Once Upon a Time, Elections Made Us Feel Good

Nine months can be a long time. Anyone who's given birth can attest to that. It's even more interminable during an election year. Nine months. That's how long until November. Yet, the election pains have just begun. Hillary accuses Barack of plagiarism. Barack fires back, charging Hillary with a "smear campaign." Allegations are made that McCain had an "affair" with a female lobbyist. And we're barely out of the gate. What fun.

I can think of no better time to dial the clock back 190 years to what has been dubbed as "The Era of Good Feelings." James Monroe was elected president. The United States had won the War of 1812, and the country was not just rebuilding but expanding beyond the original 13 colonies. Optimism was high, and Monroe was seen as the beloved leader. He was popular enough to be elected to two terms and had countless towns, cities and counties named after him in most every state. He even played host to the wedding of his daughter — the first held at the White House — on Valentine's Day no less. There was a lot to feel good about.

The U.S. Mint is similarly buoyant about its newest coin in the U.S. Presidential Golden Dollar Series, featuring a portrait of a stoic Monroe. It includes his image, his name and the inscription, "5th President 1817-1825." The reverse contains the scene of an eagle in flight. Edge lettering includes the inscriptions "E Pluribus Unum" and "In God We Trust," as well as the date and mintmark. 

Monroe was also a patriot. He's recognized as the "last president to hail from the revolutionary generation" and was wounded in battle. The classic painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware" shows a boatload of soldiers braving the icy waters preparing to fight. None look like they feel good. One stands behind Washington tightly grasping the American flag. That's Monroe.

Of course, back then, TV, radio and Internet reporting was more than a century away. Any newspaper accounts of presidential activities were limited to stately "feel good" reports. It wouldn't be until long after his presidency that the general populace learned Monroe was just as human as the rest of us.

For instance, during a heated exchange with Secretary of the Treasury William Crawford, words turned overly nasty. As Crawford approached with his cane, Monroe grabbed a pair of fireplace tongs and chased Crawford from the White House.

On a different occasion, the ministers from Great Britain and France were attending a dinner at the White House when words erupted. That escalated into personal attacks that resulted in swords being drawn between the two. The melee was resolved only when Monroe stepped between them and drew his own sword.

Thing is, that technically may have been in conflict with the renowned Monroe Doctrine. It contains a lot of words but essentially signified a clear break between the United States and Europe, translating to: Don't try to colonize our territories or meddle in our business, and we'll do the same.

Patriot that he was, like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams before him, Monroe fortuitously died on July 4. In addition to 2008 being an election year, this April will mark the 250th anniversary of his birth, so the issuance of the coin is fitting in many respects. What's not to feel good about?

The new Monroe dollar coins are now available from many banks or in rolls or bags directly from the U.S. Mint. For more information about the latter, log onto www.usmint.gov or phone toll-free: 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468).

(Editor's Note: A JPEG visual of the new James Monroe golden dollar coin is being sent for your use with this column.)

To find out more about Peter Rexford and to read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.