The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-10
THE NONPAREIL MAN


|soon ceased to speak Of it in my dis
patches
The Massachusetts Adamses, as T. have
said, were also strong opponents of Cen
eral Washington, for Boston then as now
was a center of anti imperialism. There
was Samuel Iceberg Adams, John Quincy
Arctic Adams, Charles Francis Refrigera-
tor Adams and Josiah Icehouse Quincy, all
active anti-imperialists and all actively,
at work IN politics against the Washing
to-Jetferson- Madison cabal, as it was
then known. Besides this the Massac hu-
sets mugwumps had an idea that the
Adams family ought to have the presi-
dency anyhow and they were opposed to
having Washingtons name connected
with Il great world policy like the one
have outlined. -
So much for the general situation at the
time of the historic cabinet meeting of
July 8, 1884. 1 had asked the president for
the privilege of attending the meeting but .
he had remarked:
"My boy,tit won't do. Jefferson as-you
know is touchy about reporters and Nom
roe is sore because we don't jump on
| Spain and take Cuba away. No, you'll
have to stay outside. =.
why couldn't I get up in the ventilator. !.
| They would never find it OUT >
Washington tapped his teeth with. his ,
eyeglass. -., :.
Il reckon that would be all right >,
The president and myself stood up on
| two chairs and pulled out the ventiater. :.
I wormed myself into the sorifice and the
president pushed the ventilator back in =.
place, leaving me comfortably fixed for
| hearing all that was said. John C. Free
mont. secretary of the interior, was the
| first arrival. .Jehn," said the president
| after they had shaken hands, Lewis a nd
Clarke were in to see me this morning.
They claimed that they discovered the
northwest before you were born.
They're a pair OF: skates replied Free
mont with some warmth. "They couldn't
discover the Mississippi river if they lived
at Memphis. Why, I was picking up the
Arctic circle just north of Saskatchewan
with my expedition when they were out:
looking for the Ohio river. When Willard
Glazier claimed to be finding Itasca lake,
they were lost in the big woods at Osh-
kosh, Wis., "a.
Il reckon you are right Captain, ~ said
the president smiling. Ibid you find the
far northwest ready to come over to us?''
'They are ripe for it, replied Fremont
impressively ''The Boston Adamses.
have been stirring up some opposition at
Edmonton and Dawson but it is not
much =, .~ : '''. =
''Those Adamses are giving me a good
deal of trouble replied the president,
All l ask is to get Samuel Antarctic
Adams on the antlfederal ticket and to
60 netere the coy country 't % figure could
mato in any kind of a fair election -
J At this point the conversation was in
terrupted by the appearance of Jefferson,
Madison, Monroe and Andrew Jackson,
the two latter arm in-arm. After the
, greetings of the day General {, jackson.
said: -"
:. well, Washington, do the heroes Of,
, Valley Forge make a dash for Hudson
ii bay this week." .% -.
t "That might be the Tennessee method. -
: replied the president calmly. Il propose
' to buy Canada
= Albert Gallatin, secretary of the treas
= ury fell out of his chair with a thud: AS
he recovered his feet he said:
7 "Mr. President, there was $751; 80 and an
old shoe in the treasury last night. II
+ the interest on the national debt came due
r this week, our bondholders would be in
+ the position of ripe egg"
LET us hope.' said the president with
, a smile, "that the interest is not due this
, week, for their sakes.'' -.'-
NO sir; it is not said the secretary.
! My PLAN" said the president, lis more
= astute than you figure. I propose to go
: in debt for Canada and let the Canadians
: pay for themselves later on ~ II
At this point a violent sneeze was heard
!, and Jefferson, leaping to his feet. pulled
l the British ambassador out from behind a
large red velvet chair where he had been
concealed in a corner. In the excitement
> that ensued the cabinet meeting broke up
without result. The election of one of the
i. Adamses shortly after this put the feder-
: alist party out of power and lost US Can
J. ada. . ...-.
= I was under pledge at the time to the
, president not to reveal these details but
as the parties concerned have largely
:. passed off the stage of action, cannot
see any violation of the proprieties in CIV
l. ing, these details to the world.