The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-11-10
Years

". II. Harrison, lS4l month Of ms
official term.
Three months
James X. Polk, ls49 after leaving
office.
Wilhelm Office
Zachary TAYLOR, 1850 in the 18th
month Of ser
vice.
Franklin Pierce, still living
James Buchanan, 1908
In the second
Abraham Lincoln, month OF his
second term.
1t is rather @ remarkable fact that our list
of presidents, chosen every four years, should
have dwindled down TO solitary survivor.
1t is significant that the earlier presidents
lived much longer in retirement, after they
had left the presidential chair, than those OF
modern days The reason is easily account.
ed for. The presidential Office in the intan-
cy Of the republic was comparatively small
affair. Now il is the most aborious and re-.
sponsible executive position on the face Of
the earth. The immense appointing power
which is foolishly, both for the interest Of the
people and the comfort Of the president,
lodged in his hands, s every year increasing,
until il has become burdensume and exact
ing in the last degree, and, superhdded TO
his other great duties aud responsibilities, Is
we'll calculated TO wear out even the hardest
constitution. Mr.. John Adams, OF Massa'
chusetts, lived the longest in retirement be.
ing an even quarter of a century. Next 10
him comes Martin Van Buren, who lived
twenty.one years and then we have Mr.
Madison and Mr. j. Q. Adams, who each
lived nineteen years. Mr.. Jefferson lived
seventeen years. All the rest died in a com.
kr;n I'D ,Na laa Nka
fee, or deceased while they were in il.
Gen. Pierce is the youngest man whom
the people of the United States ever intrust.
&c with the presidential office, and yet he
was between forty-eight and fOrty.nine years
Of age when he WAS elected and sworn into
Office on the 4th Of March 1853. Nearly all
of our presidents have been old men when
elected; their ages vary between sixty and
seventy years. Indeed, the trainers Of the
constitution guarded the approach to the
presidential mansion Of the youth OF the
country by provision that no person could
hold the office until he was thirty years
old, but they made no provision at the fur.
Their end Of lite's string, allowing the people
to elect men at eighty or ninety years, II
they desired. They evidently acted upon
the belief that it is from young and ambl-
tiOus men that the danger to republican
form Of government arises, and that to les.
sen that danger, It is better to sacrifice that
much Of the youthful yigor and energies,
that otherwise might be impaired to the nd
mInistrsrOu.
Gen. Pierce WAS born in Hilsboro', New
Hampshire, on the 22d Of November, 1904
in 1920 be was n student at Bowdoin col.
lege Maine After graduating, he studied
law in the office of Levi Woodbury., who was
for many years GIL eminent Judge OF the
United States supreme court, having been
previously secretary Of the treasury under
Martin Van Buren,. In 1923 Gen. Pierce
commenced his political career by accepting
the office Of member Of the legislature from
his native town. He was three times re.
elected, and during his last two years Of ser
vice was speaker of the house. In 1888 he
was elected member of congress, and was
reelected in 1885. In 1887 he was elected
TO the United States senate and served one
term in that body, when he voluntarily with.
drew from it. In 1876 he was rendered the
position of attorney general Of the United
States, which he declined. In the same
year, however, he entered the military ser.
vice as q volunteer in the Mexican war,
acting in the capacity Of brigadier general.
He served with credit, and received the ia.
vorable notice of General Scott in his Off.
cial dispatches. In 1850 he was president
OF the New Hampshire constitutional con.
ventiOn.
In 1852 the democratic national conyen.
ton met at Baltimore TO nominate cand
dates for president and vice president For
tyhye ballots had been taken, and still there
was no choice but at this juncture the state
OF Virginia asked leave to retire for the pur.
pose OF consultation. Wher she returned
she cast her Gtteen votes for Franklin Pierce
Of New Hampshire. His name took like
wild fire in the convention, and on the forty.
ninth ballot he was unanimously nominated
and 30 far as electoral votes were concerned
was almost unanimously elected, receiving
as he did, the vote of every state but four
receiving two hsndred and h(ty.fouv elector
O. votes against forty.twO cast for his ol,
commanderin.chief General Scott. Hi
administration was in every respect credi
Ao'e; spute patriot az tho revolutionar
stamp IS man Of fine talents and decide
administrative ability is pleasant and ara
pie III manner and no more agreeable gen
tleInan ever performed the social honOrs
the White House is a democrat belongin
TO that school who understand really VIII
democracy is, and he has ever been faithC
to its teachings in their strictest form as gi
en- by Jefferson and Madison. Had ho be,
president in 1861, instead of Abraham Ii
coin, there would have been no secessi,
and no war, aud the dark destiny Of Il
country would have been changed we wo,
have been a constitutional republic, inste
Of what we are now, a hybrid, somewhe
between a republic aud a monarchy, the &
act boundaries of which it is difficult to 1
fine.
We will close our article here by giyir
the ages respectively Of the presidents at t
time of their decease.