George Washington had the looks and stature of a President. He was tall, nearly 6’4” and strong of build. He was a great horseman and a victorious soldier. He had a strong moral compass and great character. Plus, he had been front and center in all the major events in the creation of the new nation.
John Adams was different. He was shorter, about 5’9”, and had proven himself as a leader. He wrote the Massachusetts Constitution. He advocated Thomas Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence. He was a minister to France and helped draft the treaty to end the Revolutionary War. He wrote the most oft quoted book in the Constitutional Convention while he was serving as minister to Great Britain. But he only served one term as President.
George Washington was against political parties, Thomas Jefferson was against electioneering, and James Madison had to fight hard to figure out a method to elect a President that would appeal to the 55 men who were in the Constitutional Convention. Now, we can hardly understand how the Electoral College even works.
Out of that came the “110 Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation.” One of these rules was: “Speak not in an unknown Tongue in Company but in your own Language and that as those of Quality do and not as ye Vulgar; sublime matters treat seriously.” (number 72).
Tonight I was a little disappointed. Not so much at what was in the story, but at what was left out. For example when George Washington was finally sworn in at Federal Hall in New York City as the new President of the United States of America. The oath of office was administered with the words required.
Republic—a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.
In the upcoming Presidential election it would seem to be very important to consider what our first President of the United States said about one thing to look for:
What a wonderful experience it was today to be introduced to a distant member of the family, by marriage, to a young lady who is an elementary school teacher. And just by chance, she teaches American History!