I’ve now finished my early morning reading, which has been the copyright 2000 Time Inc, Home Entertainment book of Hugh Sidey’s Portraits of the Presidents. I hadn't realized that the book contains many of the columns which were published in Time Magazine under his byline as a column entitled “The Presidency.” The jacket blurb says that “Hugh Sidey . . . has reported on America’s Chief Executives for Life and Time magazines since 1957” and this volume provides “a bracing, intimate encounter with the men who have shaped modern American history.”
So even though the book spans only 11 Presidents (from Franklin D. Roosevelt to William J. Clinton), I was entranced because as I have shared before my knowledge of history is rather dismal. I am particularly enamored by the layout and composition of this collection and I studied the names of all the talented professionals who put it together. A thoroughly quality product all around, and I am so glad I found it on one of my Goodwill jaunts—the same day I got the John Bolton memoir which I have stopped reading because I don’t need any indoctrination. Hugh Sidey’s view of history is pretty even-handed, and I also learned that PBS had a series in 2000 entitled “The American Presidency” which he narrated. I’ll be looking for that in the metaverse soon. [Note to self: Is that the correct use of that term? Must research and not try to be hip and happening.]
But to get to the main point of today’s post. In this book, I read about a quote in a letter from John Adams to his wife Abigail on the second night of his White House residency. I’ll give you the whole quote here, then tell you what I have been spending too much time trying to track this morning:
I pray heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house and on all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.
According to the book, 145 years later Franklin Roosevelt had these words carved into the marble mantel in the State Dining Room. I was able to find a picture online of the intricately carved message on the mantel, which was taken around 1968. However, with many subsequent refurbishings, it seems the mantel itself may have ended up in the Truman Library. As I noted, I have been spending way too much time trying to confirm its whereabouts for sure. Perhaps some history buff could share more details. But the point of the whole conversation is that I wish indeed that honesty were a requirement for public office at all levels. Of course, I wish the gendered reference could be updated, but that’s a story for another day.
Now I have to get back to an assignment that will pay me actual cash so I can indulge my book-buying habit. I’ve already ordered a couple of memoirs of fellow Substack writers, and I’m looking forward to reading them on arrival.
"I wish indeed that honesty were a requirement for public office" Well we wouldn't have anybody then : )