Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-01
PENS. OF PRESIDENTS.
An Appointee of Lincoln Who Has a
Letter From Each Executive.
CHARACTER IN HANDWRITING.
Light on Grants Attitude Just After the
Fall of Fort Sumter.
NR. ARTHUEs PROMISE TO ME- BLAINE
WRITTEN FOB THE DIS pArcH.J

bl0n OF AUTOGRAPHS lS q natural dQQ EAtlOual
one. Next to the person of q dis tinguished
man We desire to see his photograph, and
next to his portrait, his autograph. In a
mans handwriting there is something
which seems to bring him before US in his
true idiosyncrasy," etc. I am of the opinion,
the majority Of Us agree with the gifted,
erratic author of that sentiment, Edgar
Allen Poe. Certainly it was great
pleasure to me to be privileged not only to
see and enjoy, but to make the following
extracts from a set of autographic letters
that enrich one Of the largest collections
probably owned by any man in the country,
and heretofore unpublished.
Colonel William H. Crook, the proud
owner of these, who was appointed to
position in the Presidents Office by Mr..
Lincoln, and who somehow has been re-
tanned through all the succeeding changes
of administration, has had by virtue of this
position superior advantages for indulging
his pet hobby of collecting autographs and
autographic letters.
Interest centers in those ofthe Presidents,
and of these he has q complete set from
Washington to the present, Harrison. The
letters, together with fine steel engraving
of each President, are artisticalIy mounted
on cardboard
The letter Of General Washington was
written about year before he took COM
mand of the armies and is addressed to DR..
William Black (probably the editor of
King and Quee'), and reads:
Washington on a L md Dsal.
sIR-I expect all the papers respecting
your title to the lands purchased of you will
shortly be in Mr.. Wrythes possession when
he will be notified whether your title is
good or not, and If he thinks you have
good title he will draw a paper conveyance
which will be rendered to you by the bearer,
Bartho. cambridge, and he will see them
properly by you.
And, Mr.. Black, whenever this conveyance
is offered you, shall look upon the contract
between us to be absolutely confirmed and
be pleased to accept this as declaration Of
the confirmation thereof on the part of,
Your humble servant.
G. WASHINGTON.
DECEMBER 6. 1773.
Washington's handwriting at this time
was small and round, with just the least
tendency to fourishes, but later in life his
legible, which leads one to wonder whether
WIiIinS cnohSeS os sho 'ieiSsisuueS VI Aie
change.
The letter of John Adams was written in
answer to one by Mr.. Niles, Collector and
Compiler of Colonial Records, and is re-
quest to publish all the papers of Mr..
Adams It is written in hand more
nearly resembling that of a boy just learn
ing to use the pen than that of a scholar and
gentleman:
SIR-I have received my pamphlet and
your register with your letter OF the Goth.
1nclosed are four papers-No. i, o letter
No. 2, another letter on same subject, writ
ten Same day No. 3, first rough draught of
an answer in my handwriting. A copy of
my answer to the President which was sent
to him dated August 20, 1879, and which, if it
was not consumed in the vandalion combus-
tion OF Washington, is probably Dow in be-
ing among the archives of the President.
y This request to publish my pa
pers has embarrassed me- The task would
require young man moro time than have
to live. Conclude not from this that my pa
pers are OF any great value. (1n my opinion
II they were all printed they would do no
good)
Notice the word "vandalion." Failing to
find it in any of our dictionaries, conclude
the President coined the word, which refers
to the vandal act of the British in destroy
ing public buildings
Iho style OF JenergOn.
The next in this set of interesting letters
is draught of letter from Mr.. Adams,
written by Jefferson and addressed to Lord
Carmarthen, dated London, March 13, 1856,
informing him, through the Duke of Dorset.
that Congress had appointed Mr.. Jefferson,
Mr.. Adams and DR.. Ben amin Franklin to
a commission for entering into treaty of
amity and commerce with England. This
-. 3 Ill
while not accomplishing much, the work of
done.
The James Madison letter is written to
Mr.. Teuch Cox, Purveyor Of the United
States, and dated Department of State, JAN
uary 20, 1904
SIR have thfs day authorized Ebenezer
Stevens, of New York, to draw upon you for
81, ,2S8 additional sum awarded as freight to
d. Cotton, ETC.
Merely an authorization on the part Of
the President to Stevens to draw on the
Commissary General for that sum, written
in very small hand with no prancing
capitals or angular loops. 1t Is said Madi-
son always made copies of his letters.
That of our fourth President, James
Monroe,is long letter to Charles Everett,
and dated Washington, April 9, 1914,
giving his opinion as to how the militia,
when called into service, should be COM
manded think the length of this letter,
together with a knowledge of the limited
space could reasonably claim for the pub
lication of these letters, must have appalled,
me at the time my extracts were made, for
what now seems to me the most important
letter of the series, has been overlooked.
Monroe evidently used quill when
writing, since the characters were. heavy
and the style showed a masculine disdain of
ornament
John Quincy Adams wrote from St.
Petersburg, April II, 1872 explaining to
the Secretary of State "the difficulty which
the political situation of affairs has thrown
in the way of the channel through which I
have hitherto been authorized to draw my
compensation, etc" This also is long
letter, and the writing shows a mingled
grace and solidity betokening the scholar
and gentleman.
ALetter From the Hermitage.
The Andrew jackson letter is dated from
the Hermitage, April 1, 1887, addressed to
committee of gentlemen, numbering,
among others, H. NJ. Rutlidge. Felix Rob
ertson and William Carroll, and is in reply
to an invitation ''to partake of dinner or
barbecue" In closing, and after having in
politest terms acknowledged the invitation,
he added:
am unable to look with any other feeling
than that of regret at the delusion OF those
who have imagined that the people could be
made to support measures hostile to their
Interests and choice by the artifices which
have been employed to stigmatize the advo-
Gates OF the Republican cause as the mere
expecrants OF office or instruments of e1ecu-
tive power.
Jackson's handwriting looks as if done in
extreme haste-a whirlwind style.
The letter in this coll ection from Martin
Van Buren was written in the fewest num-