The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-11-06

his "groat and good friend" while con.
tomplatiug his overthrow, no had in
mind Joil0reon's note TO tho hey oil
Tripoli, which announced tho sending
Of IN American squadron to tho Ned
iturranoan TO correct certain Hostile
demonstrations on tho part Of Tripolt.
This note began;
"Honorod boy OF Tripoli OF Darbary,
whom God preserve. Great aud ro'
spSclod friend"
The form Of addressing Congress
adopted by tho Presidents varies but
slightly. "F0llow citizens OF tho sonNte
aud housH Of ropresbntaJiyesH 10 fro.
Quently used, but tho most general
form IL "GOntiemen Of tho senate aud
house Of representatives" This is the
present form. John Adams addressed
them "Gontlemen OF the senate and
gentlemen Of tho house Of representa-
IlvOs," aud signed himssli'
'JolM ADAMS,
United States, December" etc,
AdRms' messages are IN his own
hand, very bold and very precise, with
out erasuTes.
Most Of the messages end abruptly
with the signature, without any VERY
respectfully" "Your obedient servant"
or other formal closing, but James Mad.
ison in his first message Of eight pages
oil very neatly written manuscript mot
his own uAes lorty'lye words in the
closing preliminary to his signature,
and he closes u letter to the speaker "
tho house, "Your most obeL. s0rv't.'
In March, 1918, Madison had to send to
Congress q complete roll OF manuscript
oil all the employees OF tho government.
The whole would not have made a book
as large as the Congressional Directory.
oSRoE AND ADAMS METHODS.
Monroe addressed Congress "Follow.
citizens Of the senate and OF the house
OF representatives," and closed abrupt.
ly, usually without date.
John Quincy Adams used q Washing
ton date line, and Usually had q long
formal closing before his signature,
The ink in most OF those old manu-
scripts retains its color remarkably
we'll, but some, writtoR on thin paper,
arc almost illcglble. Nearly iall tho pa
per ia badly discoIorod, and some ofthe
documents arc badly worn, not IRON
having been handled, but merely by
the operation Of time on q poor quality
OF paper.
The handwriting OF many OF tho docu.
ments incloaed with the moHsagei is like
engraving, and n great variety OF char
acteristic chiroGraphy is displayed. Tho
Enclosures comprise some extremely in
terestlug documents and autographs.
When General McCook was secretary
Of tho senate he had u sort OF official
'scrap book" prepared, containing ono
original manuscript message from each
OF the Presidents, including Washing.
ton to Cleveland, whose frat term
closed the first century Of Presidents.
This book is a part Of the official rec.
ords Of the senate, and 10 preserved in
the s0cretary'G office. In 1t IL the most
striking example OF nepotism in Ameri'
eau official life, the message OF John
Adams nominating his son, John
Quincy, to be minister to Prussia.
GRANT oUrwlrrED THE REPORTERS.
In it. too, is the message OF Grant
nominating his first cabinet, which is y
reminder OF how he kept these nomiua,
tons from being announced in the
newspapers before they were actually
presented to the senate. lie wa so
bent on outwitting the newspapers in
this that he had the message written
with a blank space for the names be.
fore each OF the Offices TO be filled, aud
put the names in himself. lie then car.
ried the paper in bis own pocket until
he was ready to send it to the senate.
Sending 1t, he sealed 1t Ia an envelope
addressed to tho secretary OF tine senate,
10 that even his private secretary, VINO
carried the message 10 the senate. could
not know who the cabinet were before.
hand. Grant carried tho paper in hi.
pocket several days, and II is creased
and pocket. worn. In trusting entirely
to himself this way, he wrote one Of tho
names wrong. 1t had to DO taken to
him by tho secretary Of tho senate for
correction, and he mado tho change in
lead pencil.