2/28/07
Of pride and presidents

Tri-O's
Oddities, observations, and opinions
By Herb Kandel

Last week was Presidents Day, the third Monday of February. George Washington’s Birthday is February 22 and Abraham Lincoln’s is the 12th. The original intent of the federal holiday was to honor both Washington and Lincoln, but when signed into law in 1968 only Washington's Birthday was moved and old Abe was left dateless, honestly. Some states have renamed the day "Washington and Lincoln Day" but here in Alabama, since 2002, the third Monday in February commemorates the birthdays of both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (who was born on April 13). So ‘goodbye’ Abe and ‘hello’ Tom. This is not to be viewed as a slight to our visiting snowbirds but more of defining the state motto: Audemus jura nostra defendere (We Dare Defend Our Rights), or so it seems.
Also in keeping with a presidents theme U.S. News & World Report in their Februarys.26th edition had a cover story on “America’s worst presidents”. For its’ list (excluding the current commander-in-chief), they “used the bottom 10 rankings on five major scholarly polls”. The least effective is James Buchanan, followed in order by Warren G. Harding, Andrew Johnson, Franklin Pierce, Millard Fillmore, John Tyler, Ulysses S. Grant, William Harrison, Herbert Hoover tied with Richard Nixon, and Zachary Taylor. How would you like to see their faces chiseled on the peaks of ole Rocky Top?
The general consensus of the scholars in their assessment of the presidential malfunctioners “was passivity or inaction in the face of great historical challenges” or if their activism was considered “misplaced“. What is called for is a delicate balance of appropriate actions then act decisively, otherwise it’s “Damned if I do and damned if I don't”. I'll have to run that thought by Homer Simpson.
Though the presidential election is over a year and a half away there are so many hats in the ring already it looks like a milliner convention. Some of the contenders have common names, I.e., Joe (Biden), John (Edwards and McCain), and Jim (Gilmore) and some not so usual, I.e., Barack (Obama), Newt (Gingrich), Duncan (Hunter), Mitt (Romney), Hillary (Clinton). And if Tim Smucker, Chairman and Co-CEO of Smucker’s became a candidate a shoe-in combination name would be Duncan Obama Mitt Smucker which sounds like a German dessert with fruit topping and with a name like that he'll have to be good.
If you thought the recent political ads were negative and nasty they don't hold a hanging Chad to what went on in the presidential campaign of 1800 and its aftermath. When Jefferson was Vice-president he paid, via an employee, to James Callender, a newspaper writer, to publish that President John Adams was loyal to the English crown and a pawn to British interests. Jefferson could not do it himself for it would violate the Sedition Act of 1798, which was aimed at crushing freedom of speech and repressing political opposition. Adams countered that if Jefferson were elected president, Americans would "see your dwellings in flames" and "female chastity violated."
Callender was convicted and jailed. After the election he was pardoned by Jefferson but when he was denied the job of a postmaster he printed that Jefferson had "for many years past kept, as his concubine, one of his own slaves," Sally Hemings. Learning of this, Abigail Adams, wife of the maligned former President Adams, wrote Jefferson “the serpent you cherished and warmed, bit the hand that nourished him.”
According to American Heritage , “By modern standards Jefferson’s active role in promoting anti-Adams propaganda and his complicity in leaking information …… were impeachable offenses that verged on treason.”
Callender also publicized an affair that Treasurer Secretary Alexander Hamilton had with the wife of a Treasury clerk and that Hamilton was being investigated about shady financial dealings. He was one of the first to argue that the public had the right to know the moral character of those elected.
Hamilton admitted to the affair but nothing else. He later became the intervening force on Jefferson's behalf when Jefferson tied with Aaron Burr for the presidency. At that time the candidate receiving the greatest number of electoral votes would become president The person receiving the second-highest number would become vice president. Not a fan of Jefferson, Hamilton thought him the lesser of two evils. The escalated animosity between Hamilton and Burr ended in a duel; Hamilton shot his pistol into the air and Burr lodged his bullet in Hamilton’s midsection inflicting a mortal wound.
The lady, Maria Reynolds, Hamilton’s paramour, is a figure that weaves enigmatically among some of the named people. When Callender was to testify in a libel suit he was suspiciously found drowned in three feet of water. Ironically it was Hamilton as defense attorney who had summoned Callender and it was Maria who submitted Jefferson’s letters to Callender.
For a full version of theses presidential pranks read William Safire’s novelization of all the facts in Scandalmonger.
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