The Washington herald., 1909-01-31

OF the state Of the Union and reeoInnieI.o
"a their consideration such measures as
he shall Judge necessary and expeoleD| L
This executive function Is discharged ey
the messages which the President s0-
dresses to Congress, the most Important
OF which Is that sent al the beginning ot
each session. Washington and Adams de-
uvered their annual messages orally 1
Ike the English King, driving 70 tne
hall Of Congress IN 2 coach and six and /
onensnz each session with state. Jeffer- 1
son changed the custom and established 1
p-eoedent FOR later Presidents by send /
ing his first message to Congress IN /
writing. His friends said it was a more
business-like method. more republican
and simpler than the oral delivery. His
enemies declared that he changed the
original method because, though a good
writer. he was a very poor public speaker.
Al anv rate, later Presidents. and notably
among them the present incumbent OF the
Office, would hardly ind II practicable 70
deliver the messages orally. says Henry
Barrett Chamberlain in the Chicago Rec
ord-Herald-
President Roosevelt has unquestionaoly
surpassed al his predecessors both n the
length and number of his messages Even
he would find If wearisome 10 read aloud
5000 words. covering almost every con
celvable subject. as did his last annual
message It requires several clerks TO
read these long annual messages, and the
attention which they command is not al
ways OF the closest
The inattention IS sometimes assumed
President Roosevelt. prolix rs his mes
sages have often been, usually manages
10 insert in the midst Of his somewhat
vlatitudinous remarks something thst
makes even Indifferent Congressman SIT
I'd and take notice TIE controversy
precipItated by his remarks concerning
Congressional motives in limiting the
Secret Service has been the most stirring
political happening Of the winter session
one Of the most singular subjects Sc
Ieeted BY a President for d message 10
Congress- was embodied in a cOmmunica-
tion sent by John Quincy Adams TO the
nations legislative body His son. John
Adams. who served him as secretary
seems to have had q rather exalted idea
of his position He was not always as
careful in his remarks as a discreet
secretary should be. and at one Of the
White House receptions he made some
comment about an editor named Jarvis
Mr.. Jarvis. who overheard. was OF
bellicose nature. Shortly after, meeting
young Nr. Adams IN the rotunda Of the
Capitol. Mr.. Jarvis proceeded to pun the
Presidential secretaTy's nose. It IS also
set forth IN formal fashion that ne slap
ped his face. The President thereupon
sent q message TO Congress informing
that body Of ne indignity suffered By
his son 4 committee was appointed 70
investigate the matter. but no punish
ment was ever inflicted upon M Jarvis
Nr- RooseveIt-s recent picturesque 6e-
uunciaIory message concerning the conduct
OF other editors than 8Ir- Jarvis. and the
punishment that Congress should admin
jster to them because Of their attitude
toward the administration, seems fair to
bear no greater consequence thsn did
President Adams message.
When the Tnirty-ninth Congress met
the December following the assassination
Of Lincoln and the subsequent elevation
Of Andrew Johnson to the high ONCE
both Houses OF Congress were sntagon-
fstic 10 the new President Before they
received any suggestions from him. theS
at once set about, through members. tC
outline a reconstruction policy OF theiI
OWL When the message came. Deem
Der ). it was marked by such moderation
OF language and sound conservatism tha
g. surprised even the Presidents oppo
nents. Frank. dignified. direct, and man
Il. it seemed hardly possible that tn
tactless and uncultured Johnson coul'
have written IL One paper Of the tim
commented on the fact that q poor tailo
had accomplished as much, II the mes
sage could be accepted as the measure
OF his achievement IN diction and logic
as coIleze-trained men. Eve-s at the tim
some there were who felt that anothe
influence than Johnson's could be fe-t il
7 the message. Blaine thought IL was sew
ards. Quite recently a different theOr.
for the excellence Of this first messag
Of johnson has been advanced
In the Library of Congress man
of President Johnson's notes o
various matters are preserved in q,
envelope Among these notes IS draf
Of this message Of December. 1855
Not long ago William Archibald Dun
ming. professor Of history at COlUmbi
University. was looking over those notes
and wondered al the difference in WTitin
between the draft Of the message an
the other notes. With Prof Dunning va
Worthiugtou Ford, who has had charg
Of the division Of manuscripts IN the L
brarv Of Congress since 1902. When NJ
Ford-s attention was called to this dis
similarity OF writing. ne exclaimed, q
he looked az the draft Of the message,
why. that IS George Bancroft's hand,
In the hles or JOhnsons letters va
found a note frO~P Bancroft. dated Nc
vember ;. 1855. which reads:
MY task viii be done tomorrow, bJ
as 70 one knows what I an about, an
as I an my own secretary. I must as
a day or two more for q careful revisio
and for making a clean copy. It mus
be done with ny own hand
From this letter and the draft Of 4
message could be drawn the conclusio
that the historians influence. rather ths
Seward's. may have been exerted AZ Il
u critical period represented in the mesSag
Johnson's are net the only presidenti
messages in which the influence Of advi
OTIS may be traced. either in matter I
manner Critics Of WashingtOn-and
his day. ike all strong men, he had a
verse critics-asseTted that in much OF h
written work the hand Of Hamilton cou
be traced. CIeveland's messages varie
SO Il has been claimed, as did some Of 4
cabinet aPpOintees- The touch OF DAM
Manning and David a Wells can be de
cried IN the tariff message, while Gre