The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-17
MOODS OF OUR PRESIDENTS.
With Few Exceptions the Executives of
the Nation Were Grave Men.

1t is remarkable how little tho tend
ency to humor has been developed in
the men who have been presidents Of
| the United States. We do not so much
refer to exhibitions of humor in Office;
| that, of course, is not to be expected.
| He must be bubhling over with sense
| of humor. as was our single humorist,
President Abraham Lincoln, who could
give vent under such conditions. II
it had not been for Lincoln we might
have followed the heading of this article
after the manner of the historian who
wrote of snakes in Ireland by say
ing: There has been no humor in
our presidents" and we might have
gone further and said that there has
been no humor in the character of
any of them, before or after they left
the Office. The heaviest responsibility
that ever rested upon president might
well have weighed down Lincoln. He
appeared to find it necessary to relieve
himself of this burden by an occasion
al joke. He never jested officially; he
was carefully mindful of the proprie
ties in this respect upon all occasions,
but he enjoyed relaxation from this
kind of etiquette when he was out OF
the public eye, and good deal of what
he said at such times has gone into
print and into the oral traditions of our
people, probably much of it not with
out establishment and exaggeration.
Washington was the gravest man Of
the whole nation. The tradition of him
is that he was never known to laugh
and seldom seen to smile. He did not
allow that familiarity which must pre-
Cede joking. There is a story of his
nearly whitening q man with look
who once ventured to slap him on tho
back. He was brevity embodied. John
Adams was impulsive and irascible, but
too much in earnest to be humorous.
Jefferson was a theorist who was in
tent upon promoting human equality
in a way that did not admit of joking.
Madison and Monroe were Nirginians
educated TO craftsmanship and carry
ing old-fashioned Virginia ideas with
them, of which dignity formed a con-
siderable part. John Quincy Adams
carried the stern Puritan methods into
lis public life. Jackson was fighter,
and his method of fighting had no fun
lin it. Van Buren was smooth, cour.
teous, conciiiating in manner, but GER
tainly noe knowingly comical. William
Henry Harrison was harassed and over
weighted in the month he was in office;
Webster made a joke of the seriousness
lI1-ifb r-biob ba 10 rria1 tho old Dop,a1s
into his single message. Tyler was
cross, sour, always in trouble, in his
term of office. Polk was another puri-
tan, modified by craftsmanship. Taylor
was matter-of-fact old fighter. strIv-
ing with immaculate seriousness TO do
his duty. Fillmore was thoroughly
practical in his tastes and tendencies.
Pierce was one of the most genial and
gentlemanly of our presidents, but he
has left no mark of humorous tend
ency. buchanan took himself with the
EXTREMIST possible seriousness on all
his way TO becoming an old public func-
tionary. Andrew Johnson had his |
head turned by his intense eagerness
TO have his own way, and he could not /
4ilLt NuCu he SdW I.
lis thought 10 have had some grim sense. !
of humor, but there is no record left !
of it. Hayes was thoroughly respect
able, and humor was not on his pro- /
lgramme for this purpose. Garfield was t
versatile, but a taste for fun was not /
among his accomplishments. Cleye.
land has always taken his private and
public affairs with entire soberness |
Benjamin Harrison was our third puri- /
tan president, Polk over again. with /
Folks politics reversed. but rivaling
Polk in earnest devotion 10 partisan
ship.
The soberneSs of our long line OF
presidents is singular. They seem to
have taken their tone from Washing-
ton. while in Office, and it was good
model. but it is remarkable that
succession of men through 100 years
should hav' had so little tendency to
the hume IS in their native compo-
sition. Lincoln is the unique among
them all in this quality.-Boston Her
aid.