Senate During the First
Term of Congress.
The Contest Between the Federal
and Democratic Parties.
Pen Pictures of Washington, Adams and
Jefferson, That Are Graphic and
Interesting to Students OF
American History.

<AAOAASoh AAhStOAys
Los Angeles people will not soon for
get the late Charles Maclay OF San Fer
nando. Indeed, the people of the state
of California in all its sections knew him
very we'll. He was resident of the
state for great many years, and served
in the state senate. He was in many
ways distinguished man. And he
! came Of family, many of whose mem
bers were illustrious. d. Appleton &
Co., of New York, have recently pub
lished very interesting book entitled
The Journal of William Maclay. The
writer was member of the United
States senate from the state Of Pennsyl-
vania, in the first congress, from the
fourth of March, 1871. He was we'll
educated lawyer and man of natural
ly clear head, with an intimate knowl-
edge of business. He held many public
Offices in the government of Pennsylva-
mia prior to the revolution, in which he
took an earnest part. He was elected
United States senator with Robert
Morris as his colleague, who
drew the lot for the long term,
Mr.. Maclay getting that for the short
term of two years. The journal just
published was kept as private diary
each day he was member OF. the senate.
Its opening pages record the incidents
of the Inauguration OF Washington. In
this first congress the Federalists were
dominant, and Senator Maclay at once
developed strong antagonism to the
VIQvUa q nd nrOoIiuifioc nf <hof >ortx, Tho
president kept sort of semi-regal court,
The intercourse of the chief executive
with this body was in the nature OF
mOnarchical ceremonies. These Maclay
ssttrenuously opposed. He criticised
Washington's methods to his face; op-
posed the United States bank, and took
such positive and advanced Democratic
grounds that he made himself very
unpopular in Pennsylvania, and failed
OF reelection. The recitals of facts,
and the expressions OF opinion in the
diary are OF that unrestrained and plain
nature characteristic of a private docu-
ment. Hence it speaks with open blunt
ness OF Washington, Adams, Hamilton,
Jefferson and other fathers of the re-
public.
The sessions of the senate in those
early days were held with closed doors,
and there remain hardly any records OF
what was done. At this time Jefferson
was in France, and it was year after
Maclay began the advocacy of his pure
Democracy that the father of the Demo-
cratic party entered the senate. He
lacked the elements of leader, and was
dominent Federal party. Jefferson
brought to the discussion all the ele-
ments of a successful party leader, and
he soon gathered around him force
enough tocombat successfully the efforts
of Hamilton and his party to make
of the republic as sort of emasculated
monarchy, or rather close-Corporation
oligarchy. He says of Jefferson: "Jei-
ferson is slender man; his clothes
seem too small for him; he has rather
the air of stiffness in his manners; he
sits in lounging manner, on one hip
commonly, and with one shoulder ele-
waited much above the other; his face
has a sunny aspect. He has a rambling,
vacant hook. He spoke almost without
ceasing. But his discourse partook of
his personal demeanor. 1t was loose
and rambling, and yet he scattered in
formation wherever he went"
Of the elder Adams he says: '.We
knew his vanity, and hoped by laying,
hold of it to render him useful among
New England men in our scheme OF
bringing congress to Pennsylvania. But
his pride, obstinacy and folly are equal
to his vanity, and although it is a COM
mon observation that fools are the tools
of knaves- and l am certain weak men
are often brought forward with
such views, yet John Adams has
served to illustrate two points
at least to me, viz: That fool is the
most unmanageable of all brutes, and
that fattery is the most irksome of all
service"
. Of Adams demeanor, when presiding
over the senate, the diary says: "He
will look now on one side, then on the
other, then down on the knees of his
breeches, then he will dimple his visage
with the most silly kind OF half smile,
which cannot well express in English.
The scotch-Irish have a name Which
hits it exactly-smudging. God forgive
me for the vile thought, but l cannot
help thinking of monkey, just put
such evident marks of self-conceit.
IlCIc dIc pen -plCtuTcS VI UIlc pTcSlueIC
and vice-president at a dinner given by
the former:
Dined with the president OF the
United States. 1t was dinner of dig
nifty. All the senators were present and
the vice-president. l looked often
around the company to find the happiest
faces. Wisdom, forgive me if wrong
thee, but thought folly and happiness
most nearly allied. The president
seemed to wear on his countenahce a
settled aspect of melancholy. No cheer
ing ray of convivial sunshine broke
through the cloudy gloom of settled
seriousness. At every interval Of eating
or drinking he played on the table with
fork or knife like drumstick.
Next to him, OH his right, sat Bonny
Johnny Adams, ever and anon mantling
his visage with the most unmeaning
simper that ever dimpled the face Of
folly. Goddess OF Nature, forgive me if l
censure thee for that thou madest him
not tailor, so fullof small attentions is
he and so we'll qualified does he seem to
adjust the etiquette OF loops and but
tons! But stay, perhaps wrong thee.
So miserably doth he measure politics,
and 80 numerically and unskillfully
would he ply the shears of government
in cutting out royal robes and habili-
ments, that it may justly be doubted
whether the measure OF his understand